Rebecca Mays ’21, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Rebecca Mays ’21

Major

Chemical and Biological Engineering

Project Title

Novel RF Plasma Heating for Low-Radioactivity Fusion Devices

Certificate(s): Environmental Studies, Sustainable Energy

My project focused on updating the technology-to-market plan for Princeton Fusion Systems’ proposed Princeton Field Reversed Configuration (PFRC) fusion reactor in support of a grant they received from the U.S. Department of Energy. The PFRC has great potential as a cleaner, safer alternative to typical fission power. To determine the PFRC’s economic feasibility, I researched several different values that contribute to the predicted levelized cost of electricity, including operations, maintenance and fuel. I also analyzed the potential market for a PFRC as either a small-scale load-matching, or remote power, device. I learned about the economic analysis and regulations involved in bringing a new technology to market. I concluded my internship by using computational fluid dynamics software to begin an analysis of the heat-transfer properties within the PFRC, an analysis that has important applications to the reactor’s design and function. Overall, my summer work deepened my knowledge and experience in the economic and engineering principles that influence energy technologies and encouraged me to pursue a career in alternative energy.