Stronger Fusion Energy Magnets, Flying Car Approved for Test Flights by FAA, Thermal Cloak for Space

Tokamak Energy has recently shared their detailed plan for Demo4, a magnet system designed to produce strong magnetic fields for #fusion reactors. Fusion energy is regarded as the future of clean and #sustainable power generation, as it is obtained through the fusion of lighter atoms to form heavier ones, resulting in the release of energy that can be utilized to generate electricity.

Tokamak Energy has been actively involved in fusion energy research and development, and their latest announcement comes just two months after a previous breakthrough. The unveiling took place at the Symposium on Fusion Engineering (SOFE), an international fusion energy conference.

Demo4, the superconducting magnet system developed by Tokamak Energy, will be capable of carrying an impressive 12 million Amperes of electricity through its central column. This current intensity is four times higher than that of the company's ST40 tokamak and is equivalent to 120,000 times the typical electricity consumption of an average UK home.

One of the critical requirements for fusion reactors is the ability to generate strong magnetic fields for controlling and confining the hot plasma within the reactor. To achieve this, large amounts of current need to be passed through the system. Superconductors, which offer zero resistance to electricity, are an ideal choice for this purpose.

However, conventional superconductors require extremely low temperatures near absolute zero (-273.15 degrees Celsius or -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit). To overcome this limitation, high-temperature superconductors (HTS) are utilized, which exhibit superconductivity at relatively higher temperatures (-196 degrees Celsius or -320.8 degrees Fahrenheit). Tokamak Energy has been at the forefront of creating HTS magnets, and the development of these magnets has been instrumental in enabling the operation of compact spherical tokamaks in high magnetic fields.

The HTS magnets developed by Tokamak Energy generate robust magnetic fields that effectively confine and control the plasma, allowing for higher pressures and temperatures necessary for fusion reactions. Furthermore, these HTS magnets require less cooling power, simplifying the cooling systems and reducing costs in fusion energy reactors.

The #Demo4 system is being developed by Tokamak Energy to replicate the magnetic fields required for fusion power plants. The plasma within the reactor cores can reach temperatures exceeding 15 million degrees Celsius (27 million degrees Fahrenheit), surpassing the temperature at the center of the Sun.

The Demo4 system consists of 44 magnetic coils made from HTS tape and will operate within a vacuum at an extremely low temperature of -253 degrees Celsius (-423.4 degrees Fahrenheit), achieved through the use of closed-cycle cryocoolers.

Graham Dunbar, the Technical Lead at Tokamak Energy, highlighted that the Demo4 system will be a well-balanced set of magnets configured in a tokamak shape. With an 18 Tesla system strength, it will be almost a million times more potent than the Earth's magnetic field. The significance of Demo4 lies in its capability to create substantial magnetic forces and enable testing in fusion power plant-relevant scenarios. The knowledge gained from this unique system will contribute to advancing the understanding of the technology required to deliver clean, secure, and affordable fusion power by the 2030s. The assembly and testing of the Demo4 system are scheduled to take place in 2024.

Alef Aeronautics takes more than 400 pre-orders for the electric flying vehicles

Alef Aeronautics has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct test flights of its flying car, which is also designed to be driven on roads.

The $300,000 #evtol (electric vertical takeoff and landing) craft has obtained a special airworthiness certification from the FAA. Alef's CEO, Jim Dukhovny , expressed excitement over the certification and stated that it brings them closer to providing people with an environmentally friendly and faster commute.

Alef Aeronautics has already received significant pre-orders for the vehicle, with 440 orders in the last quarter of 2022, amounting to a potential revenue of at least $132 million upon delivery.

The company has seen interest from both individual and corporate consumers, including an aviation company in Hong Kong. Alef aims to deliver the first real flying car in history and considers the pre-orders as validation of the market potential.

The flying vehicle is designed to integrate into existing road systems for driving and parking. Alef Aeronautics is among the increasing number of companies developing and testing flying vehicles for various purposes, including transporting people and goods.

Thermal Cloak to aid in colonizing Mars

Scientists have created a unique cloak, inspired by Roman mythology, that has the ability to cool objects during the day and warm them at night.

Named the Janus thermal cloak after the Roman god with two faces, this invention has broad applications, ranging from electric cars to space vehicles, and could even be used in the construction of colonies on the Moon and Mars.

The material, composed of silica and aluminum, can achieve passive heating and cooling without requiring external energy. By covering objects with the cloak, such as electric vehicles, it can effectively cool them by 8°C on hot days and warm them by 6.8°C on cold nights, helping to prevent battery deterioration.

The scientists behind the research are particularly excited about achieving warming above ambient temperature during winter nights without any energy input or sunlight. The study detailing the development of this thermal cloak, titled "Scalable and durable Janus thermal cloak for all-season passive thermal regulation," was recently published in the scientific journal Device.