Tim Rupert ’07 (MSE), professor of materials science and engineering at the Whiting School of Engineering and director of the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute (HEMI), has been awarded an ARPA-E grant through the Creating Hardened And Durable fusion first Wall Incorporating Centralized Knowledge (CHADWICK) program, which funds projects geared towards commercializing fusion energy.
The $3.09 million grant will support his team’s project, “Complexion Engineered Nanocrystalline Tungsten Alloy Plasma Facing Materials for Long-Pulse Tokamak Operation,” which focuses on strengthening nanocrystalline tungsten materials for nuclear environments.
“Tungsten has many advantages for plasma-facing components in fusion energy,” says Rupert. “Our new materials concept seeks to reduce radiation damage in this specific tungsten alloy and improve its toughness, making a super material that thrives in fusion environments. With this grant from ARPA-E, we believe that we can bring a unique idea from my lab into the forefront of fusion energy technology” he says.
His team includes Mitra Taheri, professor of materials science and engineering and director of the Materials Characterization and Processing (MCP) facility; Michael Falk, professor of materials science and engineering and vice dean of undergraduate education; and other scientists and engineers from universities and industry.