Major Fusion Milestone: Princeton Scientists Discover Game-Changer in Reactor Design

Exhaust heat from commercial-scale fusion reactors might be less damaging than previously believed.
New research indicates that plasma fusion heat spreads more evenly in tokamak reactors, suggesting a reduced risk of damage to critical components, thereby improving reactor longevity and efficiency.

According to researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the ITER Organization (ITER), the intense exhaust heat produced by fusing plasma in a commercial-scale reactor might not be as damaging to the reactor’s interior as previously believed.