Two Steps Ahead: Lockheed Martin Compact Controllable Fusion Test Project

This article is excerpted from James C. Goodall, translated by Weng Wei, "The Skunk Factory: A 75 Year History of Advanced Aircraft Development"More than 70 years ago, scientists discovered that nuclear fission reactions can generate enormous amounts of energy, which was undoubtedly a significant discovery that attracted worldwide attention at that time

This article is excerpted from James C. Goodall, translated by Weng Wei, "The Skunk Factory: A 75 Year History of Advanced Aircraft Development"

More than 70 years ago, scientists discovered that nuclear fission reactions can generate enormous amounts of energy, which was undoubtedly a significant discovery that attracted worldwide attention at that time. Later, people have been trying to use nuclear fission to power almost everything (including airplanes). However, due to the complex nature of the specific application of nuclear fission, it has not been widely applied and is currently only used in nuclear reactors. Later, scientists discovered nuclear fusion and believed that successful and controllable nuclear fusion could generate cleaner and safer energy.

The size of compact nuclear fusion reactors is generally very small, which is also the main reason why they are favored. (Image: Lockheed Corporation)

In nuclear fusion reactions, gases are heated and decomposed into ions and electrons. When ions become hot enough, they can collide and fuse with each other after overcoming repulsion, while releasing enormous energy (which can be more than 1 million times higher than the energy generated by ordinary chemical reactions and 3 to 4 times higher than the energy generated by nuclear fission reactions). The principle by which the sun generates energy is actually nuclear fusion. Lockheed is currently researching how to use magnetic cylinders to simulate the process of solar energy generation. Magnetic bottle is a type of magnetic field used in nuclear fusion experiments to constrain plasma, capable of withstanding temperatures of hundreds of millions of degrees. It can make the reaction controllable and generate energy that can be utilized by people. Lockheed's compact nuclear fusion reactor is an attempt based on over 60 years of experience in nuclear fusion research. It largely utilizes magnetic force for magnetic confinement, and its scale will be ten times smaller than previous nuclear fusion reactors. As the name suggests, the size and scale of compact nuclear fusion reactors must be very small, which is also the main reason why they are favored. Considering the time and improvement cycle required for nuclear fusion testing, Lockheed believes that it will take approximately five years to develop a prototype reactor.

A reactor that is small enough to be installed on a truck can actually provide enough electricity for a small city with a population of up to 100000 people. (Image: Lockheed Corporation)

The thermal energy generated by a compact fusion reactor can be replaced by a simple heat exchanger to drive a turbine generator, generating electricity or thrust. However, due to the short design cycle, the plan also faces the problem of fewer options and insufficient funding from various aspects. Researchers believe that once compact fusion reactors become a reality, they can achieve the following:

Provide almost unlimited range for aircraft. The high-density energy generated by nuclear fusion allows aircraft like the C-5 Galaxy transport to fly continuously for a year with just a few bottles of hydrogen gas.

Provide affordable energy with unlimited supply to the entire world, including developing countries.

Provide safe electrical energy for ships. The energy generated by compact nuclear fusion can be provided with unlimited range for ships through turbo generators.

Accelerate interstellar travel. The high-density energy generated by nuclear fusion can enable interstellar spacecraft to fly to Mars within one month, rather than the current six months.

Power supply for cities with 50000 to 100000 people. This only requires the application of a nuclear fusion reactor in a 100 megawatt gas turbine power plant. They can be deployed around the world as needed.

Provide clean drinking water for the people of the world. Compact nuclear fusion reactors can reduce the cost of seawater desalination by more than 60%.

In 2017, a spokesperson for Lockheed mentioned that they would invent a small nuclear fusion engine within ten years and use unlimited clean nuclear energy to provide the energy needed for large ocean going ships and even the entire town; In another decade, Lockheed will commercialize independent cold fusion reactors, providing the world with clean energy without danger, nuclear proliferation, and greenhouse gas emissions.

Compact nuclear fusion reactor. (Image: Lockheed Corporation)

Magnetic bottle is a type of magnetic field used in nuclear fusion experiments to constrain plasma, capable of withstanding temperatures of hundreds of millions of degrees. If a compact nuclear fusion reactor can be made small enough, it may be used as a power source for aircraft, allowing them to shuttle anywhere in the world without refueling or carbon footprint. (Image: Lockheed Corporation)

Jeff Babione, the current vice president and general manager of Skunk Factory, said: "Although the progress is slower than expected, I believe that our company will eventually be able to develop a cold fusion reactor." In fact, Lockheed originally hoped to start developing their next generation nuclear fusion reactor T5 before the end of 2019, but due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, the plan was postponed to 2021.

T5 is mainly used to demonstrate the heating and expansion process of plasma, as well as to measure the depth of the magnetized sheath that protects the wall from the influence of plasma. T5 can also be used to measure the related losses around the superconducting magnet rod of the reactor that intersects or winds the magnetic field line boundaries containing plasma, to verify the high-density plasma source and the ability to capture and limit the neutral beam injector that triggers plasma ignition.

Schematic diagram of the internal structure of a compact nuclear fusion reactor. (Image: Lockheed Corporation)

Disclaimer: The content of this article is sourced from the internet. The copyright of the text, images, and other materials belongs to the original author. The platform reprints the materials for the purpose of conveying more information. The content of the article is for reference and learning only, and should not be used for commercial purposes. If it infringes on your legitimate rights and interests, please contact us promptly and we will handle it as soon as possible! We respect copyright and are committed to protecting it. Thank you for sharing.(Email:[email protected])