Brandon Sorbom, Chief Science Officer and Co-founder of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, is helping spend $3+ billion to turn hydrogen into abundant, safe and readily available energy. In our fourth fusion episode, Brandon educates us on the most time-tested approach to fusion which uses powerful magnets. CFS hopes to deliver commercial energy by the early 2030s.

0:00 Introduction

02:33 The Journey from MIT to Commonwealth Fusion Systems

04:30 Securing Funding and Building Credibility

05:44 Understanding Fusion and Tokamaks

08:44 Brandon’s Personal Journey to Fusion

12:34 Explaining the Tokamak and Fusion Process

28:23 Neutrons and Energy Conversion

31:39 High Temperature Superconducting Material

39:26 Scaling Up Production and Cost Considerations

42:53 The SPARC Prototype and Its Challenges

48:23 Transitioning from Spark to ARC

01:04:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Will Regan, President and Co-founder of Pacific Fusion, is helping spend $1+ billion to mimic the sun’s method for producing energy. In our third fusion episode, Will educates us on inertial confinement. He discusses the advancements that help smooth Pacific Fusion’s path to delivering commercial energy by the mid-2030s.

00:00 Welcome to Tech Cars Episode 58

04:09 Introduction to Pacific Fusion

07:24 Will Regan’s Journey to Pacific Fusion

10:57 Explaining Fusion and Inertial Confinement

19:12 The Engineering and Science Behind Fusion

21:15 Physical Description of Pacific Fusion’s Facility

26:03 Understanding Marx Generators

29:16 Fusion Chamber and Magnetic Compression

32:34 Energy Output and Power Plant Efficiency

35:17 Handling Neutrons and Chamber Protection

38:55 Manufacturability and Supply Chain

“Twisty donuts” if you lean Republican, “French cruller” if you lean left. CEO and Co-founder Brian Berzin, describes how this shape and a focus on manufacturability will allow Thea Energy to deliver fusion energy in a cost-competitive manner.

Following up on last week’s episode with Dr. Scott Hsu of Lowercarbon Capital, Brian discusses the innovative approach Thea Energy is taking to commercialize fusion energy. The conversation covers the company’s origins in the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, and their groundbreaking ‘stellarator’ design. Brian explains how modularization, software and AI helps overcome the fiendishly difficult construction of stellerators. He shares insights into the company’s rapid iteration and development cycles, culminating in their goal to scale up to commercial levels.

00:00 Welcome to the Fusion Energy Series

01:06 Introducing Brian Berzin and Thea Energy

11:46 Technical and Financial Milestones

14:54 Understanding Fusion: A Simplified Explanation

23:58 Challenges and Breakthroughs in Stellerators

29:30 Innovations in Superconducting Magnets

34:52 The Role of Software in Magnet Control

41:07 Scaling Up to Commercial Relevance

48:45 First Walls and Blankets in Fusion Reactors

51:42 Conclusion and Final Thoughts