Direct Energy Conversion for Fusion: Fuel, Confinement, and the Cost Question
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Preserved copy of Direct Energy Conversion for Fusion: Fuel, Confinement, and the Cost Question, originally published on 2026-05-12 at https://1cf.energy/direct-energy-conversion/. Every fusion plant turns plasma energy into electricity. The default is thermal: heat a working fluid, spin a turbine. Direct energy conversion (DEC) skips the heat engine entirely, capturing charged fusion products as current. We model two DEC architectures to see whether they can deliver cheaper electricity than thermal capture. This package includes the original Markdown, a standalone HTML rendering, locally referenced media, author credits, rights notice and SHA-256 checksums. Original publication text and original figures are CC BY 4.0, to the extent the project holds the relevant rights. Third-party material retains its own rights and is excluded from that grant.
Author: Rubin, Tal
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7214735008