A new U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored report calls for major investment in advanced diagnostic tools to measure plasmas in fusion systems. The document, stemming from a 2024 workshop with 70 experts, identifies priorities to advance commercial fusion power. It emphasizes the role of these tools in sustaining fusion reactions and supporting U.S. leadership in plasma science.
Fusion energy holds promise as a clean power source, but achieving commercial viability requires precise monitoring of superheated plasma fuel inside fusion devices. Characteristics like temperature and density are crucial for sustaining reactions, and advanced diagnostics serve as the instruments to track these extreme conditions.
The report originates from the DOE's 2024 Basic Research Needs Workshop on Measurement Innovation, organized by the Office of Science's Fusion Energy Sciences program. Chaired by Luis Delgado-Aparicio of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and co-chaired by Sean Regan of the University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics, the workshop gathered specialists from universities, national labs, and private industry. Their aim was to pinpoint urgent needs in diagnostic technologies to maintain U.S. leadership in fusion energy and align with the DOE's Fusion Science & Technology Roadmap, which sets milestones through the mid-2030s.
Seventy researchers reviewed seven key areas funded by the Fusion Energy Sciences program: low-temperature plasma, high-energy-density plasma, plasma-material interaction, burning plasma via magnetic-confinement fusion, burning plasma via inertial-confinement fusion, fusion pilot power plants based on magnetic-confinement fusion, and fusion power plants based on inertial-confinement fusion.
Priorities include developing radiation-resistant diagnostics for future plants, faster measurement techniques for inertial-confinement experiments, and integrating artificial intelligence to design systems. The report also stresses workforce development and knowledge transfer to private companies.
"Measurement innovations have led and will continue to lead to scientific and engineering breakthroughs in plasma science and technology activities supported by the DOE's FES, especially fusion energy sciences," said Delgado-Aparicio. "This new report provides substantive findings across seven key areas of plasma and fusion science and technology."
Recommendations encompass accelerating innovation through AI and modeling validation, establishing a national network like CalibrationNetUS, forming teams to develop diagnostics, standardizing calibrations, sharing expertise with private firms, expanding workforce training, and planning for remote operations.
"The findings in this report are a testament to the critical role of diagnostics in driving fusion energy science forward," Regan added. "By investing in innovative measurement technologies, we can accelerate progress toward commercial fusion energy and strengthen America's leadership in plasma science."