The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory will lead a new project designed to accelerate bringing fusion energy to the grid.

Rising energy demands, the need for zero-carbon generation and energy security concerns are driving research on fusion energy production to provide an abundant, inherently safe, non-carbon-emitting energy source. Fusion is the same process that powers stars, including our sun. 

“Fusion is a world-changing technology that could help solve significant energy challenges,” said Phil Snyder, interim division director for ORNL’s Fusion Energy Division. “Developing the capability to remotely maintain and repair fusion power plants is essential to delivering high availability and cost effective fusion energy.”

In a fusion process, two lighter atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, while releasing energy.  The energy released is used to generate electricity using fuels commonly found in nature, including variants of hydrogen, such as deuterium and tritium. Scientists are exploring various methods to create fusion energy using large magnets in machines called tokamaks and stellarators. Understanding the maintenance needs and developing processes for fusion energy machines will be key to reducing the cost of fusion energy.

The fusion pilot plant maintenance and repair project led by Venugopal Varma, group leader for ORNL’s Remote Systems group, was a good fit in moving fusion energy research forward. In particular, the project aligns with DOE’s request for proposals to conduct basic research with a focus on accelerating the transition from discovery to commercialization of new technologies that will provide the foundation for future industries. 

ORNL and Sandia National Laboratories, along with several partnering universities — including Tuskegee University, University of Tennessee, Stanford University and Florida Atlantic University — propose to create a method to identify damage in plasma facing components; develop in-place repair methods, processes and tools; and reduce maintenance outage times.