Scientists developing nuclear fusion have launched a new initiative to solve one of the most stubborn engineering puzzles standing between experimental reactors and commercial electricity.

The DIII-D National Fusion Facility in California is teaming up with Japanese engineering firm Kyoto Fusioneering. Together, they will build and test a specialised exhaust system designed to handle the ferocious heat produced inside a fusion reactor. The system will be installed directly into DIII-D’s tokamak, a testbed device funded by the US Department of Energy.

Nuclear fusion generates clean power by fusing light atoms together, the same process that fuels the sun. Most research takes place inside donut-shaped magnetic chambers known as tokamaks. However, containing matter heated to over 100 million degrees Celsius poses a serious risk to machine walls.

Standard reactors suffer from intense, sudden heat pulses that can erode interior surfaces over time. To overcome this, researchers are turning to a design known as “negative triangularity.”

“Negative triangularity, or plasma in a reverse ‘D’ shape, is a potentially transformative operational approach for tokamaks, donut-shaped fusion devices that contain plasma with magnetic fields,” explained Kyoto Fusioneering.

This alternative geometry offers an elegant physical advantage. It dampens unstable heat bursts and radiates excess thermal energy away smoothly before it can strike reactor walls. Yet despite its promise, nobody has tested the configuration with an industrial-grade exhaust system capable of handling its unique particle flows.

The new venture directly targets that blind spot. Kyoto Fusioneering will manufacture heat-resistant tiles to construct a purpose-built “divertor,” the component acting as the reactor’s chimney.

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