National labs work to tackle fusion energy challenges

[Marlin]

National labs work to tackle fusion energy challenges

https://www.anl.gov/article/national-labs-work-to-tackle-fusion-energy-challenges

[Core Content]

Officials from multiple Department of Energy national laboratories gathered at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory to discuss collaborative partnerships with private developers. The meeting focused on leveraging existing government research facilities to solve complex engineering hurdles facing commercial fusion power systems.

Laboratories like Argonne, Oak Ridge, and Lawrence Livermore hold decades of operational data, material science expertise, and specialized hardware. Researchers plan to apply this infrastructure toward testing component durability under extreme radiation, breeding tritium fuel using particle accelerators, and developing advanced superconducting magnets.

The national laboratories are poised to play a pivotal role as industry accelerates efforts to turn fusion energy into a reliable power source. At a recent event, experts explored how the labs' expertise and facilities could help address fusion's most critical challenges.

As private industry races to develop fusion energy into a reliable power source, what role can the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and the other DOE national laboratories play in harnessing this promising energy technology for the benefit of society? That question was a key topic of discussion with national lab and industry leaders on Oct. 13 at DOE's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

Read the full article at anl.gov:
https://www.anl.gov/article/national-labs-work-to-tackle-fusion-energy-challenges