Advancing Fusion Energy: Progress with 200 Lasers and a Pinpoint Fuel Capsule

In California, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have made progress in the search for fusion energy by using nearly 200 lasers to shoot at a fuel capsule the size of a peppercorn. This groundbreaking achievement could potentially provide the world with a sustainable and abundant source of clean power. In a historic first, the National Ignition Facility at LLNL successfully produced a nuclear fusion reaction that released more energy than it used, known as "ignition," last year in December.

The LLNL's December report stated that they have achieved successful ignition replication at least three times this year. This is another major milestone in the pursuit of fusion energy as a potential solution to the global climate crisis caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Scientists have long been working to recreate the power of the sun on Earth through fusion energy.

After achieving a historic net energy gain last year, the next crucial objective was to demonstrate the ability to replicate the process. According to Brian Appelbe, a research fellow from the Centre for Inertial Fusion Studies at Imperial College London, the ability to replicate the process highlights its "robustness," confirming that it can be achieved under varying conditions such as laser or fuel pellet variations.

Appelbe told CNN that each experiment presents a chance to thoroughly examine the physics of ignition. The valuable information gathered will help scientists address the next challenge: maximizing the energy that can be obtained.

In contrast to nuclear fission, used in current nuclear plants worldwide, which is created by the splitting of atoms, nuclear fusion does not produce long-lasting radioactive waste. With the accelerating climate crisis and the growing need to transition away from fossil fuels that contribute to global warming, the potential for a plentiful, safe, and clean energy source is highly appealing.

Nuclear fusion, the process that fuels the sun and other stars, entails the collision of two or more atoms to produce a more compact one, resulting in the release of significant amounts of energy.

The target chamber at NIF is where the real magic happens, with temperatures reaching 100 million degrees and pressures so extreme that the target can be compressed to densities up to 100 times greater than lead.

- Damien Jemison/LLNL

US scientists have achieved a long-awaited breakthrough in nuclear fusion, according to a source. At NIF, energy is created through the firing of nearly 200 lasers at a small pellet of hydrogen fuel inside a diamond capsule, which is then placed inside a gold cylinder. As the lasers heat up the cylinders outside, a rapid series of explosions occurs, resulting in the generation of a significant amount of energy in the form of heat.

In December 2022, a small amount of energy was produced, requiring about 2 megajoules to power the reaction. This released a total of 3.15 megajoules, enough to boil approximately 10 kettles of water. This successful ignition proved that laser fusion could create energy.

Since then, scientists have repeated this process several times. On July 30, the NIF laser delivered just over 2 megajoules to the target, resulting in 3.88 megajoules of energy—their highest yield achieved to date, according to the report. Two subsequent experiments in October also resulted in net gains.

The report stated that NIF has shown the ability to generate fusion energy consistently at multi-megajoule levels. However, there is still a significant amount of work ahead to reach the scale necessary to power electric grids and heating systems with nuclear fusion. The current focus is on building upon the progress made and determining how to significantly scale up fusion projects while reducing costs.

During the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, US climate envoy John Kerry unveiled an international engagement strategy involving over 30 countries to promote nuclear fusion as a solution to the climate crisis. "Fusion has the potential to transform our world and provide abundant and clean energy without the harmful emissions of traditional sources," Kerry stated at the climate conference.

In December, the US Department of Energy revealed a $42 million investment in a program that will unite various institutions, including LLNL, to create "hubs" dedicated to advancing fusion technology.

Ella Nilsen and René Marsh contributed to reporting