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7h ago

UBC’s Thunderbird Bench-Top Reactor Lifts Fusion Rates 15% With Electrochemical Loading

The peer‑reviewed Nature study presents a replicable platform focused on fundamental science rather than near‑term energy production.

The Thunderbird Reactor is a custom-made, bench-top-sized particle accelerator and electrochemical reactor.
The Thunderbird Reactor at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Credit: UBC/Berlinguette Group
Curtis Berlinguette, principal investigator of Berlinguette Research, stands inside one of his program’s labs on the UBC campus in Vancouver on Tuesday. Behind him is a reactor part of Project Thunderbird.

Overview

  • UBC researchers report measurable deuterium–deuterium fusion in a compact particle‑accelerator setup that loads deuterium into a palladium target.
  • Switching on an electrochemical cell to increase deuterium in the metal raised fusion rates by about 15% compared with plasma loading alone.
  • Neutron emissions from the target provided a direct nuclear signature of fusion, replacing earlier reliance on heat measurements.
  • The device is far from energy positive, producing roughly one‑billionth of a watt while requiring about 15 watts to operate.
  • An accompanying Stanford commentary calls it the first verified case of electrochemically enhanced fusion, as other experts argue the effect aligns with conventional beam‑driven physics and urge caution on novelty claims.