A radio-wave trick from the 1980s could keep fusion reactors running continuously
SAN DIEGO PHYSICISTS REVIVE COLD WAR ERA RADIO TECHNIQUE TO STABILIZE FUSION ENERGY
Fusion energy researchers are revisiting a concept from the 1980s to solve a major hurdle in reactor technology: the inability to maintain continuous power. For a fusion plant to function as a viable alternative to coal or gas facilities, it must operate for days without interruption. Currently, most tokamak reactors function in bursts because the central solenoid, a massive magnetic coil, must eventually stop and reset. However, physicists in San Diego have demonstrated that radio waves can manage this workload, successfully implementing a technique that failed in experiments decades ago.
Steady State Reactor Operations
The central solenoid in a tokamak functions similarly to a transformer, increasing its own current to stimulate a current
Source: techspot.com · 2026-11-11