2024-08-21 20:35:35
Sustainable mobility has made a monumental leap, and we’re not talking about the first service station for this fuel in Spain. Did you know what they have discovered? It is the proton engine that Einstein predicted decades ago and has now been concretized for the first time. The most surprising part? This engine defies the laws of physics and the universe, and promises to revolutionize the decarbonization of transport.
Einstein predicted a nuclear fusion engine: it has just been created
Nuclear fusion has long been a sought-after but elusive goal for science. It involves merging atomic nuclei to release energy, the same process that occurs in the Sun and other stars. In fact, it is a process similar to what we saw two weeks ago with the plasma engine.
Unlike nuclear fission used in current nuclear power plants — with which we are very critical as it is neither an ecological nor a renewable option — fusion offers the promise of a practically inexhaustible and clean energy source.
As early as 1929, Albert Einstein theorized about the possibility of creating a “proton engine” based on nuclear fusion, which could propel spacecraft at speeds close to the speed of light. The idea was to use the high temperatures of fusion to expel a jet of protons and generate thrust.
Technology has advanced since then: a tireless evolution
Previous attempts to create a nuclear fusion engine failed due to technological limitations. However, in recent decades, there have been significant advances in various areas that now make it possible to attempt to build this revolutionary engine.
One of the main advancements has been in new materials capable of withstanding the incredibly high temperatures inside a nuclear fusion reactor. Special alloys and advanced ceramics have been developed that can contain the superheated plasma necessary for fusion.
Another key factor is progress in understanding plasma and nuclear fusion physics. Scientists now have much more precise computational models to simulate and control fusion reactions. This gives them greater capacity to stabilize and sustain the necessary reactions.
In addition, new techniques for magnetic confinement and electric fields have been achieved to contain the hot plasma. This prevents the plasma from touching the walls of the reactor, which would cool and stop the reaction. New superconducting magnets are key in this.
The first proton engine, ready to decarbonize transport (also on Earth)
RocketStar is a startup founded in 2021 that is developing a nuclear fusion propulsion engine. Its goal is to create a revolutionary rocket engine that uses the fusion of hydrogen nuclei to generate an extremely high specific impulse.
RocketStar’s design is based on the fusion of protons (hydrogen nuclei) using a funnel-shaped magnetic field. Protons are injected at the wide end of the funnel and then compressed as they approach the narrow end, reaching extremely high temperatures and densities.
Fusion releases large amounts of energy, which is converted into a jet of plasma directed outward at high speed. This provides thrust to the rocket without the need for chemical propellants. The advantage is that fusion fuel (hydrogen) is practically inexhaustible, and in the long term, it could be used in vehicles.
As you can see, this proton engine demonstrates that when we talk about making transport sustainable, physics and mobility can ally. They also did so with this trick to double the range of electric cars, something that is now causing a stir in factories for one simple reason: it’s too good to be true, but thousands of drivers are already finding out how well it works.