FACTS:
Australian fusion startup called HB11, a spin-off from the University of New South Wales, claims to have a way to revolutionize nuclear fusion technology, laying the groundwork for an era of power generation — without the risk of a nuclear meltdown. Fusion energy harnesses energy released from when atomic nuclei fuse together, as opposed to fission, which splits nuclei apart to generate electricity. HB11 claims they have found a new way that does away with the current fusion energy approach that requires inordinately high temperatures and pressure levels to work. The approach relies on hydrogen and a boron B-11 isotope as well as a specialized set of lasers to force the required reaction.
QUOTES:
Warren McKenzie, a director at HB11:
“We are sidestepping all of the scientific challenges that have held fusion energy back for more than half a century,” … “You could say we’re using the hydrogen as a dart, and hoping to hit a boron, and if we hit one, we can start a fusion reaction. That’s the essence of it.” … “Creating fusion using temperature is essentially randomly moving atoms around, and hoping they’ll hit one another, our approach is much more precise,”
SOURCE:
To read the press release from the University of New South Wales, click here.