Robert Cohen ’19
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Lithium Vapor Box Diverter
I performed research on nuclear-fusion technologies at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Specifically, I worked one-on-one with a fifth-year graduate student whose research focused on extracting the energy produced during fusion reactions. The main challenge we addressed is that approximately one-third of the escaping energy is tightly confined to strong electromagnetic field lines, which results in a very powerful, narrow energy beam that poses a serious threat to the structural integrity and lifetime of the reaction vessel. Each day on the job was different than the last. I spent a lot of time performing powertransfer calculations, joint-integrity tests, and logging thermocouple data. I even learned how to weld and constructed features of the preliminary test-stand experiment! The experiences I gained reinforced my desire to pursue a career in the field of sustainable energy.
2017
Alternative Energy
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Robert Goldston, Professor of Astrophysical Sciences