University of Illinois and Tokamak Energy partner to solve key fusion pilot plant challenge 

The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign (U of I) has partnered with Tokamak Energy to advance designs for its fusion pilot plant, which will demonstrate net power by the mid-2030s under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program. 

The DOE’s decadal vision was launched to unite a select group of private companies with national laboratories and universities in bringing fusion – the power of the stars – toward technical and commercial viability.   

Experts from both teams will now use Illinois Grainger Engineering’s Hybrid Illinois Device for Research and Applications (HIDRA) to carry out groundbreaking research into liquid metal plasma-facing components – a key focus for next-generation fusion energy devices. 

Tokamak Energy, the only private company with more than 10 years’ experience designing, building and operating tokamaks, will work at the university to design an upgrade to the existing HIDRA capabilities and apply research learning to its prototype power plant designs.  

Illinois Grainger Engineering Dean Rashid Bashir said: “Our new partnership with Tokamak Energy represents an exciting frontier in fusion research, leveraging the university’s strengths in scientific discovery to solve one of the greatest energy challenges of our time. Together, we are not only advancing fusion science but also preparing the next generation of fusion experts.”  

Dr Vivian Lee, Tokamak Energy Head of In-Vessel Consumables, added: “We are delighted to have a team in Illinois advancing a critical component of our fusion pilot plant design program. We are proud to work alongside the University of Illinois to realize a vital source of clean, abundant energy while developing and inspiring Illinois’ workforce to overcome the future challenges.” 

 Liquid metal plasma-facing surfaces have great potential to improve plasma performance and protect solid first wall materials from temperatures 10 times hotter than the sun, improving the output and robustness of a fusion pilot plant.  

 Earlier this month, Tokamak Energy announced it had raised $125 million to accelerate ambitious plans to commercialise fusion energy. The investment will be used to advance its fusion energy pilot plant design program, as well as develop, test and validate new fusion technologies using its record-breaking high field spherical tokamak in Oxford, UK.  

 This pioneering research is key to driving the innovation needed to achieve fusion and deliver clean, limitless and secure energy all over the world.  

 HIDRA is a medium-sized toroidal magnetic fusion device housed in the Nuclear Radiation Laboratory and operated by the Center for Plasma-Material Interactions (CPMI) within the Department of Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering at Illinois Grainger Engineering. 

Pictured in front of HIDRA, from left, is Professor Daniel Andruczyk, Daniel O’Dea (PhD candidate), Dean Rashid Bashir, George Stoneham and Dr Andrew Shone (both Tokamak Energy), Giovanni Diaz (PhD student), Dr Vivian Lee (Tokamak Energy) and Nina Mihajlov (PhD student)

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