Google-backed TAE Technologies, which has raised $880m (£650m), predicts its reactors will be commercialized within ten years. In experiments, the company has already reached more than 50 million degrees Celsius, and a new prototype will operate at more than 100 million degrees Celsius. “Our livelihoods depend on delivering – or we’re gone,” says Michl Binderbauer, chief executive of TAE Technologies, which has operated since 1998.
A US company is speeding up the path to practical fusion energy by using Google’s vast computing power. By applying software that can improve on its own, TAE Technologies has cut down tasks that once took two months to just a few hours. Google has lent the firm its expertise in “machine learning” in order to help accelerate the timeline for fusion. “I want to deliver fusion first, but anyone who does it is a hero,” TAE’s chief executive Dr Michl Binderbauer told BBC News.
November 2021 | J. Romero | ITC30 | Presentation
C-2W is the world’s first steady-state FRC with fusion relevant parameters. C-2W machine and diagnostics are upgraded often in response to the research needs.
With Google’s assistance using machine optimization and data science, TAE achieved the major goals for their fusion platform, Norman, which brings us a step closer to the goal of breakeven fusion. They have completed a design for an even more powerful machine, which they hope will demonstrate the conditions necessary for breakeven fusion before the end of the decade. TAE has succeeded with two complete machine builds during our collaboration, and we are really excited to see the third.
November 2021 | V. Sokolov | APS-DPP 2021 | Poster
The end bias electrode system provides stabilization and heating of the high-beta axisymmetric plasmas by inducing azimuthal plasma rotation via the application of radial electric fields.
November 2021 | T. Roche | APS-DPP 2021 | Poster
TAE Technologies, Inc. (TAE) pursues an alternate approach to magnetically-confined fusion, relying on field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasmas.
November 2021 | T. DeHaas | APS-DPP 2021 | Poster
Traditional FRCs are known to be theoretically unstable to an internal tilt mode whose threshold is characterized by the parameter S*/E.
November 2021 | S. Dettrick | APS-DPP 2021 | Poster
An expander divertor can be used to expand the Scrape-Off-Layer flux-tube of a linear device to arbitrary size, providing reduced energy flux to the wall, increased pumping capacity, formation of a pre-sheath for electrostatic confinement of electrons, and…
November 2021 | R. Smith | APS-DPP 2021 | Poster
Copernicus will be the next generation field reversed configuration (FRC) device at TAE Technologies.