Helion's approach to fusion: How it works

An explanation of Helion’s pulsed, non-ignition approach to fusion power generation. Leveraging Faraday’s Law of Induction, Helion directly recovers electricity from fusion plasmas without the need for steam turbines.

By forming, accelerating, and merging two Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) plasmas in its sixth fusion device, Trenta, Helion successfully reached plasma temperatures exceeding 9 keV (104 million degrees Celsius). Now, Helion’s focus is on Polaris, its seventh fusion device, which will be the first fusion device to demonstrate net electricity from fusion.

[princetamrac]

This is genius. Even nuclear powerplants and conventional fusion reactors convert energy through steam turbines. I suppose induction results in less energy loss in the conversion process?

[deanlawson]

Wow this is really brilliant! I can't wait to see more from Helion as you guys progress and get closer to commercially viable grid-connected powerplants!!

[johngreen]

I remember being disappointed when I first learned how a nuclear reactor worked. I was in 7th or 8th grade at the time and realized that this a was just a glorified steam engine. Granted most of the energy quickly devolves into heat and mustn't be wasted but I sure like this more direct approach to energy extraction.

[moldytexas]

This feels like what a drunk me (I'm an engineer) would come up with sitting alone on a winter night, except this has an immense potential to work.
Jokes aside, I got to know about Helion from the Real Engineering video, and I have to say I have genuinely never been more hopeful of this "technology of a lifetime". The apparent simplicity of the logic (Lorentz force, change in magnetic flux; obviously the science is infinitely more complex) will surely be the driving force of this. Can't wait to see this technology grow, and if possible, even work with the Helion team!

[richardjelinek]

I am impressed by virtually every design decision you made. This is so much more sound than ITER et al.!

[jonathanlehmann]

Real engineering brought me here. Incredible science! I can’t wait to see where this goes!

[JLP]

All those wrist sprains I suffered applying the right-hand rule to flux problems in Physics have finally paid off--I sort of understood this...

[martinavaslovik]

Oh that is so beautiful! No heating water to make steam to drive turbines, just straight electricity output.

[Mionwang]

I've always wondered if boiling water is the best way to convert heat to electricity but never really bothered to learn in depth the sciences to come up with better alternatives, not that I could've even if I studied. But I always felt that there had to be better ways!

[relaxedpenny]

Since I was 14, I wondered if it would be possible to generate electricity using the magnetic forces of fusion, glad this technology is being implemented, it's people like u guys that make me look forward to the future

[rufinodelapena]

Finally, nuclear energy that doesn't need to just boil water.

[lesmiklosy]

More questions for Helion: How does the Lorentz Force capture the Bremstrahlung Radiation or mass flux contributing to pdV work? How does the Helion apparatus otherwise capture these energy contributions? Where does the energy for the Formation Chamber or the supermagnets come from? Each of these are non-trivial constituents in the energy balance.

[danieldombai]

So simple yet informative video!
Thanks!

[patrickmarshall]

What the video doesn't cover is the fuel cycle to produce Helium-3, which otherwise can only be created by bombarding Lithium with Neutrons to produce Tritium which eventually decays to He-3. While Tritium itself is a fusion fuel, Duterium-Tritium fusion emits most of its energy as high energy neutrons which can't use the elegant magnetic energy recovery of Helion. He-3 can be made by Deuterium-Duterium fusion. So the system can make its own fuel with an excess of Duterium in the mix. This itself is brilliant to allow near 100% energy recovery which is something where all neutronic fusion reactions must use inefficient thermal conversion as well as a Tritium breeding cycle with a neutron economy. The simplicity of the Helion design and fuel cycle makes it the front runner of all the fusion approaches so far.

[ericyang]

Super heating the D-He plasma, shooting plasma into reaction chamber at one million miles per hour(and maintain stability after the million miles per hour plasma jet collide), rapidly increase magnetic field in the reaction chamber... all this done in one ms, then rinse repeat...? Good luck guys!

[conniepr]

Thus just blows my mind! It connects dots for me.

[Bart_LP]

I love that your concept doesn´t require a steam turbine!

[glenliesegang]

General Dynamics/Hughes rolled out a similar device using laser ionization and coils around the central chamber to somehow directly use the altered Flux lines created by the fusion explosion to generate power.
Haven't heard if they gave up.

[mnlzgfd]

I've seen the clips of other fusion reactors running and now I REALLY want to see this one running.

[pmim]

This invention is comparable to the ancient discovery of fire management and is a milestone for civilization and environmental protection. You should consider giving more time to creating educational and informative videos, both on Youtube and other media.