Could nuclear fusion energy power the future? – with Melanie Windridge

Could fusion energy transform the way the world produces energy for the world? Find out with demos of plasma, superconductors, diode pumps and more.

00:51:49

Could fusion energy transform the way the world produces energy for the world? Find out with demos of plasma, superconductors, diode pumps and more.

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00:00 Intro
01:06 Why do we need fusion energy?
05:54 Why is energy density important? (demo)
10:26 What’s the science behind nuclear fusion?
13:58 What is plasma? (demo)
20:20 What’s the history of fusion energy?
24:39 The growth of private fusion industry
31:02 High Temperature Superconducting (HTS) Magnets
41:30 Laser fusion and diode pumps
47:15 Fusion is entering the engineering phase
50:30 What's next for fusion?

Dr Melanie Windridge is a specialist in fusion energy who helps people see the value, opportunities and excitement of fusion. Melanie is the founder and CEO of Fusion Energy Insights, which keeps people up to date with developments in the growing fusion industry. She has a PhD in plasma physics (fusion energy) from Imperial College London, where she remains an Academic Visitor, and she sits on the Advisory Boards of the UK Fusion Cluster and US non-profit Energy for the Common Good. Melanie was previously UK Director of the Fusion Industry Association. In 2022 she was elected a Fellow of the Clean Growth Leadership Network. Melanie is the author of Aurora: In Search of the Northern Lights and Star Chambers: the race for fusion power, as well as writing for Forbes online.

For more information please visit www.melaniewindridge.co.uk and www.fusionenergyinsights.com

This talk was recorded at the RI on 3 May 2023.

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