Growth in the Fusion Energy Development and the Role of Academic Institutions in Accelerating Progress

Carlos Paz-Soldan
Columbia University

Abstract

Fusion energy has entered a second era of major investment worldwide. Spurred on by advances in technology, science, and computation, a flood of venture capital investment has accelerated the timescale for fusion system prototype deployment. How did we get here? This presentation will explore some of the motivations and progress that led to this moment in the field. I will also spend time discussing the role of academic groups in supporting a private ecosystem of VC-backed startups. Specifically, I will discuss some activities of my research group in supporting these next generation of fusion devices. We perform calculations to inform the design, assembly, and operation of these devices, employing reduced models of plasma physics and electromagnetism.

Timbits, coffee, tea will be served in STI A before the colloquium.