Developing a two-machine fusion architecture: a D–T breeder (HYPERION) and a low-neutronic D–³He burner for firm, carbon-free power.
Kronos Fusion Energy
Arlington, Virginia (founding site) · Los Angeles, California · SwitzerlandNew on Amplifa
About Kronos Fusion Energy
Kronos Fusion Energy is a fusion energy company founded in 2022 in Arlington, Virginia, led by Founder & CEO Priyanca Ford. The company pursues a breeder-first strategy with two machines: HYPERION, a compact D–T spherical tokamak breeder that produces tritium, helium-3 and a 14-MeV neutron flux, as well as a low-neutronic D–³He tandem-mirror burner operating under the names Aegis (defense) and MetroVolt (data centers), intended to supply power. The architecture is based on spherical tokamak design, REBCO high-temperature superconductor magnets and direct energy conversion (TWDEC). The team comprises more than 40 scientists, engineers and executives with affiliations to MIT, Caltech, CERN, Stanford/SLAC, ORNL, UCLA and the U.S. Navy. In addition to power generation, Kronos plans to offer 14-MeV material qualification, chip SEE testing and nuclear data as testing services. The integrated machine complex has not yet been built; construction of the breeder is scheduled to begin in Q2 2027, with the first unit and first tritium expected around 2030. Locations: Arlington (founding site), Los Angeles and Switzerland.
- Site
- Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Processes
- 14-MeV neutron flux for material qualification (HYPERION, planned as a testing service), D–T spherical tokamak breeder (HYPERION) – construction only from Q2 2027, D–³He tandem-mirror burner (Aegis / MetroVolt) – not built, 14-MeV neutron flux as a testing service (material qualification, chip SEE testing, nuclear data), Fuel isotope production (helium-3, tritium) via the HYPERION breeder, Firm carbon-free power for data centers and defense sites (Aegis, MetroVolt), Open simulation environment and open data (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0)
- Materials
- RAFM steels, Tungsten (W-monoblock), CuCrZr (heat sink), Hafnium carbide (HfC first wall), REBCO high-temperature superconductor
- Founded
- 2022
- Employees
- 40+ (scientists
- Industries
- Fusion energy, Data centers, Defense, Semiconductor/chip testing, Nuclear data/materials research
- 01
Define breeder-first strategy
- 02
Design freezing & validated simulation (open code, open data)
- 03
Component development (REBCO magnet, divertor, first wall, DEC, cryoplant)
- 04
Build HYPERION breeder (construction start Q2 2027)
- 05
Generate tritium, helium-3 and 14-MeV neutron flux
- 06
Operate burners (Aegis/MetroVolt) with the generated fuel
- 07
Direct energy conversion and grid feed-in via HVDC-MMC
Materials & Processes
REBCO high-temperature superconductor
Used in the no-insulation TF magnet with 26.49 T peak field (17 T mirror throat).
Tungsten (W-monoblock)
Target tiles in the Super-X divertor for heat flux mitigation.
CuCrZr (heat sink)
Heat sink material in the divertor target assembly.
Hafnium carbide (HfC first wall)
Reflective first-wall tiles as a thermal and neutron barrier.
RAFM steels
Structural materials to be qualified for 14-MeV radiation damage.
Locations
Arlington, Virginia
USFounding site
Los Angeles, California
USSite/hub
Switzerland
CHSite/hub
Components & Technologies
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14-MeV neutron flux for material qualification (HYPERION, planned as a testing service)Testing | – | – | – | – | RAFM steels, Tungsten |
| D–T spherical tokamak breeder (HYPERION) – construction only from Q2 2027Engineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| D–³He tandem-mirror burner (Aegis / MetroVolt) – not builtEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
13 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REBCO no-insulation TF magnet (26.49 T peak, 17 T mirror throat) | – | – | – | – | – |
| TWDEC – travelling-wave direct energy converter (40–70 % channel efficiency) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Super-X divertor with W-monoblock targets | – | – | – | – | – |
| HVDC MMC converter station (±525 kV, ABB/Siemens hardware) | ABB/Siemens | – | – | – | – |
| 20 K closed-cycle cryoplant (36 kW at 20 K) | – | – | – | – | – |
| Neutral beam injection (negative-ion, 35 MW at 1 MeV) | – | – | – | – | – |
| ECRH system (gyrotron-based) | – | – | – | – | – |
| ICRH system (antenna array) | – | – | – | – | – |
| LHCD launcher | – | – | – | – | – |
| Central solenoid (18 Wb inductive flux) | – | – | – | – | – |
| PF coil set | – | – | – | – | – |
| SPI disruption mitigation (3-pellet, 6 ms trigger latency) | – | – | – | – | – |
| KRONOS-CTRL real-time plasma control (sub-ms) | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
History
- 2022
Kronos Fusion Energy founded in Arlington, Virginia by Priyanca Ford.
- 2026
Publications on the two-machine architecture (HYPERION breeder + D–³He burner); planned construction start of the breeder Q2 2027, first unit with first tritium ~2030.
- 2032
Target according to the technology roadmap: Q40 gain and MetroVolt commercialization.