HB11 hydrogen-boron laser fusion test yields groundbreaking results

Hydrogen-boron fusion reactors will undoubtedly be part of tomorrow’s energy production landscape. But before we can actually use this technology to produce energy, research, development and numerous tests must be carried out. In this area, the company HB11 Energy has produced revolutionary results.

What is hydrogen-boron laser fusion?

Energy production remains one of the most polluting sectors in the world. To deal with this problem, experts in this field are looking for more sustainable, but also more efficient, safer and less expensive alternatives to fossil fuels. Among these alternatives are hydrogen-boron fusion reactors. Technological patent applied for in 2020 by HB11 Energyan Australian company spun off from the University of New South Wales, this new method of generating energy involves using high-powered, high-precision lasers to cause nuclear fusion.

Called a chirped pulse amplification laser, this new kind of laser can produce power levels in excess of 10 petawatts (1 petawatt being equal to 10¹⁵ watts). Note that the majority of current nuclear fusion technologies use deuterium-tritium reactions – a radioactive fuel – and incredibly hot temperatures. In addition to requiring the production of ridiculously hot temperatures, this classic method is risky and extremely destructive if something goes wrong.

But this is not the case with hydrogen-boron laser fusion. It is indeed an ecological technique, reliable, safe, low cost and without risk of radioactive melting. Specifically, instead of creating heat, hydrogen-boron fusion simply creates “naked” helium atoms, or alpha particles, that are missing electrons. In other words, these atoms are positively charged, and it is simply necessary to collect this charge to create energy. And, of course, there is no waste or radioactive residue.

One step closer to HB11 Energy’s long-term goal

And just two years after its patent application, HB11 Energy has announced very promising results for its first trials. Their results – published in the journal Applied Sciences – demonstrate that the method was indeed able to induce non-thermal fusion reactions of hydrogen and boron-11 using high-power lasers. These reactions made it possible to be within 4 orders of magnitude of reaching a net energy gain. Note that for nuclear fusion to have commercial applications, it must create a net energy gain.

This means that the energy output of a reaction must significantly exceed the energy input needed to catalyze it. Although these results do not yet make it possible to implement the first hydrogen-boron fusion power plant, it is a very important first step in this direction. ” The demonstration of fusion reactions alone is incredibly exciting. But on top of that, the surprisingly high number of reactions also gives us important insights into how to optimize our technology to further increase the fusion energy we can create. said Dr. Warren McKenzie, founder and CEO of HB11 Energy, in a statement.

It is important to note that the HB11 Energy tests were performed with the LFEX laser at Osaka University, Japan, due to the lack of a local high power laser facility. The researchers therefore took advantage of the presentation of their results to encourage the local government to invest in equipment for this revolutionary technology.