A team of American physicists has developed a new method for plasma confinement in a nuclear fusion reactor, which could become the key to achieving limitless energy. The researchers used a high-frequency magnetic field to stabilize plasma within a spherical chamber, significantly boosting the efficiency of nuclear fusion reactions by 100 times compared to traditional systems, reports the Baltimore Chronicle, citing iXBT.
The technology, called “hybrid magnetic confinement,” combines the principles of magnetic and inertial plasma confinement, creating conditions for longer and more stable fusion reactions. Unlike tokamaks, where plasma is held by a strong constant magnetic field, the new method stabilizes plasma through a combination of alternating magnetic fields and dynamic impulses.
In laboratory conditions, the experimental setup managed to reach temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius, necessary to initiate fusion. The results showed a significant increase in the duration of stable plasma confinement, opening the way for scaling the technology for industrial use.
Researchers believe that the new approach can greatly reduce the size of fusion reactors and lower the costs of their construction. The technology could also accelerate the development of compact nuclear fusion reactors for civilian energy use. The next step will be building a larger experimental installation to test the scalability of the discovery.
The project received funding from U.S. government agencies as well as private investors interested in speeding up the development of clean energy technologies. According to team representatives, the first prototypes could appear within the next few years if further experiments confirm the results.
Earlier we wrote about what is the Large Hadron Collider.