Fusion startup Avalanche says its desktop-scale reactor prototype has heated plasma to about 11 million degrees Celsius, surpassing one of the major milestones on the path toward commercial fusion energy.
The company shared the results exclusively with TechCrunch.
Only a handful of fusion companies have achieved similar temperatures.
Key threshold for fusion research
Scientists generally consider temperatures above 10 million degrees Celsius a significant benchmark because hotter plasma increases the likelihood that particles will collide and fuse, releasing energy.
Plasma temperatures are measured through particle energy rather than with conventional thermometers.
Researchers use a metric called the kiloelectron volt (keV).
The fusion industry closely watches experiments that exceed 1 keV.
“That’s hot enough that the world will take notice,” Bob Mumgaard, chief executive of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, has previously said.
Why temperature matters
For fusion reactions to occur, plasma must be:
- Hot enough.
- Dense enough.
- Maintained for a sufficient amount of time.
If those conditions are achieved, atoms can fuse and release large amounts of energy.
Reaching high temperatures alone does not guarantee success. But Avalanche said the result suggests its reactor could eventually create conditions capable of producing more energy than is required to initiate the process.
Smaller than most competitors
Unlike many fusion companies pursuing large power plants, Avalanche is focusing on smaller systems.
Most competitors are designing reactors capable of generating:
- Dozens of megawatts.
- Hundreds of megawatts.
Avalanche believes smaller reactors could open up new markets and compete with technologies such as:
- Diesel generators.
- Natural gas turbines.
Compact design
The fusion core inside the company’s latest prototype, called Jyn, measures just five inches in diameter.
According to Avalanche, the smaller size makes rapid development easier.
The startup said it has modified the reactor 25 times since last fall.
Funding and validation
Avalanche said it has spent less than $50 million in venture funding to reach the milestone.
The results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
However, the company said the report was validated by a plasma physicist at MIT.
TL;DR
Fusion startup Avalanche says its five-inch-wide reactor prototype reached plasma temperatures of about 11 million degrees Celsius, exceeding an important industry benchmark. The company believes its smaller approach could lead to lower-cost fusion power systems.
AI summary
- Avalanche says its reactor heated plasma to 11 million degrees Celsius.
- The milestone exceeds the key 1 keV threshold.
- The company has spent less than $50 million to reach this stage.
- Its Jyn reactor core is only five inches wide.
- The results have not yet been peer reviewed.
