First Light Fusion is a UK based company working to achieve fusion using a novel projectile driven inertial confinement approach. The company was founded in 2011 by Dr Nick Hawker out of Oxford University.
The process uses an electromagnetic accelerator to bring a small metallic projectile into collision with a pressure amplifying ‘lens’, and fuel pellet, at very high velocities on the order of 10-100 km/s.
Compared to conventional laser inertial confinement, the accelerator allows for higher energy efficiency, and the lack of high precision laser optics make for a cheaper and less complex reactor.
- Confinement:
- Inertial
- Fuel cycle:
- Neutronic deuterium-tritium (DT). Lithium (no enrichment) blanket breeding (BR<≈1.8).
- Compression:
- Projectile impact.
- Magnets:
- N/A
- Energy Extraction:
- Lithium to steam cycle.
Machines
The company has two operational machines, the BFG, a two stage gas-gun, and Machine 3, a capacitor driven electromagnetic accelerator, with plans to begin construction of a larger machine in 2024.
As of 2022 D-D neutron production in the BFG has been validated by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA).
| Machine | Machine 3 (M3) | Machine 4 (M4) |
| Type | Capacitor discharge | Capacitor discharge |
| Operational | 2019- | 2027- |
| Outer Diameter | 16m | 75m |
| Cost | £3.6m | N/A |
| Stored Energy | >2.5MJ | 100MJ |
| Max voltage | 200kV | 7MV |
| Peak Current | 14MA | 48MA |
| Acceleration | 1E9g @ 5mm | ? |
| Projectile | 16x1mm aluminium* disk | 16×2.5mm disk |
| Impact | 20km/s | 4.3MJ @ 70km/s |
*Stated aluminium as of August 2023.
Design
Plant Engineering
First Light has similar advantages to a Z-pinch towards the goal of a workable power plant.
- The system requires no superconductors or magnets of any kind, reducing cost.
- Without the presense of strong magnetic fields, the use of liquid metal coolants is greatly simplified due to the lack of magneto-hydrodynamic forces.
- In contrast to laser inertial confinement systems, there is no requirement for sensitive high precision optics in the vicinity of the fusion reaction.
Energy extraction is acomplished using a curtain of molten lithium around the impact zone, the heat from which is then transferred to a conventional steam turbine generator.
Tritium is extracted from the molten lithium in parallel in order to provide an ongoing supply of fuel.
Background Resources
firstlightfusion.com/science-hub
https://firstlightfusion.com/technology/our-approach
https://firstlightfusion.com/technology/machines
First Light Fusion (n.d.). An Overview of Progress at First Light Fusion | First Light Fusion. Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://firstlightfusion.com/science-hub/an-overview-of-progress-at-first-light-fusion
First Light Fusion (n.d.). The M3 Pulsed Power Facility and EM Launch Experiments | First Light Fusion. Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://firstlightfusion.com/science-hub/the-m3-pulsed-power-facility-and-em-launch-experiments
First Light Fusion (n.d.). First Light Fusion Facilities and Collaboration Efforts with Academica | First Light Fusion. Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://firstlightfusion.com/science-hub/aps-plasma-physics-conference-2022-first-light-fusion-facilities-and-collaboration-efforts-with-academica
First Light Fusion demonstration plant site agreement, targets 2024 construction start: New Nuclear—World Nuclear News. (n.d.). Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Construction-start-for-First-Light-Fusion-s-demons
First Light Fusion (n.d.). Review of First Light Fusion Ltd’s experimental report ‘validate production of neutrons from gas-gun driven targets’ | First Light Fusion. Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://firstlightfusion.com/science-hub/review-of-first-light-fusion-ltds-experimental-report-validate-production-of-neutrons-from-gas-gun-driven-targets
Presentations
CSAR lecture: Dr Nathan Joiner “Projectile Fusion”—YouTube. (May 26, 2022). Retrieved September 4, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsnUxWmWsQQ
First Light Fusion (Director). (2023, January 25). Dr Nick Hawker | First Light Fusion’s Gain Demonstrator | Royal Society 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTj5HKiLKJY
First Light Fusion: The Future of Electricity Generation and a Clean Base Load? | Fully Charged—YouTube. (n.d.). Retrieved August 31, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1RsHQCMRTw
First Light Fusion (Director). (2022, April 5). First Light reactor concept. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW4eufacf-8
Dr Ben Miles (Director). (2023, September 4). Inside The UKs Breakthrough Fusion Reactor—First Light Fusion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5BoixdNzII
