Realta Fusion, a fusion energy startup, has announced a major breakthrough in its pursuit of commercial fusion energy. In partnership with researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, they successfully achieved the highest ever steady magnetic field in a fusion plasma experiment. This milestone marks a significant step towards a zero-carbon energy future.
The team, operating the Wisconsin HTS Axisymmetric Mirror (WHAM) experiment, formed and held a plasma with a magnetic field strength of 17 Tesla. This achievement represents a series of firsts for fusion energy, including the first use of High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) magnets in a magnetic mirror configuration.
Magnetic Confinement Fusion (MCF) traps energetic plasma in a “magnetic bottle,” creating the conditions for fusion to occur. The use of very high-field magnets is a critical milestone in enabling practical fusion energy systems. The WHAM experiment is the first to integrate HTS magnets with multiple high-power plasma heating systems and advanced plasma control. This innovative approach is expected to achieve new records in plasma density, paving the path towards commercial fusion energy.
“This is the culmination of a huge effort from the WHAM team, and a significant step towards fusion energy power plants,” said Professor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Chief Scientific Officer of Realta Fusion. “With the WHAM experiment we have brought together advances in superconductor technology and plasma physics, to demonstrate the potential of the compact magnetic mirror as a fusion energy system.”
The magnetic mirror was a leading fusion energy concept in the U.S. until the 1980s, when existing technology limited the control of magnetically confined plasma. Recent advances in superconducting technology – specifically HTS magnets – and plasma stability control led Professor Forest, Dr. (Senior Scientist & Realta Fusion co-founder), and their collaborators to revisit the magnetic mirror concept. They designed a much more compact and lower-cost system than earlier experiments.
“Today’s demonstration puts the compact magnetic mirror firmly back in the race towards commercial fusion energy. It’s a giant leap forward for a concept that promises economically viable, zero-carbon heat and electricity,” said CEO of Realta Fusion.
Realta Fusion, a venture-backed private fusion company spun out of the WHAM project in 2022, is developing a commercial fusion energy system based on the WHAM concept. The company continues to fund and staff the ongoing WHAM project through a sponsored research agreement with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The U.S. Department of Energy’s ARPA-E division invested over $25 million in the project, along with significant contributions from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, WARF, Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) and other partners. CFS designed and manufactured the two record-breaking 17 T axisymmetric HTS magnets used in the experiment.
Realta Fusion is developing modular, compact magnetic mirror fusion energy generators as the lowest capex and least complex path to commercially competitive fusion energy. The company is targeting the need to decarbonize industrial process heat and electrical power as the fastest path to full-scale deployment of this technology.