A new approach to funding, accelerating,and commercializing fusion

R. Mumgaard
CEO --Commonwealth Fusion Systems
NAS comments, PPPL, April 12, 2018

Your charge to me:
1. The capabilities and prospects of private-sector
ventures
2. The short-term and long-term plans of CFS
3. What should the government-funded program dowith all of this?** Mumgaard addition

Your charge to me:
1. The capabilities and prospects of private-sector
ventures
2. The short-term and long-term plans of CFS
3. What should the government-funded program dowith all of this?** Mumgaard addition

There is a nascent fusion industry*• There are many companies, the list is growing• They are optimizing for things beyond physics• Indicators about the fusion value
proposition• They can be extremely capable organizations• Move faster than gov’t programs• Tight focus on deliverables and milestones• With less $ (now) and different resources
than gov’t• High-growth potential• They are serious and thoughtful*Private companies investing significantly infusion R&D, not just performing gov. research.

This is a good thing
Our basic research is being used! It is important!
Attracting new stakeholders
Energizing the public and adjacents
Building momentum as success builds success
Diversity of tolerance to risk –not everything has to work
Diversity of physics approaches –fusion is too importantfor one architecture• Diversity of organizational approaches –fusion is too
important for one team•
•
•
•
•
•

This is how new technology gets to market• The private funding environment is evolving• Fusion is following a well-worn tech-development arc• Computers, AI, Robotics, Drugs, Aerospace, Energy, Quantum, Materials, etc• This is how fusion is going to get on the grid
• The US government doesn’t build reactors, pilot plants, etc – it does basic research• Look to fission, fossil, ARPA-E, EERE
• How does the government
Private ventures
program fill its role?
Investors
to bridge theAcademic• The mandate is basic
gap
Researchers
Commercializers
research
Government• To support a fusion
Consumers
Programs
industry

Your charge to me:
1. The capabilities and prospects of private-sector
ventures
2. The short-term and long-term plans of CFS
3. What should the government-funded program dowith all of this?** Mumgaard addition

A lot of excitement….

What’s the real story….

Commonwealth Fusion Systems Basics• Why• Fusion is important and can make adifference• It is our responsibility to make the best
attempt at it using all the tools available• With an express purpose to make it acommercially viable energy source• What• A private company in tight collaboration
with MITCFS combines the lean, fast mentality of a startup
with the deep talent pool of academia and theworld's leading investors in science and energy todevelop the fastest path to commercial fusionthat will provide clean energy to all.

Commonwealth Fusion Systems Basics• Who• Team – A combination of deep physics
experience with talent drawn from othersectors• Investors – Visionary, long-term, highly
technical, high-capital, risk-tolerant
individuals and organizations• Partners– Those that share our vision andwant to work together to get fusion toimpact• Serious people taking fusion seriously• Where• Massachusetts based• Global market, partners, investors, talent

Commonwealth Fusion Systems Basics• When• Now!
• There is a moral imperative• There is a window in the energy transition• HTS offers a breakthrough• Now is the time to punch forward• How• High-field approach based on HTS• Science + Scale + Speed + System

We know the technical gaps
US studies:• US community report on research gaps (2007)• US community report on research needs (2009)• Technical readiness evaluation (2009)• EPRI assessment on fusion (2012)• PPPL study (2012)• AAAS report on pathways (2013)

International:• IOP report (2008)• Korean fusion roadmap (2009)• EU fusion roadmap (2012)• Chinese fusion roadmap (2014)• Japanese fusion roadmap (2015)• These have been extensively studied: Good!
• We don’t have solutions, yet• Having a strategy is key• Reduce the scale to move quickly• Be innovation-driven, leverage other fields• Evaluate work-arounds to build momentum• But there are MANY identified innovations that can help for
all the fusion concepts, but we haven’t pulled the trigger

Commonwealth Fusion Systems PlanAcademia
TRL 1

Basic research

TRL 2

TRL 3

Prove feasibility

Science proof-ofprinciple

TRL 4

Collaboration
TRL 5

Commonwealth Fusion SystemsTRL 6

TRL 7

Tech Demonstration System and subsystem dev.

Science and technology
demonstration anddevelopment testbed

Science refinement

TRL 8

Pilot plant Market launch
Revenue generationand economic indicator

Sustainment
R&D

Alcator C-Mod
Complete

Technology refinement
Technology proof-ofprinciple

SPARC
TF magnet

SPARC
Energy gain > 2
Pfusion> 50 MW
PulsedComponent engineering
R&D

TRL 9

ARC pilot plant:
Energy gain > 10
Pelectric ~200 MW

Focus on HTS magnets
Academia
TRL 1

Basic research

TRL 2

TRL 3

Prove feasibility

Science proof-ofprinciple

Alcator C-Mod
Complete

Technology proof-ofprincipleSPARC
TF magnet

TRL 4

Collaboration
TRL 5

Commonwealth Fusion Systems
TRL 6

TRL 7

Tech Demonstration System and subsystem dev.

Science and technology
demonstration anddevelopment testbed

Science refinement

TRL 8

Pilot plant Market launch
Revenue generationand economic indicator

Phase 1: 3 years• Develop HTS magnets at scale
Sustainment• Including manufacturingsystems
R&D• Supply chain• Structures Technology refinement• Quench
SPARC
Energy gain > 2
ARC pilot plant:• Design SPARC and critical R&D
Pfusion> 50 MW
Energy gain > 10
Pelectric ~200 MW• PulsedThis is well-underway
now
Component engineering
R&D

TRL 9

Then quickly get to net energy
Academia
TRL 1

Basic research

TRL 2

TRL 3

Prove feasibility

Science proof-ofprinciple

TRL 4

Collaboration

SPARC
TF magnet

TRL 6

TRL 7

Tech Demonstration System and subsystem dev.

Science and technology
demonstration anddevelopment testbed

Alcator C-Mod
Complete

Technology proof-ofprinciple

TRL 5

Commonwealth Fusion Systems

SPARC
Energy gain > 2
Pfusion> 50 MW
PulsedScience refinement

TRL 8

Pilot plant Market launch
Revenue generationand economic indicator

Phase 2: 4 years• Build and operate SPARC• Net energy
Sustainment
R&D• Change the narrative• Explore higher Q
Technology refinement• R&D on ARC issues• ARC conceptual design
ARC pilot plant:
Component engineering
R&D

TRL 9

Energy gain > 10
Pelectric ~200 MW

Then quickly get to net electricity
Academia
TRL 1

Basic research

TRL 2

TRL 3

Prove feasibility

Science proof-ofprinciple

TRL 4

Collaboration

TRL 6

TRL 7

Tech Demonstration System and subsystem dev.

Science and technology
demonstration anddevelopment testbed

Phase 3: 8 years• Prototype ARC subsystems
Alcator• C-Mod
Build and operate ARC
Complete• Net electricity• Refinement of concept
Technology proof-ofthrough successive
SPARC
principle
upgrades Energy gain > 2
SPARC
TF magnet

TRL 5

Commonwealth Fusion SystemsScience refinement

TRL 8

Pilot plant Market launch
Revenue generationand economic indicator

Sustainment
R&D

Technology refinement

Pfusion> 50 MW
PulsedComponent engineering
R&D

TRL 9

ARC pilot plant:
Energy gain > 10
Pelectric ~200 MW

This is the plan we’re funded to do• Solutions are not all in-hand• But strategies identified• The plan is aggressive• Fusion is worth being aggressive• We’d like to move even faster• Of the private plans it is the least aggressive• It assumes success• Because we know the talent level• It takes on risks sooner rather than later• “Waiting to solve problems” is not a program• Given more resources it could be parallelized• Our investors and partners have bought into thisWe are headed to 88mph….

Lets talk about 15 years…
• Our aim is to put fusion electricity on the grid in this timeframe• Why do we think we can do this?
• 15 years is a long time in the real world!
• – Especially when there is a breakthrough + a substantial needGame changer definition:a newly introduced element or factor that changes an existing
situation or activity in a significant way
Breakthrough definition:
A sudden advance especially in knowledge or technique
An act or instance of moving through or beyond an obstacle

Lets talk about 15 years… Fission power
1942 – Pile 1
0.5 W thermal

War drives science.
Very basic nuclear physics, nomaterials knowledge, noapplications, no industry

1957 – Shippingport
60 MW electrical, public-private
Market drives engineering+ 2 fully-private full-scale plants under construction
Architecture fixed, soon to scale to 20% of US powerLets talk about 15 years… Mars
1996 – Mars Pathfinder lands

Organizational innovation pushes the cost oflanding something on Mars down a factor of
20 and shortens the development time by afactor of 3.

2012 – Curiosity, a nuclearpowered SUV roving on Mars
Success breeds successOver 20 spacecraft operating at Mars.
Budget up a factor of 15. Program attracts thebest and brightest and captures imaginations.

Lets talk about 15 years… SpaceX
2002 – SpaceX foundedLaunch is a very expensive, hide-boundprogram dominated by government-funded
contractors with very little innovation.

2018 – Falcon Heavy
Innovation applied to orgs and tech, supercharged by financeFalcon 9: 4 years + $300M from napkin to launch
Cuts the cost to orbit by factor of 10, built a market

This is what our investors expect

Lets talk about 15 years… Fusion
1971 – ST shows tokamaks work

Tokamaks are performing goodenough, the world needs energy, we
have sights on the technology.
Make push for DT.

1986 – JET, JT-60, TFTR running, supershots, prepping DT

Drastically expanded the operating space for tokamaks,
developed most of the technologies we now use.
It wasn’t that expensive.

Lets talk about 15 years… Fusion
Extrapolations in performance
Parameter

1974-1989

Today-ARC

Plasma current

101.5

Toroidal field

21

Magnetic energy

100

18

Pulse length

1000??

Auxiliary heating

1000.75

Ion temperature

100.5

Triple product1000~2-5

D-T fuel

DTDoneFusion power

10000000>15Q

10000000>10

Why can’t we do this again?... We don’t have so far to go.

Lets talk about 15 years… Fusion
ATC, 2TSPARC V0, 12T

TFTR, 6T
1974:
Tokamak physics
mature enoughto try DT

2016:
HTS mature
enough to build
a tokamak

Approximately to scale

Your charge to me:
1. The capabilities and prospects of private-sectorventures
2. The short-term and long-term plans of CFS
3. What should the government-funded program dowith all of this?** Mumgaard addition

1. Everybody should be incredibly excited• There may not be consensus on everything… except on how
awesome this could be• Everyone we talk to is extremely excited• Investors who invested and those who didn’t• Government officials• Talent and partners• Other fusion companies• The public• This is additive to other programs• Do no harm – not a competition, we all want fusion to work

2. Find ways for gov’t and industry to work together• The US is very good at industry –academia –government• Each side does what it is good at• Government does basic research, deep expertise, tool sets, seeds innovation• Private selects architectures, finds market fit, scales solutions, manages costs• There are many ways to do this• Expert reviews, running codes on industry configurations• Access to experts, seconding equipment, diagnostics• In-kind contribution• Help with siting, cost sharing components• Joint development projects• There are many relevant precedents• This will support all of the fusion concepts

3. Solve problems –With urgency• There are plenty of problems and potential solutions identified• More efficient and better actuators• Integrated simulation, AI, control, predictive modeling• Advanced divertors and power handling• PMI, liquid metals, addative manufacturing• Nuclear materials, fuel cycle, tritium breeding• Advanced concepts• All of this is ready to go, people want to work on it• It is all fairly low cost –there will need to be reprogramming• Staying static will not be supported by industry• This helps all of the fusion concepts –if done soon
• Windows for the US to lead on this are closing as others solve problems

4. Do what only gov’t can do- With urgency• There are some things only gov’t can do• Developing the appropriate regulatory structure• Help with siting• Pathways to provide tritium• Convening stakeholders• Developing a workforce and academic• These are independent of configuration• Industry will help
• This needs to be ready in time if we are to get fusion to impact

This is what leadership looks like:
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•
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New experiments and programs
New programs at new places with new people attracted to the field
Working on innovative ideas that can make a difference for fusion
Working across sectors from private to public to academic
Unique capabilities
Pushing the boundaryEngaging the public

These are bold times for fusion
We need to match the times

We have the good ideas!
We have people and institutions that want to do them!
We have enough money, just in the wrong places
What is stopping us?
Imagine in 10 years we have:Demonstration of Reactor-Relevant SteadyState Scenarios with Reactor-Relevant RFActuators and Sensors in the DIV tokamak

ZetaScale Computing of Turbulent Simulationsof a Tokamak: From the Core to the WallPerformance of Fusion Structural Materials Irradiated inthe National Gas Dynamic Trap Facility

First Plasma in the National Optimized
Stellarator ExperimentAttainment of Passively Stable Divertor Power
Exhaust at Reactor-Relevant Conditions

Progress in the ARPA-E Industry-Lab-University
Alternates PartnershipConfinement Scaling to Reactor-RelevantCollisionality with Liquid Metal Walls in ST40-U