SPARC (tokamak)

42°32′37″N 71°37′38″W / 42.5437°N 71.6271°W / 42.5437; -71.6271

SPARC
Soonest/Smallest Possible ARC
Device typeTokamak
LocationDevens, Massachusetts, United States
AffiliationCommonwealth Fusion Systems
MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center
Technical specifications
Major radius1.85 m
Minor radius0.57 m
Plasma volume20 m3
Magnetic field12.2 T
Heating power25 MW
Fusion power(140 MW)
Discharge duration(10 s)
Plasma current(8.7 MA)
Plasma temperature(80×106 K)
History
Date(s) of construction2021–2025
Year(s) of operation2025 (projected; first plasma)

SPARC is a tokamak under development by Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC).[1] Funding has come from Eni,[2] Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Temasek, Equinor, Devonshire Investors, and others.[3][4][5]

SPARC plans to verify the technology and physics required to build a power plant based on the ARC fusion power plant concept.[6] SPARC is designed to achieve this with margin in excess of breakeven and may be capable of achieving up to 140 MW of fusion power for 10 second bursts despite its relatively compact size.[2][6]

The project is on schedule for operation in 2025[7][8] after completing a magnet test in 2021.[9][10]

  1. ^ Creely, A. J.; Greenwald, M. J.; Ballinger, S. B.; Brunner, D.; Canik, J.; Doody, J.; Fülöp, T.; Garnier, D. T.; Granetz, R.; Gray, T. K.; Holland, C. (2020). "Overview of the SPARC tokamak". Journal of Plasma Physics. 86 (5): 865860502. Bibcode:2020JPlPh..86e8602C. doi:10.1017/S0022377820001257. hdl:1721.1/136131. ISSN 0022-3778.
  2. ^ a b "MIT and newly formed company launch novel approach to fusion power". MIT News. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Retrieved 2018-06-15.
  3. ^ Rathi, Akshat (26 September 2018). "In search of clean energy, investments in nuclear-fusion startups are heating up". Quartz. Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  4. ^ Commonwealth Fusion Systems. "Commonwealth Fusion Systems Raises $115 Million and Closes Series A Round to Commercialize Fusion Energy". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2020-09-29.
  5. ^ Commonwealth Fusion Systems. "Commonwealth Fusion Systems Raises $84 Million in A2 Round". www.prnewswire.com (Press release). Retrieved 2020-10-05.
  6. ^ a b Creely, A. J.; Greenwald, M. J.; Ballinger, S. B.; Brunner, D.; Canik, J.; Doody, J.; Fülöp, T.; Garnier, D. T.; Granetz, R.; Gray, T. K.; Holland, C. (2020). "Overview of the SPARC tokamak". Journal of Plasma Physics. 86 (5). Bibcode:2020JPlPh..86e8602C. doi:10.1017/S0022377820001257. hdl:1721.1/136131. ISSN 0022-3778.
  7. ^ "Commonwealth Fusion Systems raises $115m". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2022-03-05.
  8. ^ Lavars, Nick (2021-09-09). "World's strongest fusion magnet brings new power to nuclear pursuit". New Atlas. Retrieved 2021-09-09.
  9. ^ "Validating the physics behind the new MIT-designed fusion experiment". MIT News. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  10. ^ Fountain, Henry (2020-09-29). "Compact Nuclear Fusion Reactor Is 'Very Likely to Work,' Studies Suggest". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-29.