The DZP 2023 conference brings together researchers working on the type of fusion device that we use—the dense plasma focus—and a related device, the z-pinch. Chief Scientist Lerner went to share our results and learn from others’ work. While most of the other presentations were from researchers at universities and US national laboratories, a few other private fusion companies participated. Zap Energy released for the first time information on their fusion yields, reporting 1 mJ fusion yield for 100 kJ input. By comparison, LPPFusion has published a ratio of fusion energy yield to input energy that is 400 times higher. LPPFusion still leads all other private fusion efforts in this critical measure.
We made useful contacts who provided us with tips on solving some of the problems we see ahead. One graduate student , Carolina Vazquez of the University of Michigan, sent us a Chinese patent on a method removing boron from a vacuum chamber surface—something we will need to do when we start testing with pB11.
Not all was work at the DZP. In keeping with tradition, some of the participants also played a 2-hour long soccer game. “The team I played on lost 7-8, “ says Lerner, “but considering that the winning team was mostly grad students, we thought we did pretty well!”
Kudos to Conference Chair Dr. Ryan McBride and colleagues for organizing a pleasant and successful conference.
At DZP 2023, researchers, including Lerner (upper right) chat together between sessions or (bottom) pose after playing soceer (Lerner is standing behind the ball, with conference chair Dr. Ryan Mc Bride kneeling to left of ball.)
