Oak Ridge National Laboratory licenses fusion fuel technologies to Type One Energy

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has signed a licensing agreement with Type One Energy to transfer four inventions designed to support cryogenic pellet fuelling systems for fusion reactors.

These technologies aim to improve plasma performance by forming solid hydrogen pellets at temperatures near absolute zero and injecting them at high speeds into the fusion plasma. This method is considered more effective at fuelling the plasma core than traditional gas puffing. The licensed suite addresses critical gaps in fuel performance, containment, and recirculation, specifically targeting the challenges posed by the scarcity and radioactivity of tritium.

The four patented technologies include: • A tritium-compatible cryogenic pellet gas gun to minimize stress-induced failures. • A tritium-compatible cryogenic screw extruder to maintain hermetic containment during continuous production. • A pressure relief device for cryogenic fusion fuels to provide overpressure protection. • A solid conveyance system with a single phase-change method for efficient, closed-loop cryogenic extrusion recirculation.

Type One Energy, based in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has a history of collaboration with ORNL, including work on high-heat flux test facilities and projects under the Innovation Network for Fusion Energy (INFUSE) programme.