Video: What does liquid metal have to do with fusion?¶
Francisco Saenz, a graduate student in Plasma Control Group, shares how we’re studying how liquid metal can draw away excess heat to protect the reactor.
Liquid metals can also have other positive effects on the environment where the fusion reaction takes place. Liquid lithium, in particular, can be used to help the plasma stay hot and manageable. Some experiments involve evaporating lithium so it coats the inner surface of the reactor like paint. Other researchers are working on devices that would create a river of liquid lithium around the bottom of the reactor, using it to carry away excess heat. Researchers at PPPL believe that liquid metals will play a vital role in managing commercial-scale fusion devices.
Learn more: https://www.pppl.gov/news/2024/creating-loops-liquid-lithium-fusion-temperature-control
🎬 Video credits: Filmed and edited by Michael Livingston, produced by Gwen McNamara