Unlocking the fusion industry supply chain, with Kyoto Fusioneering’s Richard Pearson
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.Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple PodcastsListen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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26:52
How digital simulations lead to real world fusion, with TAE's Director of Computational Science Sean Dettrick
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.Full transcript: https://tae.com/how-digital-simulations-lead-to-real-world-fusion/Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple PodcastsListen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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23:36
TAE fusion machine’s breakthrough design, with Director of Diagnostics Thomas Roche
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 approachInnovative experiments and surprising resultsImplications for TAE’s future fusion machinesReducing cost and complexityLearn more: TAE Delivers Fusion Breakthrough that Dramatically Reduces Cost of a Future Power Plant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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11:55
TAE's unique approach to fusion, with TAE CEO Michl Binderbauer
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 CEO Michl Binderbauer dives deep into a specific fusion machine design called the Field-Reversed Configuration that TAE has pursued since the company's inception. He explains how the FRC works, its unique advantages, and how it differs from other magnetic-confinement approaches by allowing the plasma to generate its own magnetic field, reducing the need for expensive and cumbersome external magnets. Binderbauer details the difficulties of working with FRCs and describes the breakthroughs TAE has made in simplifying and stabilizing the process, paving the way for more practical and economically viable fusion power plants.Covered in this episode:Understanding the FRCChallenges and solutions in FRCsTAE’s innovations to improve FRCsLearn more: TAE Delivers Fusion Breakthrough that Dramatically Reduces Cost of a Future Power Plant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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12:24
Why we need to electrify everything in our homes, with Rewiring America’s Stephen Pantano
Roughly 42% of energy-related carbon emissions come from households—our cars, water heaters, furnaces, dryers, cooktops and where we get our energy. Stephen Pantano, head of Market Transformation for Rewiring America, joins Good Clean Energy to explain how replacing fossil-fueled machines at home with electric ones is a critical and achievable strategy for reaching net zero emissions in the U.S. Covered in this episode:[2:30] The mission of Rewiring America[4:02] “The perfect household is all-electric”[5:19] Using heat pumps to heat and cool your home[9:57] Cooking without gas[12:45] Heating your water with a heat pump [14:42] Drying your clothes with a heat pump[15:32] The economic incentives to electrify your home[20:49] Where Rewiring America comes in[23:22] The challenges of rolling out the rebate programs[24:51] The roadblocks to electrifying America[26:03] The 1 billion devices that need to be upgraded[29:59] Where an individual can make the most impact[31:22] A vision for 2035For show notes and a full transcript, head to the episode page.Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Apple Podcasts Listen and Follow 'Good Clean Energy' on Spotify Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How do we build a world with abundant, affordable, carbon-free electricity? That’s the question at the heart of Good Clean Energy, a podcast featuring interviews with scientists, innovators and energy experts working to transform the energy ecosystem and tackle climate change. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ireland