Kyoto Fusioneering’s Progress and Approach for the Early Testing of Fusion Energy Extraction FUSION POWER ASSOCIATES 45th Annual Meeting and Symposium 3rd, Dec 2024 Satoshi Konishi CEO & Chief Fusioneer Kyoto Fusioneering Founded in 2019 140+ Team members $100m+ Raised 5 Countries: JP, US, UK, GE, CA A pick-and-axe strategy for fusion development With a confinement concept-agnostic approach to fusion plant technology development, KF is complementary to the other private fusion programs and is uniquely positioned to generate revenue during each phase of development while avoiding the risks of betting on a concept. KF Domain of Expertise: Plasma Heating (Gyrotron) System, Thermal Cycle System (Blanket, Heat Exchanger, Turbine Generator), Fuel Cycle System (Tritium Extraction, Exhaust Pumping, Isotope Separation, Detritiation, Direct Internal Recycling, Injection). • UKAEA: Delivered gyrotron tube and main components. Finalizing ancillary parts procurement while waiting for UKAEA's main power supply. • Tokamak Energy: Completed gyrotron tube FAT at QST, ready for shipment. • General Atomics: Completed preliminary design review; preparing for gyrotron testing in 2025. • KFE: Completed design review process and started gyrotron aging and testing. HV main power supply Timeline: • 2024: Start of procurement • 2025: Completion of detailed design, long lead item procurement • 2026: Installation in new R&D site 236 GHz development: A single gyrotron produces five separate frequencies of electromagnetic beam output. First-ever demonstration of five-frequency output from a single Gyrotron. Successful generation of 236 GHz high power microwaves (Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd., National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology [QST]). KF and our partners are designing and developing UNITY-1 and -2. UNITY-1: Located at our Kyoto Research Centre, UNITY-1 is dedicated to advancing the Fusion Thermal Cycle System, crucial for harnessing fusion's power. It simulates high-temperature and magnetic conditions of a fusion plant to test various power generation systems, employing components like a blanket for heat extraction, liquid metal loops, and an advanced heat exchanger—all without radioactive materials. UNITY-2: Located at Chalk River Laboratories in Ontario, UNITY-2, in strategic alliance with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, focuses on the complete deuterium-tritium fuel cycle. This test loop will pioneer global standards in fuel exhaust, pumping, and tritium handling, among other critical operations. Together, these facilities underscore our commitment to accelerating R&D to support fusion commercialization. Blanket and thermal cycle system facility located in Kyoto, Japan. Location: Japan (under construction) Thermal Cycle and Blanket System: • Blanket test section (1000°C LiPb, Li, FLiBe) • 300 L LiPb inventory • 4T NbTi magnet • IH heating and surface heating for blanket module 30x30x70 cm • Two heat exchangers and power conversion (first electricity generation from a blanket module) Fuel Cycle: • Deuterium injection as proxy for tritium • Tritium extraction via VST, electrochemical • Exhaust pumping from vacuum vessel (pump train) • DIR testing with proton conductor pump Materials: • Compatibility in flow conditions (up to 50 L/min via 3 EMPs) • FLiBe and Li piping material tests • MHD testing with SiCf/SiC insulators Timeline: • 2023: Completion of lithium-lead loop [Completed] • 2024: Start of the blanket testing campaign • 2025: MHD and hydrogen extraction testing • 2026: Start test of the power cycle demonstration 3D CAD Model layout showing: • MHD Test Facility • He Loop • Heat Exchanger • Power Generation • Hydrogen Extraction • LiPb Loop Kyoto Fusioneering has just commissioned the UNITY-1 LiPb base loop (250 L). • The loop for UNITY-2 will be redesigned to be made tritium compatible with an innovative vacuum system to keep release rates low at 500°C • UNITY-2 loop will be ~1/5th of the base loop with 50 L inventory and 10 L/min flow rate Tritium extraction system based on VST is under construction for UNITY-1. UNITY-2 will demonstrate: • That performance can be met with T • Components are tritium compatible Key Components: LiPb loop, Multi-Stage VST, Double Piping System. Coolant Base Loop Operation - Operation completed successfully: • Operation temperature: 300-500°C, LiPb Flow rate: 0-50 L/min • Cold trap operation: 280°C – 5 L/min • Heating operation 400->500°C • Emergency shutdown operation completed safely MHD Testing Module: • 4T magnetic field for piping • Bore size: f300mm • 1T magnetic field for blanket • 2 Coils distance: 810mm • LiPb temperature: 300-1000°C Blanket Module: • SiCf/SiC Blanket module • To confirm feasibility of using SiCf/SiC for Blanket • To organise the whole supply chain from fiber to SiCf/SiC • To confirm parts can be combined to make larger module (Fiber -> Fabric -> Prepreg -> Curved plate, 220mm plate, L-shape, 100mm sq. SiCf/SiC box Oct 23) 1000°C Test Section: • Heating system • IH heater applied in the system • Double piping system • Vacuum thermal insulation system applied: (a) Insulation with super low thermal conductivity (b) Anti-tritium permeation joint (c) Flexible support to reduce thermal stress KF and CNL established a new joint venture to accelerate the development and commercialization of fusion fuel cycle technology – with UNITY-2. Building B215 at Chalk River, Ontario. Licensed for 100g of Tritium. A full deuterium-tritium fuel cycle test loop. Location: Chalk River, Ontario, Canada Components: • Tritium Extraction System to be tested with Tritium (~50 L Li-Pb loop) • Fusion reactor conditions for vacuum chamber (including PEG gases) • Dual storage system (dU, ZrCo) • Dual ISS (TCAP, CD) • Outer cycle included (WDS, ADS) • Centrifugal Pellet Injection Tritium: • Under review, 10 to 40 g inventory • Fuelling of vacuum chamber at ~2.6 Pa m3 / s Modelling: • Dynamic fuel cycle modelling • Coolant/breeder inventory • Pumps, Pd diffuser, getter beds, DT delivery mechanism Timeline: • 2023: Initiation: Design and individual component testing [Completed] • 2024: Procurement: Key systems and components • 2026: Installation: Integration of systems. Planned commissioning Conceptual Design and 3D layout were completed. • UNITY-2 fits within tritium facility operating license at Chalk River, ON (Building B215, licensed for 100g of Tritium). • Current license allows up to 100g in process and up to 250g immobilised. • The precious space is being carefully allocated. Potential user input is currently being considered. Primary Pumping System: First tests are being conducted in Japan. Non-active testing of vacuum pump train (TMP + roughing pump): • Fully tritium compatible • Compression <1 Pa → 1 atm • Ultimate pressure <5 x 10^-5 Pa Preliminary pumping speed data shown across 100% H2, 25% D2 75% H2, 50% D2 50% H2, 75% D2 25% H2, 100% D2 mixtures for TMP inlet pressures from 1.E-03 to 1.E+01 Pa. Fuel Cleanup System (FCUS): Palladium diffuser (permeator) has many use cases in the fuel cycle. Permeator: • Outside-in configuration, finger tubes • High throughput • Continuous operation • 1 m² area • Ammonia cracking tested, insufficient for our use FCUS (new design, due to facility limit on tritium concentration in water): • Nickel bed (CQ4 processing) • Shift bed (Q2O processing) • 2x nickel bed • 3x permeators FAST project: Fill the gaps toward fusion plant/DEMO. Provide Fusion Nuclear Test Environment. Integration of fusion nuclear technology: - Burning plasma operation for engineering - Transport and control fusion energy flow - Extraction and conversion of fusion energy - Close Dt fuel cycle and test breeding capability - Integrated plant system operation and safety Roadmap: • 2024: Project Launch, Team Organization, PreConceptual Design • 2025: Conceptual Design, Key Safety Features, Site Invitation Call, Site Selection • 2030: Engineering Design, Components Procurement, Components R&D, Site preparation, Regulation and License Application; Assembly and Construction, Tokamak Assembly, Plant Integration, Subsystem commissioning • 2035: Initial Operation, Initial testing of plant, Nuclear Operation, Function Verification, Plasma Optimization, Power Ascention • 2040: Fusion Operation, Sustained Burn, Energy Extraction And conversion, Tritium Breeding, Providing Fusion Experimental Services Power generation demonstration in mid 2030s: • D-T Fusion Reaction • Energy Conversion • Tritium Breeding and Fuel Cycle • Fusion System Integration Specifications: • Major Radius: 2 - 3 m • Minor Radius: 1 - 1.5 m • Magnetic Field Strength: 3 - 4.5 T (with HTS magnet) • Line Average Density: 1 – 2 x10^20 m^-3 • Normalized Beta: 3.5 - 4.5 • Ion Temperature: ~20 KeV (200 million degree Celsius) • Plasma Current: 6 - 10 MA • External Heating Systems: NBI and ECH • Confinement Improvement Factor: 1.2 - 1.5 • Fusion Power: 50 - 100 MW (a discharge duration of 1,000 s) Japanese unique public-private partnership model to accelerate fusion energy development. Japanese Industry: • Kyoto Fusioneering • Mitsui & Co., Ltd. • Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd • Mitsubishi Corporation • Marubeni Corporation • Fujikura Ltd. • KAJIMA CORPORATION • Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. Japanese Academia: • Professor Akira Ejiri, University of Tokyo • Professor Yuji Hatano, Tohoku University • Professor Kenji Tobita, Tohoku University • Professor Yasushi Ono, University of Tokyo • Associate Professor Hiroaki Tsutsui, Institute of Science Tokyo • Professor Takaaki Fujita, Nagoya University • Professor Atsushi Fukuyama, Kyoto University • Professor Hitoshi Tanaka, Kyoto University International: • Professor Yuichi Takase, Tokamak Energy (UK) • Dr. Masayuki Ono, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (US) • Dr. Brian Grierson, General Atomics (US) • Dr. Sam Suppiah, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (Canada) • Dr. Ian Castillo, Fusion Fuel Cycles (Canada) Learn about overcoming key fusion science & technology challenges. Download our report: 'ADVANCING FUSION TECHNOLOGY: Kyoto Fusioneering’s Approach to Accelerating Commercial Viability'. Thank you Kyoto Fusioneering