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Magneto-inertial

Compression of a magnetised plasma; sits between MCF and ICF in density and timescale.

In the record: 8 companies, 2 laboratories and programmes, 7 devices and 0 reactor designs. These counts include Z-pinch, Magnetized target and Pulsed magnetic compression.

Not yet in the record for this approach: reactor designs.

Related approaches

Broader: Fusion

Narrower:

  • Z-pinch A current driven straight through a plasma column, whose own magnetic field squeezes it inward. Long set aside as unstable; sheared-flow stabilisation, studied at the University of Washington and pursued commercially by Zap Energy, renewed work on it.
  • Magnetized target A magnetised plasma target compressed mechanically or by an imploding liner. Sits between magnetic and inertial confinement in density and timescale. The main open problem is compressing the liner onto the plasma symmetrically and fast enough to reach fusion conditions before the plasma cools or the liner breaks up.
  • Pulsed magnetic compression Repeated compression of a plasma by pulsed magnetic fields, recovering energy directly from the expansion rather than through a steam cycle. The main open problem is hardware lifetime: the compression coil and switching electronics must survive millions of repeated pulses for a power plant to be economic.

Companies 8

Includes companies recorded under a narrower approach, named beside each.

Laboratories and programmes 2

Devices 7

Operating devices first, then those being built or planned, then those shut down, suspended or cancelled.

  • FUZE-Q Operating Zap Energy · US · Z-pinch
  • Z Machine Operating Sandia National Laboratories · US · Z-pinch
  • ZEBRA Operating University of Nevada · US · Z-pinch
  • FUSION POWER CORE Planned Compact Fusion Systems · US · Magnetized target
  • MIFTI Planned Magneto-Inertial Fusion Technologies, Inc. · US · Z-pinch
  • PJMIF Planned Hyperjet Fusion Corporation · US · Magnetized target
  • FuZE Status not recorded Zap Energy · US · Z-pinch · 1 measurement

Measurements

1 device using this approach carries 1 measurement: 1 claimed. The values, each with its status and source, are on the benchmark and on each device's page. Most measured: FuZE (1).

Guides

  • Fusion approaches compared Every family of fusion machine, how each holds its fuel, the best result this dataset holds for it, its main unsolved problem and the organisations pursuing it.

Magneto-inertial in the glossary · Fusion overview · All approaches