Progress Towards Commercial Fusion Based on Zap Energy’s Sheared-Flow-Stabilized Z-Pinch Concept

Zap Energy pursues the sheared-flow-stabilized (SFS) Z-pinch concept for fusion energy applications [1]. SFS offers a path toward pulsed, quasi-steady-state, Z pinches, with enhanced stability properties against MHD modes characteristic of static Z pinches. Zap is the early developer and global leader of this concept. Zap adopts a strategic parallel approach, seeking to complete the physics basis for the concept, determine the scaling laws to high-gain performance by operating multiple SFS experimental platforms, while simultaneously developing the engineering solutions required for a fusion pilot plant [2].



Progress on the SFS conceptual physics basis will be presented. A new multi-electrode Zap device, FuZE-3, will be introduced. This system allows fine control of the acceleration and compression current drives and has successfully compressed plasmas to above 10²⁴/m³. FuZE-Q has been upgraded with a new electrode stack which allows advanced studies of the initial breakdown and acceleration phase, which leads to the development and optimization of the stabilizing sheared flow. We also introduce an upcoming platform, FuZE-A, which will develop advanced accelerators required for stabilization of high-performance plasmas. Finally the main effort to develop pilot plant power handling systems is called Century, which integrates repetitive pulsed power, high-duty-cycle cathodes, and liquid metal wall systems.



[1] B. Levitt, Phys. Plasmas, 2023.

[2] M. C. Thompson, Fus. Sci and Tech., 2023.