OU to develop curriculum for next generation of fusion workers
Dec. 18—The University of Oklahoma is seeking to develop a workforce to operate the first generation of commercial fusion workers.
Fusion energy is the power that generates electricity by using heat from the convergence of two hydrogen nuclei, the same process which powers the sun.
Last year, the U.S. Department of Energy, in cooperation with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, announced a breakthrough in fusion energy research that could pave the way for clean energy.
In August, the laboratory announced the results could be replicated, and with better productivity.
Last week, OU announced it is among a multi-institutional team that will accelerate inertial fusion energy science and technology.
IFE Science and Technology Accelerated Research for Fusion Innovation and Reactor Engineering Hub, or IFE STARFIRE, is a newly created team consisting of members from seven universities, four U.S. national labs, one international lab, three commercial entities, one philanthropic organization and three private IFE companies, including OU.
OU will lead one of three fusion hubs in the U.S.
"Ensuring the success of our nation's fusion energy strategy depends on a multitude of factors beyond the technology itself," said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. "At the University of Oklahoma, we are eager to channel our expertise toward the development of a highly skilled workforce and an effective public policy approach, both of which are key to supporting this emerging technology."
Horst Hahn, distinguished materials visiting professor at OU, will lead the fusion team in Norman.
"This is our entry ticket to the fusion technology research and development," Hahn said. "OU was asked to be the thrust leader in the workforce development program, which is an important aspect, because if these reactors are built, then we will have a lot of demand for experts in the field: technicians, engineers, scientists and so on."
Hahn said he is working with different professors, including Bin Wang, to develop a curriculum in fusion.
Wang, a professor at OU's School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, and a member of the project team, said he looks forward to working with LLNL to develop a fusion-based curriculum.
"We are excited to work together with LLNL, developing curriculum materials and outreach activities related to fusion technology to train next-generation engineers ready for this emerging opportunity," Wang said. "Expertise in chemical engineering is also very valuable for the project's next step, which is to build a pilot plant, which is a strength of our chemical engineering students."
Hahn said OU is not yet in a position to build a reactor in Norman. He said administration is starting off by developing courses for students, which it can do without breaking ground on new buildings.
"STARFIRE hub will be research-based," he said. "Unless Oklahoma can attract the first fusion power plant or test its first pilot reactor, that would be one thing, but that is a very complex operation, and we could never build it at the university."
He said the creation of a STARFIRE hub at OU will allow the university to take one step closer to bringing fusion to the state.
"That's why I call it an entry ticket. As this further develops, we can bring in larger chunks of money to develop those kinds of technology," Hahn said. "When this takes off, maybe in a few years, we will see that this becomes a pass to developing a reactor."
In a news release, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm called the harnessing of fusion energy one of the greatest scientific and technological challenges in the 21st Century.
"We now have the confidence that it's not only possible, but probable, that fusion energy can be a reality. The scientists in these hubs will be the vanguard of game-changing and planet-saving breakthroughs," Granholm said.
Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at bking@normantranscript.com.
