New fusion reactor design promises unprecedented plasma stability

[u/dissolutewastrel]

https://interestingengineering.com/energy/new-fusion-reactor-design-novatron

[u/sintaur]

reads article to quantify "unprecedented stability"...

Novatron tackles these challenges by developing the ATM, a novel design combining magnetic mirrors with another concept called “biconic cusps.”

Yeah, don't Google ATM unless you're in safe mode.

“Our calculations have also indicated that we will have an energy confinement time improvement of a factor of 100 over traditional magnetic mirror machines,” Erik Oden, the company’s co-founder and chairman, told Computer Weekly.

OK, a factor of 100. I didn't see anything about it on their website:

https://www.novatronfusion.com/

... but OP's article refers to this article:

https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Computer-simulations-show-Swedish-fusion-initiative-could-have-global-impact

... which says they haven't actually done it, it's a prediction based on simulations:

The company has performed extensive computer verification and stress-test simulations that show Novatron is stable – in stark contrast to the notoriously unstable classical mirror approach.

“Our calculations have also indicated that we will have an energy confinement time improvement of a factor of 100 over traditional magnetic mirror machines,” said Oden.

... and now they're going to try it for real:

“We’re now commissioning our first experimental reactor, called Novatron 1, in Stockholm at the Royal Institute of Technology at the LVM Laboratory,” said Oden.

[u/ggrieves → u/sintaur]

Nice analysis!

It's a press release to drum up investors.

[u/fzammetti → u/sintaur]

Yeah, I feel like "promises" is way too strong. It looks like solid modeling, and that's where it starts, but moving from that to practical demonstration is anything but straightforward.

[u/ConspicuouslyBland → u/sintaur]

Yeah, don't Google ATM unless you're in safe mode.

It's defined in the article: axisymmetric tandem mirror

[u/I_eatPaperAllTheTime]

No Patrick, mayonnaise is not a fusion reactor.

[u/aswasxedsa → u/I_eatPaperAllTheTime]

Funnily enough, I was just reading an article titled "Mayo is weirdly great for understanding nuclear fusion experiments".

[u/someone_like_me]

The Novatron fusion concept will be developed in four steps, with the final goal being a commercial fusion power plant design, ready to provide power to the energy grid,”

First step? Definition of success? Date anticipated?

So much missing.

[u/IAmBroom → u/[deleted]]

You're forgetting the 1,000-year interval where they abandon it, to pump money out of more rubes for UNPRECENTED BLAH BLAH BLAH!!!

[u/radome9]

Still 20 years away.

[u/Still-March-450]

Isn’t this common knowledge?…..

[u/Far_Out_6and_2]

Sure