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All News About Dennis G. Whyte

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The race to fusion
Dennis Whyte, a leader in fusion research, shares how MIT’s fusion program has started the move from the lab to market, and explains how unlocking commercial fusion could be a gamechanger for our energy system.
Will neutrons compromise the operation of superconducting magnets in a fusion plant?
New experiments show that the immediate effect of atomic displacements, known as the “beam on effect,” should not be an issue during fusion power plant operations.
Developing materials for stellar performance in fusion power plants
When Zoe Fisher was in fourth grade her art teacher asked her to draw her vision of a dream job on paper. At the time, those goals changed like the flavor of the week in an ice cream shop—”zookeeper” featured prominently for...
MIT spinout Commonwealth Fusion Systems unveils plans for the world’s first fusion power plant
The company has announced that it will build the first grid-scale fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia. The concept for a fusion power plant evolvved out of a design class taught by NSE’s Prof Dennis Whyte in 2012. Whyte challenged the graduate students to design a fusion device that would use a new kind of superconducting magnet to confine the plasma used in the reaction.
Study: Fusion energy could play a major role in the global response to climate change
Experts in energy systems modeling and fusion technology explore the future role of fusion at various costs and carbon constraints.
Tests show high-temperature superconducting magnets are ready for fusion
Detailed study of magnets built by MIT and Commonwealth Fusion Systems confirms they meet requirements for an economic, compact fusion power plant.
Dennis Whyte Steps Down as Director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center
After building an organization notable for its growth and human-centered culture, Whyte will devote his full attention to teaching, engaging in cutting-edge fusion research, and pursuing entrepreneurial activities at NSE and the PSFC.
MIT expands research collaboration with Commonwealth Fusion Systems to build net energy fusion machine, SPARC
New five-year agreement will support SPARC science, increase graduate students and postdocs, and support interdisciplinary work toward fusion power plants.
NSE’s Dennis Whyte honored with 2022 University of Saskatchewan Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award
Dennis Whyte, the Hitachi America Professor of Engineeing and Director of the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT is one of seven honorees this year to recieve Alumni Achievement Award given by the University of Saskatchewan (USask). One of the university’s...
Two NSE projects win MITEI Seed Fund grants
Jacopo Buongiorno, Jeffrey Freidberg, Koroush Shirvan, and Dennis Whyte receve MIT Energy Initiative Seed Fund grants for their early-stage energy research projects. Awards support research to improve the efficiency, scalability, and adoption of clean energy technologies.