Tokamak Energy has been contracted by
General Atomics to provide critical high temperature superconducting (HTS) magnet technology for a next-generation US Undersea Magnetohydrodynamic Pumps. Launched in 2023, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA)’s Principles of Undersea Magnetohydrodynamic Pumps (PUMP) programme was initiated with a view to creating novel electrode materials suitable for a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) drive.
The contract with General Atomics will see Tokamak Energy provide the simulation, design and fabrication of the HTS magnets. General Atomics will provide magnet system integration with auxiliary systems and integration with prime contractor
HRL Laboratories, which is developing the electrode technology needed to overcome existing performance limitations. These combined efforts bring together capabilities that address challenges which have previously made the technology unviable due to limitations in magnets and electrodes.
HTS is the ideal technology to be deployed for MHD as propulsion in water requires high magnetic fields in a compact package, and HTS technology is capable of enabling a more powerful, silent and efficient MHD drive. Tokamak Energy is delivering this technology by leveraging its proprietary suite of modelling and simulation tools validated through extensive magnet testing, patented designs that enable robust magnets and versatile manufacturing technologies born from its mission to deliver clean and limitless fusion energy.
Broad range of applicationsDr Liam Brennan, director of
TE Magnetics, Tokamak Energy’s specialist business division, said: “This contract is another step towards realising a military-relevant-scale magnetohydrodynamic drive, and we are delighted to be working with General Atomics on this important project. We are excited to demonstrate how our HTS technology, born from our mission to deliver limitless, clean fusion energy, can enable a broad range of applications with significant industrial and commercial value across a range of sectors.”
John Smith, senior director of Projects and Engineering for General Atomics Energy Group, said: “We are also proud to be part of this groundbreaking collaboration and to provide our expertise in advanced magnet system integration.
“Our work with Tokamak Energy and HRL Laboratories shows how the unique strengths of each collaborator can overcome long-standing barriers in magnetohydrodynamic propulsion. At General Atomics, we have a proven record of delivering complex technologies for national security, energy, and scientific discovery, and this project highlights how our capabilities extend across multiple applications to strengthen US leadership in innovation.”
Tokamak Energy launched TE Magnetics to focus on the industrial deployment of transformative HTS technology in September 2024. MHD pumps generate force from a magnetic field acting on an electric current flowing through seawater, requiring no rotating mechanical components. This approach reduces noise while increasing reliability in comparison to conventional propeller- or impeller-based systems.
Tokamak Energy has made advances in rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO) superconducting material, and its advanced winding, testing and production techniques are the key to creating robust and reliable HTS magnets. Its HTS materials have demonstrated large-scale magnetic fields as high as 24 Telsa and will be critical in yielding an efficient MHD drive. The PUMP programme is a 42-month effort that aims to solve the electrode materials challenge.