An Engineering Approach to Fusion Energy

In this talk, Cassidy Zehner will introduce current methods utilized by various fusion startups and will go into detail on her involvement in interdisciplinary projects at Zap Energy that supported the mission of circulating liquid metal, using the Deuterium-Tritium fuel cycle, and other key engineering aspects. Cassidy will outline the specific opportunities that are available to engineers in fusion development, and why their contribution could be the key to unlocking economically viable commercial fusion.

Cassidy is a Mechanical Engineer with five years of industry experience in a range of industries including automotive, pharmaceuticals, and nuclear energy. She is currently a graduate student at the University of Washington continuing her studies in mechanical engineering, with a focus on radioisotope power system design and analysis and is working through PNNL to do her research. She spent two years at a Nuclear Fusion startup, Zap Energy, where she worked on a broad range of mechanical, electrical, and high-vacuum components. Most notably, Cassidy was on a two-person team that pioneered novel fuel injection methods for a future pilot plant. Zap Energy is utilizing a unique approach towards sustained plasma confinement, Sheared-Flow Stabilized (SFS) Z-Pinch, that does not require expensive magnets.

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