Following our involvement in key conferences last year, including SOFE 2023 and ISFNT-15, Kyoto Fusioneering (KF) continued to participate in important fusion energy events this year. In 2024, we attended TOFE in the US and, more recently, SOFT 2024 in Ireland. These gatherings offered a great opportunity to connect with industry professionals and share updates on our progress.
In this short blog, we’ll be placing the spotlight on our experience at SOFT!
Presenting Our Technologies and Program Updates
SOFT provided a unique opportunity to engage with researchers and engineers from both research institutions and the private sector–private fusion companies and suppliers alike–from around the globe, all of whom were at SOFT with the common goal of progressing fusion towards the point of realization. The conference was a reminder of the engagement and the shared drive—as well as healthy competition—to innovate towards a shared future of clean, sustainable energy.
A seven-member team with members from a mix of KF’s Germany, Japan, and the UK branches represented the company at SOFT. With some of the brightest minds in fusion energy gathered in one space, it was an invaluable opportunity to show our progress to the global community. Our team showcased advancements in gyrotron development, progress on both UNITY programs (1 and 2), and specific R&D for the portfolio of technologies that KF has in development that are vital for the fusion thermal and fuel cycle.
Konan Yagasaki (KFJP, Electro magnetic Division) presented on the gyrotron system, which is used for heating the core plasma in fusion devices via electron cyclotron resonance to temperatures required for fusion reactions to occur. Konan reported on the performance testing of the gyrotron system being delivered to Tokamak Energy, a UK-based company pursuing a spherical tokamak route to fusion power generation. (For more information on KF’s gyrotrons, which offer stable output and can operate at a range of frequencies to suit the needs of the plasma, please see our gyrotron catalogue.)
Kyosuke Namba (KFJP, Plant Technology Division) presented progress on UNITY-1, a state-of-the-art facility currently under construction at our KRC facility in Kyoto, Japan. UNITY-1 simulates the extreme temperatures generated by fusion energy using induction heating (IH) and, when fully operational, will demonstrate key aspects of the systems required for power generation from fusion, in this case via liquid metals to transport heat efficiently. Kyosuke shared detailed specifications and detailed KF’s novel solutions to key challenges relating to the performance of the heating systems and heat exchangers design, development and manufacturing.
Dr. Luigi Candido (KFUK, Plant Technology Division) presented updates on KF’s blanket design and R&D programme, focusing on progress of the conceptual study of our novel self-cooled SCYLLA© blanket. The project covers key areas such as technology maturation planning, system-level design and integration, multiphysics modeling, and safety analysis. This work showcases KF’s expanding capabilities and expertise in fusion engineering and design.
Dr. Tim Teichmann (KFEU, Plant Technology Division) presented progress on UNITY-2 fuel cycle modeling, providing a case study that illustrates the dynamic interactions between key components in the system. The developed model is capable of tracking product composition and tritium content over several weeks, marking a significant step toward developing a comprehensive, dynamic tool for fusion fuel cycle analysis in UNITY-2 and beyond.
KF’s Co-Founder Takes the Stage to Talk Tritium
On the penultimate day of the event, our Co-Founder and Chief Innovator, Dr. Richard Pearson, took the stage to discuss one of the most pressing challenges in the commercial deployment of fusion energy: tritium. His presentation, titled “Tritium: High-Level Overview of Key Challenges for Commercial Fusion Deployment“, outlined the obstacles in handling tritium, covering the topic from the systems-level with an approach to exploring the problem that, in his own words, “left no stone unturned”.
After providing a comprehensive but high-level overview on the plethora of interlinked technical, operational, and strategic challenges, he latterly spoke about the steps that KF is taking to accelerate progress to address the challenges.
Here, Richard placed our collaboration with the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) through Fusion Fuel Cycles Inc. (FFC) in the spotlight, drawing specific reference to the ongoing UNITY-2 project, which has progressed at lightning speed in the 18 months since the collaboration was formally initiated.
Through FFC, KF is advancing the technology readiness level (TRL) of key fusion fuel cycle technologies in an integrated manner, while also supporting the growth of organizations in the sector that have their own technologies and missions. These organizations are invited to partner with KF to push fuel cycle technology forward. Richard highlighted the concept of ‘UNITY for the Community,’ emphasizing the importance of welcoming like-minded collaborators. (For more information about FFC, see our news release.)
Reflections & Looking Ahead
KF’s presence at SOFT allowed us to share updates on our global projects in greater depth with engineers and researchers from around the world, inviting discussion, important critical feedback, and ideas for future developments. It marks another excellent opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to driving fusion technology forward on a global scale.
Moving forward, KF will continue to support and participate in international conferences as key for continued engagement with the fusion energy community, of which we are proud to be a part.
Stay tuned to our blog and social media channels for the latest updates and exciting announcements from our team. We look forward to sharing our journey with you!
