Unlimited energy from an inexhaustible fuel source
Fusion reactors are a bit like buses; you wait forever for one, then two come along at once. No sooner does the University of Washington announce that it’s working on a breakthrough compact fusion reactor (CFR) than Lockheed Martin says that its Revolutionary Technology Programs unit, AKA the Skunk Works, in Palmdale, California has one that could be ready for market within ten years.
Fusion reactors with their ability to provide practically unlimited energy from an inexhaustible fuel source have seemed like the ultimate answer to mankind’s energy needs for over half a century. But the problem has always been how to produce a self-sustaining fusion reaction on Earth that generated more energy than was needed to produce it. So far, the most promising answer has been the ITER project, whose international backers believe it could be a major advance. But it isn't scheduled for completion until the late 2020s and won’t be fully operational until 2040 – not to mention the fact that the reactor is a massive, extremely expensive piece of engineering.
Lockheed’s CFR, known as the T4, has until now been something of a mystery, though the company did release some information about it last year. However, the wraps are coming off a bit and Aviation Week recently published an exclusive look at the design provided by Tom McGuire, compact fusion lead for the Skunk Works’ Revolutionary Technology Programs.