Researcher warns cutting funding for basic research endangers America’s energy future
University of Missouri engineer Randy Curry and his team have developed a method of creating and controlling plasma that could revolutionize American energy generation and storage. Besides liquid, gas and solid, matter has a fourth state, known as plasma. Fire and lightning are familiar forms of plasma. Life on Earth depends on the energy emitted by plasma produced during fusion reactions within the sun. However, Curry warns that without federal funding of basic research, America will lose the race to develop new plasma energy technologies. The basic research program was originally funded by the Office of Naval Research, but continued research has been funded by MU.
Curry’s device launches a ring of plasma as far as two feet. The plasma doesn’t emit radiation, and it is completely safe for humans to be in the same room with it, although the plasma reaches a temperature hotter than the surface of the sun. The secret to Curry’s success was developing a way to make the plasma form its own self-magnetic field, which holds it together while it travels through the air.
“Launching plasma in open air is the ‘Holy Grail’ in the field of physics,” said Curry, professor of electrical and computer engineering in the University of Missouri’s College of Engineering. “Creating plasma in a vacuum tube surrounded by powerful electromagnets is no big deal; dozens of labs can do that. Our innovation allows the plasma to hold itself together while it travels through regular air without any need for containment.”
The plasma device at MU could be enlarged to handle much larger amounts of energy, according to Curry. With sufficient funding, they could develop a system within three to five years that would also be considerably smaller. He noted that they used old technologies to build the current prototype of the plasma-generating machine. Using newer, miniaturized parts, he suggests they could shrink the device to the size of a bread box.
Curry’s device launches a ring of plasma as far as two feet. The plasma doesn’t emit radiation, and it is completely safe for humans to be in the same room with it, although the plasma reaches a temperature hotter than the surface of the sun. The secret to Curry’s success was developing a way to make the plasma form its own self-magnetic field, which holds it together while it travels through the air.
“Launching plasma in open air is the ‘Holy Grail’ in the field of physics,” said Curry, professor of electrical and computer engineering in the University of Missouri’s College of Engineering. “Creating plasma in a vacuum tube surrounded by powerful electromagnets is no big deal; dozens of labs can do that. Our innovation allows the plasma to hold itself together while it travels through regular air without any need for containment.”
The plasma device at MU could be enlarged to handle much larger amounts of energy, according to Curry. With sufficient funding, they could develop a system within three to five years that would also be considerably smaller. He noted that they used old technologies to build the current prototype of the plasma-generating machine. Using newer, miniaturized parts, he suggests they could shrink the device to the size of a bread box.
The Latest Bing News on:
Plasma Device
- Earth to be pounded by rare solar storm that could wipe out the interneton May 10, 2024 at 1:47 am
The ‘unusual’ solar storm may disrupt electronic devices like GPS and power grids over the two ... A series of solar flares released large volumes of plasma on the sun, sparking the warning after they ...
- Fedora Asahi Remix 40 is another big step forward for Linux on Apple Silicon Macson May 9, 2024 at 3:49 pm
Fedora Asahi Remix is a "fully integrated distro," according to the Asahi team, and you can "expect a solid and high-quality experience without any unwanted surprises." It supports all the M1 and M2 ...
- FDA Clears the Individualized Nomogram for Rika Plasma Donation Systemon May 9, 2024 at 5:00 am
Terumo Blood and Cell Technologies (Terumo BCT), a medical technology company, recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for the Rika Plasma Donation System™ with the ...
- NASA's Proposed Plasma Rocket Would Get Us to Mars in 2 Monthson May 8, 2024 at 2:35 pm
The space agency is investing in the development of a propulsion system that uses nuclear power to create plasma bursts.
- Simplifying the design of stellaratorson May 8, 2024 at 6:11 am
Tokomaks and stellarators are the forerunner technologies in nuclear fusion development. While tokamaks rely on magnetic fields created by electric currents running through the middle of confined ...
- Seed treatment, without compromise? Cold plasma is ready for prime time, says Clean Crop Technologieson May 7, 2024 at 11:00 am
Clean Crop Technologies has launched a commercial cold plasma seed treatment facility, and signed $3.4m in purchase orders, says the startup ...
- Fusion Breakthrough: 6 Minutes of Plasma Sets New Reactor Recordon May 6, 2024 at 6:50 pm
A fusion reactor in southern France, called WEST, just achieved an important milestone that brings us one step closer to clean, sustainable, nearly limitless energy.
- New Fusion Milestone with Tungsten ‘WEST’ Tokamak Sustains Super-Hot Plasma for Record-Breaking Six Minuteson May 6, 2024 at 6:45 am
A new milestone in fusion has been achieved with a device internally clad in tungsten, researchers at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory say.
- Fusion Breakthrough: Compact New Device Reaches Temperatures of 37 Million Degreeson May 4, 2024 at 11:24 pm
A new study documents record-breaking electron temperatures in a compact, sheared-flow-stabilized Z-pinch fusion device. In the nine decades since humans first produced fusion reactions, only a few fu ...
- Plasma Physicists Use Magnetic Imperfections to Enhance Fusion Reactionon May 2, 2024 at 11:00 am
Scientists are using magnetic imperfections to enhance fusion plasma stability, paving the way for more efficient and reliable fusion power plants.
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Plasma Device
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Plasma Device” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”] [/vc_column_text]The Latest Bing News on:
Plasma energy technologies
- Argonne's Revolutionary Approach to Zero-Carbon Ironmaking Technologyon May 9, 2024 at 12:54 pm
Argonne National Laboratory will be receiving $3 million over three years to lead a project on developing a technology for ironmaking with zero carbon emissions and lower required energy.
- NASA's Proposed Plasma Rocket Would Get Us to Mars in 2 Monthson May 8, 2024 at 2:35 pm
The space agency is investing in the development of a propulsion system that uses nuclear power to create plasma bursts.
- Tungsten-lined tokamak sets fusion record, sustains plasma for 6 minson May 7, 2024 at 1:09 am
A tungsten-lined tokamak reactor operated by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) has set a new fusion record by sustaining the plasma for six minutes and injecting 1.15 ...
- Fusion Breakthrough: 6 Minutes of Plasma Sets New Reactor Recordon May 6, 2024 at 6:50 pm
A fusion reactor in southern France, called WEST, just achieved an important milestone that brings us one step closer to clean, sustainable, nearly limitless energy.
- Environmentally friendly plasma, an AI detector and a moving photon counter win UMD Invention Awardson May 6, 2024 at 3:00 am
Other winners of the university’s annual honor include a prostate cancer diagnosis tool and therapy and a moving photon counter.
- Unlocking the Mysteries of Plasma Dynamics: The Role of the JOREK Code in Fusion Energy Researchon May 3, 2024 at 5:43 am
In conclusion, the JOREK code is more than just a computational tool; it is a key that unlocks the mysteries of plasma dynamics, enabling progress in one of the most ambitious scientific endeavours of ...
- Plasma Physicists Use Magnetic Imperfections to Enhance Fusion Reactionon May 2, 2024 at 11:00 am
Scientists are using magnetic imperfections to enhance fusion plasma stability, paving the way for more efficient and reliable fusion power plants.
- Plasma technique converts landfill methane to jet fuelon May 1, 2024 at 4:00 am
Researchers at the University of Sydney have developed a new chemical process that uses plasma to transform methane from landfill sites into sustainable jet fuel.
- World’s first plasma process converts methane to sustainable jet fuelon May 1, 2024 at 2:33 am
Trash to treasure! Scientists created a way to turn landfill gas into sustainable jet fuel using plasma technology.
- Methane emissions from landfill could be turned into sustainable jet fuel in plasma chemistry leapon April 30, 2024 at 7:53 pm
Researchers have developed a chemical process using plasma that could create sustainable jet fuel from methane gas emitted from landfills, potentially creating a low-carbon aviation industry.
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Plasma energy technologies
[google_news title=”” keyword=”plasma energy technologies” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]