Sci-Tech: Alternative fusion plans + Helion Energy

The journal Nature discusses the rise of several fusion power schemes that increasingly appear to be viable low cost alternatives to the dominant Tokamak/ITER approach:

One of those alternatives mentioned is Helion Energy, a spinoff of research at the University of Washington:

Helion:

Helion Energy is uniquely qualified to succeed in bringing the Fusion Engine to market:

  •  Helion’s technology is the only proven, practical, reactor assembly in existence with greater fusion output than any private competitor.
  • The Fusion Engine was designed from the ground up to be a competitive commercial device, yet is based on demonstrated physics, technologies and Helion’s patented scientific breakthrough.
  • The world renowned scientific and technical team has a deep knowledge of the science, and unique experience in the technologies and the scales required for a commercial reactor.
  • The science of the Fusion Engine has been rigorously demonstrated and peer reviewed.
  • Helion has radically reduced risk by validating the technology with over $5 M in DOE funding.
  • The Fusion Engine is compact (semi-truck sized) will be able to generate lower cost electricity than current baseload power sources.
  • The management team won the 2013 National Cleantech Open Energy Generation competition and awards at the 2014 ARPA-E Future Energy Startup competition.

And

Helion Energy’s technology has received $4+ M non-dilutive U.S. Department of Energy seed funding to demonstrate the concept at increasing scales. The team has contributed another $100k towards business development and ongoing technology development. Helion Energy is seeking a $35M Series B. This three year round has several funding gates and will demonstrate a reactor scale fusion core that will exceed the performance of any fusion energy source ever built. Series B will also demonstrate direct electricity generation and finalize the commercial power plant design. Subsequently, a commercial 50 MW pilot plant will be constructed over a two year period .

The Helion approach appears to be similar to that of the Tri-Alpha Energy mentioned in the Nature article.

HelionExpts