Scientists use custom-built ‘Thunderbird’ device to make game-changing energy breakthrough: ‘Holy grail’

Photo Credit: University of British Columbia, Berlinguette Lab

Scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have made a breakthrough that could help bring nuclear fusion — often described as the “holy grail” of clean energy — out of giant research facilities and into smaller, more accessible labs. Their experiment showed, for the first time, that fusion reaction rates can be boosted at room temperature using a low-cost, bench-top reactor.

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers demonstrated that adding an electrochemical process to load deuterium fuel into a palladium metal target increased fusion events by an average of 15%. 

The team’s custom-built “Thunderbird Reactor” uses a compact particle accelerator with a plasma thruster and an electrochemical cell, rather than the massive high-temperature reactors that we’re used to seeing in fusion research.

Interesting Engineering reported that by “squeezing” more fuel into the metal with just one volt of electricity, the team was able to ramp up fusion activity. “We see this as a starting point — one that invites the community to iterate, refine, and build upon in the spirit of open and rigorous inquiry,” said Professor Curtis P. Berlinguette, the paper’s lead author. “One volt of electricity achieved what normally requires 800 atmospheres of pressure. While we didn’t achieve net energy gain, the approach boosted fusion rates in ways other researchers can reproduce and build on.”

Nuclear fusion, the process that powers the sun, fuses atoms to release vast amounts of energy. Unlike dirty energy sources like oil and gas, fusion doesn’t emit harmful heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere. And unlike nuclear fission, it carries a much lower risk of catastrophic meltdown. 

It also has the potential to produce four times more energy per kilogram than fission and almost four million times more than oil and coal, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. A future with fusion energy could mean cheaper electricity, lower pollution levels, and more energy security for communities.

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Fusion’s potential is enormous, but the science is still facing plenty of hurdles. Most fusion experiments require extreme temperatures hotter than the core of the sun. Research has also been limited to massive facilities that cost billions of dollars. However, UBC’s approach could lead to simpler, smaller-scale experiments that more labs could replicate.

While not a perfect solution, nuclear energy could have a big role in addressing rising global temperatures. Traditional nuclear fission plants already provide large amounts of low-carbon electricity and can complement renewable sources like solar and wind by offering stable baseload power. However, it also has drawbacks, including managing long-lasting radioactive waste, the expense and time required to build new plants, safety concerns, and potential links to weapons development. Fusion, if it becomes viable, could deliver the same climate benefits without many of these risks. However, the technology is still in its early stages of development.

As Professor Berlinguette noted, the ultimate goal is to “bring fusion science out of the giant national labs and onto the lab bench.” That could accelerate innovation and invite more participation in the race to achieve fusion, a pathway to nearly unlimited clean energy.

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