Scientists want to power cities with the same
high-energy explosions that power the hearts of stars. This process is called nuclear
fusion, and it results (in stars, at least) in massive amounts of sustainable,
zero-carbon energy.
According to scientists at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), a new $30 million research initiative may make
this long-sought-after energy source a widespread reality on Earth within the
next 15 years.
MIT researchers have teamed up with a new private
company called Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to carry out a rapid research
project that they say could dramatically accelerate fusion energy technology.
The ultimate goal of the project is to build a compact, fully functional fusion
reactor called a tokamak, which could fit on a truck and produce 100 million
wattsof power, the researchers said in a statement.
But the first step is to create "the world's
most powerful superconducting electromagnets," a key component in building
the reactor. Supported by $30 million in funding from CFS, the MIT team hopes
to finish this first stage of the project within the next three years. [Science
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"Advances in superconducting magnets have
put fusion energy potentially within reach, offering the prospect of a safe,
carbon-free energy