A Timeline of Significant Fusion Events and Experiments at ORNL, 1950s to Today 1951 The Founding of Project Sherwood Interest in controlled thermonuclear fusion began before the start of World War II, with researchers in the United States, United Kingdom and Soviet Union performing early experiments with plasma on a device known as a “pinch”
Super Star! Vol. #1 was produced for Fusion Energy Week 2025 as educational material for the Children’s Festival of Reading, an event by the Knox County Public Library. In this issue, Sol the Sun takes young readers into the cosmos to talk about the Sun and stars, how they work, and how they effect life
ORNL’s Fusion Energy Division produces multimedia content designed to educate the general public about concepts in fusion energy and the lab’s work to make fusion energy a reality. Below is a collection of videos that cover the science behind the Material Plasma Exposure eXperiment (MPEX) and a series produced for Fusion Energy 2024 that examine
Fusion Energy Program Points of Contact Subject Matter Leads Fusion Program Office
RENEW IGNITE Fusion Energy Educating and training the fusion workforce of the future The Initiatives to Grow New Innovate Talent to Enable Fusion Energy program, or IGNITE Fusion Energy, is a multi-institutional initiative that brings together fusion professionals from ORNL, universities, and private fusion industry to educate and train the fusion workforce of the future
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ORNL’s High Flux Isotope Reactor offers flexible testing, advanced instrumentation and on-site facilities to accelerate nuclear fuel development. Its capabilities provide critical data needed to qualify new fuels and support advanced reactor deployment.
ORNL and Idaho National Laboratory are collaborating to advance wire arc 3D printing of large pressure vessels and strengthen the domestic nuclear manufacturing supply chain. The labs will combine advanced manufacturing, AI and data science to accelerate the production and qualification of critical nuclear components.
ORNL and KVA Stainless completed a DOE-funded study validating the performance of welded Grade 91 steel for use in high-temperature energy systems. The results will help KVA refine its advanced welding technology and support the development of durable materials for future fission and fusion reactors.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory is advancing nuclear battery technology to provide reliable, long-lasting power for remote and extreme environments, from deep space to national security applications. ORNL researchers are exploring new radioisotope fuels, more efficient energy conversion, improved thermal management and advanced manufacturing to make nuclear batteries safer, more efficient and easier to deploy.
The Department of Energy has committed funding to establish UNITY-3, a fusion breeding blanket test facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in partnership with Kyoto Fusioneering. The facility will test breeding blanket technologies under fusion-like conditions and support research on tritium fuel production, high-energy neutron science and AI-accelerated digital twins.
ORNL has licensed a suite of cryogenic pellet fueling technologies to Type One Energy, advancing a critical capability for high-performance fusion plasma operations. The agreement, signed at the Nuclear Opportunities Workshop (NOW) in Knoxville, Tennessee, outlines the use of four ORNL inventions supporting the design and operation of cryogenic pellet fueling systems.