SEATTLE, WA — Kyoto Fusioneering America Ltd., the Seattle-based subsidiary of Japan’s Kyoto Fusioneering Ltd. (KF), has been awarded three prestigious awards from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) program. These awards will support vital research and development collaborations with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), marking a significant step forward in KF’s integration within the US fusion ecosystem.
INFUSE is a groundbreaking DOE initiative aimed at bolstering public-private research partnerships by providing the private fusion industrial community access to the world-class expertise and capabilities within the DOE’s national labs and accredited U.S. universities.
Dr. Satoshi Konishi, Kyoto Fusioneering’s Chief Fusioneer and Co-Founder, expressed his enthusiasm: “Receiving these INFUSE awards is both an honour and a strategic milestone for KF. These projects offer tremendous technical value, accelerating the development of critical path fusion power plant technologies, and symbolise our commitment to innovation and collaboration within the scientific community in the U.S.”
The awards will fuel the advancement of fusion technology in critical areas:
- A Multiphysics Simulation of Magnetohydrodynamic Li-Pb Flow in a Blanket Module with SiCf/SiC as Structural Material: This project with Dr. Andrei Khodak of PPPL aims to facilitate the development of commercially viable liquid metal blankets. This research has the potential to drastically enhance our design capabilities and accelerate commercial viability of liquid metal blanket concepts, such as KF’s SCYLLA© blanket.
- Evaluating Lithium-Lead Mixtures for Increased Tritium Breeding in Fusion Energy Blanket Systems: Exploring the Impact of Composition and Temperature: This research, carried out with Dr. Bruce Pint at ORNL, assesses the use of alternative lithium-lead compositions to potentially increase the tritium breeding ratio in high temperature blankets. The outcomes will improve our understanding of the compatibility between materials and operating temperatures, with the potential to greatly enhance fusion energy system efficiency.
- Evaluating Lithium Compatibility for Electrode Materials Used in an Electrolysis-Based Tritium Extraction Process: This project, in partnership with Dr. Christopher Dandeneau at SRNL, will advance the technology of liquid lithium as a fusion coolant and tritium breeding material. Objectives include characterising electrolyte mechanical properties, determining electrode and process properties for integration into KF’s UNITY loop, and exploring impurity removal in lithium. The results could promote novel blanket designs that would potentially reshape the trajectory of fusion power plant development.
See complete abstracts here.
“We are very proud to be chosen by the Department of Energy for these significant projects,” said Bibake Uppal, KF America Senior Business Development Manager and Principal Investigator for one of the awarded projects, adding “These awards highlight our commitment to advancing fusion technology. They reinforce the strength of our partnerships within the scientific community and underscore our broader mission to help establish fusion energy as a viable, sustainable energy source for the future.”
About Kyoto Fusioneering
Kyoto Fusioneering, established in 2019, is a privately-funded technology startup with facilities in Tokyo, Kyoto, Reading (UK), and Seattle (USA). The company specialises in developing advanced technologies for commercial fusion power plants, such as gyrotron systems, tritium fuel cycle technologies, and breeding blankets for tritium production and power generation. Working collaboratively with public and private fusion developers across the globe, Kyoto Fusioneering’s mission is to make fusion energy the ultimate, sustainable solution for humanity’s energy needs.
For more information about Kyoto Fusioneering, please visit www.kyotofusioneering.com/en/ or contact media@kyotofusioneering.com .
