Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) has recently been in the news for the impressive strides it’s taking on its revolutionary project, Arc. This commercial-scale power plant is designed to be the world’s first of its kind. This bold undertaking is a step towards realizing the promise of nuclear fusion, a natural process that could one day provide nearly limitless clean energy. Despite that apparent setback, CFS is continuing full steam ahead with its experimental reactor project, Sparc. This initiative sits at the heart of their tech advances.
To control the plasma, the Sparc reactor will have 18 of these uniquely designed magnets, with each one weighing an astounding 24 tons. These magnets will generate an intricate doughnut-shaped magnetic field that will be key to confining and compressing superheated plasma. They are able to produce a magnetic field up to 20 tesla, which is more than 13 times stronger than that of a typical conventional MRI machine. What this strength will do, though, is preserve the stability of that plasma as it approaches incredibly high temperatures.
For microscopic performance, we are going to cool the magnets down to an almost absolute zero. They will drop to an incredible -253 Celsius (-423 F). This cooling is absolutely necessary. This allows the magnets to safely handle over 30,000 amps of current, delivering the powerful energy needed to create fusion reactions. The plasma contained within the Sparc reactor will be heated to more than 100 million degrees Celsius. Under this extreme heat, fusion is possible in the perfect setting.
To fight for these changes, CFS has joined forces with tech titans Nvidia and Siemens. Collectively, they are building the world’s first digital twin of the Sparc compact fusion reactor. This creative new method will allow CFS to test out multiple scenarios, honing and finalizing efforts in a virtual space bathed in innovation and creativity. They adjust settings and conduct trials in a virtual format. Their mission is to get the most out of the reactor’s design through virtual simulation before touching the real-world system. We expect this capability will prove an important tool for increasing operational efficiency in addition to making reactor operations safer.
The Sparc project’s financial scope is staggering. CFS estimates that it will cost at least $4 billion to actually build it. Even with this significant investment, the potential of fusion energy is amazing. It provides a clean, eco-friendly, and renewable energy solution that is sustainable and nearly inexhaustible, which creates a compelling opportunity for CFS and its partners.
CFS has adopted an optimistic schedule for commissioning the 18 magnets. They hope to have the entire system up and running by the end of this summer – stay tuned! This advancement is a huge milestone in their overall quest to build the Arc power plant and commercialize the promise of fusion. Installing these magnets will be an important step toward completing the experimental phase of Sparc. This will allow CFS to take huge leaps forward in proving the feasibility of practical fusion energy generation.