LaserFusionX is advancing a unique and very attractive approach to laser fusion energy. We leverage the deep UV light from the argon fluoride (ArF) laser to substantially reduce the laser energy required for high-energy-gain direct drive implosions. This enables the development of smaller lower-cost laser-fusion power plants.
Our expert team at LaserFusionX has unequalled experience in advancing high energy ArF laser technology and is actively developing next-generation fusion reactor designs. Our efforts are based on extensive research conducted by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) laser fusion program.
The President of LaserFusionX, who led the NRL laser fusion program for 22 years, established LaserFusionX Inc. to advance this NRL developed approach in laser fusion energy from the laboratory to construction of laser fusion power plants.
Our approach is supported by over a hundred peer-reviewed publications and granted 1 patent, along with 3 pending patent applications.
This approach represents one of the lowest risk and fastest approaches to achieving fusion energy.
* The National Ignition Facility (NIF) has demonstrated fusion ignition with indirect laser drive. With indirect laser drive the laser heats a hohlraum surrounding the target generating x-rays that drive the target implosion.
See Achieving Fusion Ignition | National Ignition Facility & Photon Science This approach is inefficient and only about 15% of the laser energy drives the implosion.
The result: a clean, scalable energy source capable of powering cities.
The LaserFusionX approach is primarily based on 50 years of research in direct drive laser fusion at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)
The NRL laser fusion team has built the world’s largest KrF and ArF lasers
ArF provides the best light for direct drive laser fusion.
LaserFusionX is advancing ArF laser fusion energy in the private sector as a path to smaller lower cost fusion power plants.
We design and build compact, lower-cost laser fusion power systems capable of producing high energy gain with much less laser energy than competing laser fusion approaches. Laser fusion has advantages over mainline magnetic fusion efforts including capability to have greater standoff distance between the fusion reaction and the wall facing the reaction, thereby increasing its longevity.
We have developed a laser fusion reactor design that has the potential to have class leading capability to breed the needed tritium fuel from lithium.
There is enough easily obtained lithium to provide tritium for fusion reactors that meet the world’s power needs for thousands of years. Deuterium is plentiful in sea water.
We are the only private company advancing this ArF direct drive laser fusion approach. While any fusion energy scheme has many challenges to overcome, we are confident that our approach will succeed because of
Its sound technical basis and attractive economics.
Fusion energy would provide a new energy source that would be particularly valuable for 24/7 baseload electrical power production.
Our technology is engineered to support continuous, commercial electricity generation, bringing fusion closer to real-world deployment.
LaserFusionX leverages a unique Argon Fluoride (ArF) deep-ultraviolet laser, a powerful advancement over our competitor’s laser fusion systems.
More efficient laser energy transfer to the fusion fuel
Higher fusion energy gain (see simulation below)
Lower overall system cost due to need for much less laser energy
High energy ArF lasers will have sufficient electrical efficiency and durability to be utilized in commercial power plants.
The graph of shock-ignited direct-drive fusion gain versus laser energy shows the large advantage of ArF’s and KrF’s short wavelength versus the 351 nm frequency tripled glass laser light
The 1D simulations show the gains obtained with perfect implosions with no nonuniformity effects or laser plasma instability
The laser light is more efficiently absorbed by the target if the laser’s focal diameter is zoomed down in time to follow an imploding target. Both ArF and KrF lasers have this capability – current glass lasers do not.
ArF 2-D simulations that include the effect of target nonuniformity give a gain 160 with a 410 kJ ArF laser – only 20% of NIF’s energy
Simulations show the advantage of ArF’s short wavelength:
By using shorter-wavelength deep UV light with extremely uniform target illumination, our system can achieve more efficient and uniform pellet implosions, unlocking performance levels needed for practical fusion energy.
develop fusion as a practical and economic power source
Fusion has the potential to provide massive energy output from minimal fuel, offering a long-term solution to global energy demand while eliminating direct greenhouse gas emissions.
The power flow in an ArF direct-drive laser fusion power plant that delivers 425 MW to the grid
In the power flow diagram the combination of high-gain (160) and 10% ArF electrical efficiency allows most of the generated power (83%) to be provided to the grid
GW and higher electrical power can be easily obtained by assembling multiple such power plants in a power station
The LaserFusionX core team has the world leading experience with both the underlying laser technologies and target physics
Areas of proven expertise
The team holds multiple patents and has contributed to decades of fusion research and development.
Visitors touring the NRL Nike KrF facility where 44 laser beams are directed into the target chamber.
The Figure shows one of our designs for a direct-drive fusion reactor chamber (patent pending).
A magnetic field protects the walls facing the imploding target from ionized particles and thereby increases its longevity. The magnetic field required is much smaller than that employed in magnetically confined fusion schemes such as tokamaks or stellarators.
We expect this design to enable larger tritium fuel breeding ratios than our competitors, (more tritium fuel produced than consumed).
There are dozens of private fusion energy companies and over $10 billion already committed, e.g. see Members – Fusion Industry Association. LaserfusionX Inc. is advancing a unique advanced approach – ArF direct-drive laser fusion – that is based on many years of research and supported by numerous journal publications.
LaserFusionX is the only company advancing ArF direct drive laser fusion
ArF’s deep UV (193 nm) ultra uniform light is superior for direct drive laser fusion to the 351 nm light used on the NIF and OMEGA laser facilities. 351nm light also is planned for use by other laser fusion companies (Inertia, Focused Energy, Blue Laser Fusion)
LaserFusionX’s ArF direct drive approach to fusion energy requires less than 10% of laser energy as: the KrF laser hybrid (indirect- direct) approach promoted by Xcimer Energy and the indirect drive approach followed by Inertia.
In addition to the ArF laser technology LaserFusionX is advancing the overall reactor design including the means to produce significantly more tritium than used in the fusion reaction
The LaserFusionX approach to fusion has a high probability of success based on peer reviewed published and patented technologies.
Practical fusion energy would be a transformative addition to central 24/7 electrical power production with a multi-trillion market. LaserFusionX has a very attractive path to accomplish that goal.
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