Page 29 - EE Times Europe March 2022

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Nuclear Fusion Research Looks to Secure the Future of Energy

wrapped, imprisoned, and regimented by will halt. Simply turn off the electricity. The
magnetic fields (like those that guide the concept of intrinsic and passive safety is
high-temperature particle beams running in thereby implemented.
large accelerators).
In the fusion reactor, only hydrogen, the FUSION TECHNOLOGIES
most basic element in nature, interacts. Its Helion Energy’s Trenta prototype merged and
energy processes produce no waste, haz- compressed high-beta field-reversed configu-
ardous products, radioactive waste, or other ration (FRC) deuterium plasmas under fusion
chemicals, because no chemical components conditions, achieving a 9-keV total plasma
like hydrocarbons, coal, or heavy elements temperature (over 100 million degrees Cel-
such as uranium are used. The single result of sius) in bulk with operation above an 8-keV
fusion, helium, is a light, inert, and safe gas. ion temperature and 1-keV electron tempera-
In a fusion power plant, radioactivity is ture. In 2018, its fifth-generation prototype
limited to the treatment of reactor materials produced magnetic fields of 7 T and reached
activated by neutron flux that are already in an ion temperature of 2 keV at high density.
2V to 10,000 VDC Output
operation, as well as the storage of tritium The system is made up of magnets that
(which decays in 12 years), an operation accelerate two FRCs from opposite ends of the
involving light radioactive isotopes that is 40-foot accelerator to 1 million mph. After
now common in every hospital or service that that, they clash in the middle. When the FRCs
uses isotopes for diagnosis and treatment. meet at the system’s core, a magnetic field
Finally, unlike fission reactions, nuclear- compresses them until they achieve fusion
fusion processes do not function in a chain: If temperatures. The deuterium and helium-3
the plasma flow is not supplied, the reaction ions travel swiftly at this temperature, DC-DC Converters

• Over 2500 Std.
DC-DC Converters
• Surface Mount
• From 2V to 10,000
VDC Output
• 1-300 Watt Modules
• Isolated/ Regulated/
Figure 1: Block diagram of Helion’s system (Source: Helion Energy)
Programmable Models
Available
• Military Upgrades Available
• Custom Models, Consult Factory
Delivery-Stock to one week
for sample quantities
Pico Representatives
England
Solid State Supplies/Ginsbury
E-mail: russell.bennett@sssltd.com
Phone: 44 1634 298900 • Fax: 44 1634 290904
Benelux/France
Scandinavian Countries
ELCOS/BV
E-mail: info@elcos.be
Phone: 32 3 206 74 80 • Fax: 32 3 475 96 93

Germany
ELBV/Electra Bauemente Vertrieb
E-mail: info@elbv.de
Phone: 49 089 460205442
Figure 2: Fax: 49 089 460205442
ITER construction site VISIT OUR EXCITING NEW WEBSITE
(Source: F4E) www.picoelectronics.com

www.eetimes.eu | MARCH 2022