Scientists and engineers at General Atomics (GA) in San Diego are celebrating this week after members of their inertial fusion technologies team received some remarkable news about their work in creating technology that helped achieve the first controlled fusion “ignitions” in history.

R&D World, a prestigious technology and innovation magazine, announced that GA's Metrology Research and Development Team has won the 2024 "Team of the Year" R&D 100 Professional Award for creating a groundbreaking system that uses several advanced instruments to examine inertial confinement fusion (ICF) capsules.

The device, known as the 4Pi (pronounced four pie) Integrated Metrology System, is an unprecedented technology that has been pivotal in helping to achieve and repeat fusion ignition at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Hailed as one of the most impressive scientific breakthroughs of the 21st century, researchers have achieved fusion ignition at least five times. Scientists said the 4Pi system has been transformative for experiments at NIF.

“We are overjoyed with the news of this recognition and are proud that our team has played a significant role in supporting successful ignition experiments at NIF,” said Haibo Huang, project lead for 4Pi and director of Center of Excellence in Advanced Diagnostics at General Atomics. “Our goal is to create cutting-edge technologies that help overcome the most complex obstacles that ICF scientists face to support national security missions and bring the world closer to achieving clean and limitless fusion energy.”

In ICF, high-powered lasers are used to rapidly compress target capsules filled with hydrogen fuel, causing the atoms to fuse together and release significant amounts of energy. The targets achieve ignition when the amount of energy released in the reaction is greater than what was delivered to them.

The quality of target capsules is extremely important to achieving fusion ignition, and fabricating these capsules is a highly challenging process. Each capsule is approximately 2mm in diameter—the size of a BB—and is fabricated at sub-micron tolerances. The fuel capsules need to be as perfect as possible because the tiniest defects could affect the behavior of the fuel when the target is compressed—meaning abnormalities smaller than 1/100th the diameter of a human hair could stifle ignition.

The 4Pi system uses robotics, automation, and machine learning to automate the examination process of each fuel capsule. The system measures and screens each one to map their unique properties, identify imperfections, and make continuous improvements throughout the fabrication process.

With so many moving parts in one station, the technical expertise of each person on the team, from physics and software to engineering, was essential in successfully developing the 4Pi system.

“This award is a testament to the team’s hard work and commitment to developing game-changing technologies and capabilities for our field,” said Mike Farrell, vice president of Inertial Fusion Technologies at General Atomics. “I am confident the 4Pi system will continue to play a significant role in assisting scientists to understand the fundamental principles to routinely and robustly produce fusion-ignition conditions.”

R&D World received several hundred submissions from 16 different countries and regions, and entries were judged by 56 respected industry professionals from around the world. The R&D 100 Awards competition, often referred to as “The Oscars of Innovation” and the “Nobel Prize of Engineering,” is the only science and technology awards competition that recognizes new commercial products, technologies, and materials (that are available for sale or license) for their technological significance. Check out R&D World’s official announcement: https://www.rdworldonline.com/rd-100-professional-awards-2024-winners/

To learn more about GA’s work in ICF, visit: https://www.ga.com/inertial-fusion/

About General Atomics: Since the dawn of the atomic age, General Atomics innovations have advanced the state of the art across the full spectrum of science and technology – from nuclear energy and defense to medicine and high-performance computing. Behind a talented global team of scientists, engineers, and professionals, GA’s unique experience and capabilities continue to deliver safe, sustainable, economical, and innovative solutions to meet growing global demands.

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• Members of the Metrology Research and Development team working with the 4Pi system in a clean room at General Atomics headquarters. Credit: General Atomics

Andrew James
General Atomics
858-287-2636
andrew.james@ga.com