Fuse Energy’s TITAN Marx generator hits 330 GW peak power, paving the path to terawatt fusion

Fuse Energy has published peer-reviewed results showing 330 GW peak power from its six-stage TITAN impedance-matched Marx generator, with the 14-stage system set to deliver one terawatt. The California-based company tested the device at its San Leandro facility, achieving these power levels in 100-nanosecond pulses with timing jitter below two nanoseconds between stages.

The architecture addresses longstanding problems in pulsed power systems. Traditional Marx generators with pulse-forming lines operate at around 50 percent energy delivery efficiency. TITAN reaches 90 percent by eliminating intermediate hardware and matching impedance throughout. Each of the 14 stages contains 17 bricks in parallel, each brick with a pair of 80 nanofarad capacitors linked by a field-distortion triggered gas switch. Only the first three stages need active triggering. Remaining stages self-fire as the wave propagates, reducing trigger circuit complexity by orders of magnitude compared to linear transformer drivers.

Testing revealed practical advantages beyond specs. Switch lifetimes exceed 10,000 shots, and the gas delivery system uses standard dry air instead of SF6, removing toxicity and greenhouse gas concerns. Adjusting gas pressure between stages changes pulse characteristics predictably. Higher pressure in late stages shortened rise time to 83.6 nanoseconds; lower pressure extended it to 128.2. This pulse shaping matters for fusion experiments where plasma behavior depends on precise timing.

Development involves partnerships with Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory, who need pulsed power for nuclear effects testing, creating a revenue path as fusion matures. Aerospace and semiconductor manufacturers require radiation exposure testing for components that must survive high-energy particle environments. TITAN generates neutron and ion streams for these uses, making the device a commercial product as well as research infrastructure.

Fuse built the system weighing 22 tons with about 40,000 parts, 20,000 litres of dielectric oil, and 640 litres of recirculated deionized water. The full 14-stage assembly stores 190.4 kilojoules at max voltage. Measured results from the six-stage setup matched circuit simulations within one percent, suggesting design models accurately predict full-scale performance. The company expects the 14-stage system to reach one terawatt into a two-ohm matched load, positioning it as a driver for magnetized liner inertial fusion experiments requiring multi-megaampere currents to compress metallic liners around fusion fuel.