| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Energy |
| Headquarters | Branchburg, NJ , US |
Key people | Brian Berzin (CEO), David Gates (CTO) |
| Website | thea |
Thea Energy is an American fusion power company founded in 2022 after a spin-out from the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL).[1] Its original name was Princeton Stellarators, Inc (PSI). Thea Energy's approach to commercial fusion is based on the stellarator approach using a unique set of all-planar electromagnetic coils. This all-planar coil approach was developed by PPPL and licensed by Thea Energy.[2][1]
History
Thea Energy was founded in 2022 as Princeton Stellarators, Inc, based on technology licensed from PPPL.[1][3]
Thea Energy received two United States Department of Energy INFUSE awards in 2022[1] and one in 2023.[4]
In May 2023, Thea was one of eight companies chosen for the United States Department of Energy Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program.[5][3][2][6]
Approach
Thea Energy's approach is a variant of the stellarator in which the complex, modular electromagnetic coils are replaced by an array of small, simple, planar electromagnetic coils. This approach simplifies the design, allows for precise 3D control of the resultant magnetic field, and allows for increased access for system maintenance.[7][4][8]
As an intermediate step towards a fusion power plant, Thea is building a neutron source based on the same stellarator technology. The neutron source will demonstrate the technology and generate near-term revenue.[7][8] The neutron source will run sub-breakeven with respect to energy, but will produce large numbers of neutrons for the creation of radioisotopes such as tritium and medical radioisotopes. The fuel for the neutron source will be deuterium rather than a mixture of deuterium and tritium.
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory selected to collaborate with start-up that licenses its innovative technology". Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
- 1 2 "Eight Nuclear Fusion Companies Get a Total of $46 Million | NextBigFuture.com". 2023-05-31. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
- 1 2 "Princeton Stellarators Selected for U.S. Department of Energy Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program". GlobeNewswire News Room (Press release). 2023-06-01. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
- 1 2 "Thea Energy Selected for U.S. Department of Energy Public-Private Partnership Award Through the Innovation Network for Fusion Energy Program". GlobeNewswire News Room (Press release). 2023-07-27. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
- ↑ "Princeton Stellarators, Inc., a PPPL spinoff company, receives funding through DOE's Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program". Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
- ↑ Lindner, Linda (1 August 2023). "Princeton fusion energy firm selected for U.S. Department of Energy public-private partnership award". ROI-NJ. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- 1 2 Princeton Innovation 2022: Stellarator fusion energy, David Gates, retrieved 2024-01-09
- 1 2 Gates, David (September 26, 2023). "MIT PSFC Seminar: Thea Energy: Reinventing the Stellarator". MIT PSFC Seminars.
- Aslam, Soha; Winkler, Eleanor A; Koen, Alex (2023). "Neutronics Modeling and Simulation for Thea Energy Stellarator Design". Bulletin of the American Physical Society. American Physical Society -65th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics. Retrieved 10 January 2024. poster paper
- Koen, Alex; Cote, Andrew (2023). "Automated design methods for stellarator modeling and simulation at Thea Energy". Bulletin of the American Physical Society. American Physical Society -65th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics. Retrieved 10 January 2024. poster paper
- Gates, David A.; Aslam, Soha; Berzin, B.; Cote, A.; Dudt, D.W.; Fort, D.; Koen, Alex; Kruger, T.G.; Kumar, S.T.A.; Martin, M.F.; Swanson, S.W.S.; Winkler, Eleanor A. (2023). "Thea Energy: Reinventing the stellarator". Bulletin of the American Physical Society. American Physical Society. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- Swanson, Charles P.; Gates, David A.; Kumar, Santhosh T. (2023). "NNBI system based on ITER HNB for beam-target DD neutron generation in an optimized stellarator". Bulletin of the American Physical Society. American Physical Society (65th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics). Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- Kramer, David (1 August 2023). "What's old is new in DOE's choice of fusion hopefuls". Physics Today. 76 (8): 20–21. doi:10.1063/PT.3.5288. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- Song, Honghai; Cote, A.; Dudt, D.W.; Fort, D.; Dudt, D.W.; Gates, David A.; Kruger, Thomas G.; Martin, M.F.; Swanson, C.P.S.; Kumar, S.T.A. (2023). "Initial engineering design and development of HTS magnet systems for all planar coils stellarator at Thea Energy". Bulletin of the American Physical Society. APS -65th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
- Gururaj, Tejasri (19 September 2023). "Is fusion energy getting any closer to reality?". interestingengineering.com. Interesting Engineering. Retrieved 10 January 2024.