The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and Type One Energy are partnering to establish a world-class facility to advance fusion energy.
The high-heat flux facility, located at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Bull Run Energy Complex in Clinton, Tennessee, will evaluate how materials react under extreme conditions in a fusion device. The HHF facility will accelerate the development of plasma-facing components, which must withstand harsh conditions during the fusion process. The results will enable both private and public entities to qualify and validate the materials used in fusion pilot plant designs.
The facility will be only the second of its kind in the United States, capable of replicating the high-heat flux present in fusion devices. It will be the only domestic facility to include pressurized helium gas cooling, the coolant of choice for many U.S.-based fusion reactor concepts.
“This partnership will enable our students and faculty to contribute to materials and technology development to support the deployment of fusion power to the grid and provide research and career opportunities,” said Brian Wirth, UT-ORNL Governor’s Chair for Computational Nuclear Engineering and TVA Department Head Chair for Nuclear Engineering at UT. “This is another opportunity to expand our unique East Tennessee nuclear ecosystem and continue development of both advanced fission and fusion energy.”