Good Clean Energy

For decades, Field-Reversed Configurations (FRCs) have been one of the most attractive opportunities in fusion because of the large power output, but one of the biggest doubts was whether they scale to power plant conditions. Conventional wisdom says the higher the temperature, the less stable plasma would become.

But now according to TAE’s new paper, that roadblock has been cleared.

In this episode, TAE computational physicist Roelof Groenewald shares how he and his team overturned this long-standing assumption. Their research shows that — somewhat paradoxically — FRC plasmas actually become more stable as they heat up. Think of a spinning top or bicycle or basketball spinning on your finger that becomes more stable the faster it spins. This breakthrough, along with TAE’s other enabling technologies, has enormous implications for the future of clean energy.

(00:33) Introduction to plasma physics, FRCs, and the challenge of stability
(01:50) Comparing FRCs to other fusion approaches
(04:22) How FRCs generate their own magnetic fields
(05:45) Plasma beta, efficiency, and why FRCs are special
(06:41) Why not everyone builds FRCs
(07:16) Stability concerns and the tilt problem
(09:19) Rosenbluth’s findings and the challenge of scaling FRCs
(11:07) Correlation between fast and hot, kinetic energy, and particle speed
(12:16) Challenging the old theory with real machines and simulations
(15:10) Proving stability at scale, matching math to reality
(18:09) Introduction to the simulation code and exascale computing
(20:40) Scaling up, confidence in simulation, and future machine design
(21:00) Exploring beam configurations and simulation experiments
(24:06) Overcoming obstacles, commercialization, and Da Vinci prototype

Full show notes: https://tae.com/proving-frc-fusion-stability-at-scale-with-senior-scientist-roelof-groenewald/

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In this episode, Matthew Lipka from TAE’s Policy & Global Affairs team explores how policy is shaping and accelerating the future of fusion energy in the United States. He shares his work educating policymakers on the trade-offs between different energy technologies—and why government leadership is essential to advancing next-generation solutions. Compared to fission, fusion is a cleaner, safer energy source and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has begun adapting its regulatory framework to reflect that lower risk. With rare bipartisan support, fusion is emerging not only as a climate solution, but as a pathway to energy security, economic growth and global leadership.

(02:27) Educating Lawmakers on Fusion
(03:18) Fusion vs. Fission: Key Differences
(06:28) Regulatory Progress for Fusion
(15:13) Future of Fusion: Funding and Investment
(19:58) Global Competition in Fusion Energy

Full transcript: https://tae.com/the-role-of-government-policy-in-advancing-fusion-with-tae-policy-global-affairs-matthew-lipka/

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In this episode, Kyoto Fusioneering co-founder Dr. Richard Pearson shares how his company is supplying the essential technology components others need to succeed. Rather than building reactors, Kyoto focuses on the “picks and shovels” of fusion, including systems such as:
Gyrotrons: High-frequency microwave devices to heat plasma in magnetic fusion reactors.
Fuel Cycle Systems: Enabling closed-loop fuel recycling, especially critical for companies pursuing deuterium-tritium fusion, which requires rare tritium.
Liquid Breeding Blankets: Systems that use lithium to breed tritium and absorb neutron energy.
Regardless of the fusion method, every reactor needs a robust system to contain, fuel and extract energy from plasma. As fusion inches closer to commercialization, Kyoto Fusioneering is addressing these universal engineering needs by positioning itself not as a competitor in the race to build reactors, but as the key supplier helping everyone win that race.

Full transcript: https://tae.com/unlocking-the-fusion-industry-supply-chain-with-kyoto-fusioneerings-richard-pearson/

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In this episode, TAE Director of Computational Science Sean Dettrick explores the groundbreaking role of simulation in advancing commercial fusion. Since joining TAE in 2002, Dettrick has led efforts to build a "digital twin" of fusion reactors—high-fidelity simulations that mirror the physical machines under development, allowing researchers to predict and optimize reactor behavior without physically constructing every variation.

These simulations are not just digital prototypes—they’re essential tools for understanding the intricate physics of plasma behavior, validating experimental data, and informing future designs.

TAE’s sixth-generation fusion machine, Copernicus, is still in development but Dettrick and his team have already seen it "operate" in the virtual world. Through simulations, they analyze how plasma reacts under various conditions, tweak system parameters, and test designs far faster and more flexibly than physical experiments allow.
As computational power has grown from teraflops to petaflops and now to the exascale frontier, so too has the capacity to simulate the six-dimensional complexity of plasma physics. Dettrick emphasizes that reaching commercial fusion will require continued advances in both computing and collaboration between theoretical and experimental scientists.

Looking ahead, Dettrick believes simulations will be crucial not only in building the first fusion power plants but in optimizing them for mass production—ensuring they’re not just functional, but also manufacturable.

Covered in this episode:
TAE has created high-fidelity digital twins of its fusion reactors.
These simulations allow testing and optimization without building physical prototypes.
Models are calibrated with real-world data to predict future reactor behavior.
Digital models can test design changes that would be physically impossible or too costly to implement in real experiments and provide quick feedback on potential improvements.
TAE’s sixth-generation machine is already running in virtual form.
There's a healthy tension between simulation and physical testing—each validates and informs the other. Real-world results continue to refine and improve digital models.

(01:30) The Role of Simulation in Fusion Research
(02:20) Building and Testing Fusion Reactors
(04:00) Digital Twins and High-Fidelity Models
(05:45) Complexities of Plasma Simulation
(08:10) Copernicus: The Sixth Generation Fusion Machine
(10:56) Advancements in Supercomputing
(18:15) Future of Fusion Simulation and Commercialization

Full transcript: https://tae.com/how-digital-simulations-lead-to-real-world-fusion/

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Good Clean Energy is a podcast that tackles one of the most existential questions of our time: how to build a world with abundant, affordable, carbon-free electricity. This season we’re going to unpack what TAE is working on to make fusion energy a reality.

In this episode, TAE Director of Diagnostics Thomas Roche discusses his groundbreaking paper that showcases a significant advancement in fusion energy research. The conversation delves into an experiment that drastically simplified TAE’s fusion research machine, leading to a first in the field. Roche explains how neutral beam injection replaced complex formation sections, reducing costs and complexity while improving performance. These developments mark a significant step towards creating efficient and economical fusion power plants in the future.

Covered in this episode:
Understanding TAE’s fusion approach
Innovative experiments and surprising results
Implications for TAE’s future fusion machines
Reducing cost and complexity

(01:32) Understanding TAE's Fusion Reactor
(04:21) Innovative Experimentation and Breakthroughs
(07:21) Implications for Future Fusion Reactors
(09:36) Cost and Complexity Reductions

Learn more: TAE Delivers Fusion Breakthrough that Dramatically Reduces Cost of a Future Power Plant
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