Boston: In a decisive step towards realising the dream of the much-awaited nuclear power fusion meant for revolutionizing the world's energy sector, a large high-temperature superconducting electromagnet was invented jointly by a team of scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIS) and startup company, Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS).
One of the scientists involved in this project is Dr Silvester Noronha, hailing from Kollam district in Kerala. He is currently a visiting faculty of MIT and a lead engineer of the CFS in the US.
The new electromagnet is the most powerful magnetic field of its kind ever created on earth. The aim of the MIT-CFS scientists is now to build 'SPARC', touted as the first operational fusion reactor.
What is fusion power
Fusion power is a proposed form of power generation by using heat from nuclear fusion reactions.
The newly-developed electromagnet is ramped up to field strength of 20 tesla. It resolves the main uncertainty in building the fusion power plant. At present, nuclear reactors are working on the principle of fission, by way of splitting atoms. But fusion is the process of merging two small atoms to make a larger one, releasing lots of energy. The process of fusion requires temperatures far beyond what any solid material could withstand.
The role of powerful electromagnets
Since plasma is created in a temperature of 10 crore degree celsius, the elements that resist temperature have to be there in the reactors. So, electromagnets are made to keep the plasma in suspended animation. Powerful magnets such as tokamaks’, made in copper, are used for this purpose. Since there is not much difference between the energy needed to operate these magnets and the energy received from this reactor, a nuclear fusion reactor is a loss-making proposition. But with the invention of this unique superconducting electromagnet, a solution has been now found.
Since this powerful electromagnet used is small, the size of the future nuclear fusion reactors could be drastically reduced.
Know the scientist
Dr Noronha hails from Clappana in Karunagappally. He is the son of Meenathu J C Noronha and Girli. After completing his school education, he did his degree and post graduation from Fatima Mata National College, Kollam, and St Albert's College, Ernakulam, respectively. He got his PhD from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Material Science Engineering. Later, he took a post doctoral degree in Britain's Oxford University.
He has been living in the United States for the last 20 years. His wife Felicia is a healthcare auditor in the US.
