Pacific Fusion has unveiled its new pulser module prototype. This device is capable of generating 440 gigawatts of power in just 80 nanoseconds. This success allows the company to begin construction of its first demonstration fusion power plant. Construction is expected to start this summer. This was reported by Techcrunch.com reports .
Company representatives told TechCrunch that successful tests of this shipping-container-sized prototype triggered the next tranche of a Series A investment round exceeding $1 billion. Pacific Fusion is currently one of the most well-funded fusion startups in the world. This financial model allows the company's leadership to focus entirely on technical achievements rather than constant fundraising.
Pacific Fusion uses an inertial fusion energy approach. The 156 pulser modules in the reactor direct intense electrical energy at a small fuel target. This process creates a powerful magnetic field around a fuel capsule the size of a light switch, compressing it until the atoms fuse and release massive amounts of energy.
Currently, inertial fusion is the only method that has enabled the generation of more energy than was consumed. Previously, this result was only achieved at the NIF laboratory at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. However, while NIF used expensive lasers, Pacific Fusion aims to reduce costs using cheaper electrical switches and capacitors.
The company's next main task is to scale the prototype to a full-size pulser module. According to Pacific Fusion's founders, the new plant must produce more electricity than it consumes to operate. This result would be a historic achievement never before recorded by a private company.
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