Company:First Light Fusion
First Light Fusion Ltd is a British fusion research company, based in Oxfordshire, England.[1]
| Type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fusion power |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Nicholas Hawker Yiannis Ventikos |
| Headquarters | UK |
Key people | Nicholas Hawker (CEO) David Bryon (CFO) Bart Markus (Chairman) Ryan Ramsey (COO) |
| Website | https://firstlightfusion.com/ |
The company's approach to fusion research is a particular form of inertial fusion called projectile fusion.[2]
History
The company was founded by Nicholas Hawker and his former academic adviser Yiannis Ventikos in 2011, as a research spin-off at the University of Oxford.[3][4]
Ventikos had suggested forming the company based on Hawker's research into hydrodynamic simulations of shock-driven cavity collapse.[4][5] Part of Hawker's PhD research had involved studying the cavity collapse caused by a pistol shrimp's claw.[6]
In January 2023 it was announced that the company had entered an agreement with the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority to develop First Light's "Machine 4" (M4) at the UKAEA's Culham Campus. M4 will be built to demonstrate the capacity of projectile fusion to reach net energy gain.
Belgium-based engineering company Tractebel announced the signing of a framework agreement in July 2023 to jointly develop the M4 facility with First Light.[7][8]
References
- ↑ Mustoe, Howard (2023-08-13). "How a US fusion breakthrough left Britain scrambling to catch up" (in en-GB). The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/08/13/british-race-build-world-first-nuclear-fusion-reactor/.
- ↑ Fusion, First Light. "New approach to Inertial Fusion | Projectile Fusion | First Light Fusion" (in en-US). https://firstlightfusion.com/technology/our-approach.
- ↑ Bardsley, Daniel (2022-10-17). "How nuclear fusion reactors like this one could change the world" (in en). https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2022/10/17/nuclear-fusion-reactors-like-this-one-could-change-the-world-heres-why/.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Projectile fusion goes for gain" (in en). 2019-10-10. https://www.eurekamagazine.co.uk/content/technology/an-oxford-based-fusion-project-is-closing-on-producing-gain-using-a-cheaper-method-than-the-mainstream/.
- ↑ Michaels, Daniel (2019-10-09). "Europe’s Old Universities Spin Out New Tech Companies" (in en-US). Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. https://www.wsj.com/articles/europes-old-universities-spin-out-new-tech-companies-11570613400.
- ↑ Hargrave, Sean (2023-06-29). "The tale of shrimp-inspired nuclear fusion" (in en-GB). https://www.raconteur.net/design-innovation/the-story-of-shrimp-inspired-nuclear-fusion.
- ↑ Dalton, David (2023-08-09). "Tractebel Signs Agreement For UK Facility That Will Demonstrate ‘Net Gain’". https://www.nucnet.org/news/tractabel-signs-agreement-for-uk-facility-that-will-demonstrate-net-gain-8-3-2023.
- ↑ "Tractebel supports First Light Fusion in making inertial fusion a reality". 2023-08-09. https://tractebel-engie.com/en/news/2023/tractebel-supports-first-light-fusion-in-making-inertial-fusion-a-reality#:~:text=Tractebel%20and%20First%20Light%20Fusion,%2C%20low%2Dcarbon%20fusion%20energy..
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