Science: Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works

Compact fusion reactor, photo by Eric Schulzinger for Lockheed Martin, Aviation Week

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The scientific community's reception of Lockheed Martin's announcement that they're "restarting the atomic age" has been cool, mostly because of the lack of supporting evidence.

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(What a lot of shiny stainless steel flanges!)

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Lockheed Martin plans to restart the atomic age with a compact fusion reactor, about which they say:

Building on more than 60 years of fusion research, the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works approach to compact fusion is a high beta concept. This concept uses a high fraction of the magnetic field pressure, or all of its potential, so we can make our devices 10 times smaller than previous concepts. That means we can replace a device that must be housed in a large building with one that can fit on the back of a truck.

Meanwhile, according to an article published in response to this announcement, Physics Today, (published by the American Institute of Physics, aka AIP):

So what are the technical facts? Within the abundant skepticism seen in the media coverage, a big component is the complaint that not enough facts have been made public. A Guardian article reports that despite all of the publicity, “experts point to the lack of details or results.” It ends by observing that Lockheed has “come up with an idea and they want someone to give them some money so they can develop it”—and by adding that although investment in fusion “is exciting and potentially world-changing,” the “real breakthroughs occur when experiments actually take place.”

The AIP article mentions that Aviation Week and Space Technology was granted 'special access' to the project.  The Aviation Week article, "Skunk Works Reveals Compact Fusion Reactor Details," closes thus:

Preliminary simulations and experimental results “have been very promising and positive,” McGuire [project leader] says. “The latest is a magnetized ion confinement experiment, and preliminary measurements show the behavior looks like it is working correctly. We are starting with the plasma confinement, and that’s where we are putting most of our effort. One of the reasons we are becoming more vocal with our project is that we are building up our team as we start to tackle the other big problems. We need help and we want other people involved. It’s a global enterprise, and we are happy to be leaders in it.” 

Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works presented on the high beta fusion reactor in 2013 at a Google Solve for X forum. For some background information, take a look at Popular Mechanics' "Why Don't We Have Fusion Power?"


-- Marge