Pacific Fusion and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California have demonstrated the long-term operation of a next-generation pulsed-power technology, with a prototype system surpassing 3,000 electrical pulses, or “shots,” under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA).
The achievement advances the laboratory’s prototype, named Sirius, beyond proof-of-concept and toward Technology Readiness Level 5 by providing data on lifetime and reliability needed to evaluate larger pulsed-power systems, according to local publication The Independent.
Sirius is a four-stage impedance-matched Marx generator, or IMG, developed at LLNL as a potential successor to conventional pulsed-power architectures, according to the Independent. Unlike traditional Marx generators, the system generates a fast electrical pulse in a single stage, reducing complexity while delivering 60 gigawatts in a 100-nanosecond pulse with 95% energy efficiency. These “shots” are individual firings of the pulsed-power system used to evaluate the durability of its components after multiple tries.
The reliability campaign was conducted through a CRADA with Pacific Fusion, which is developing an inertial fusion energy system based on the same IMG technology, the article said. Researchers said completing 3,000 shots demonstrates the durability required for future accelerator concepts that could operate for decades and support applications including fusion energy, high-energy-density physics and stockpile modernization.
Pacific Fusion said the testing also validated models used to scale its own pulsed-power technology. The company recently demonstrated a larger prototype delivering about 440 gigawatts and plans to complete a full-scale module later this year as it works toward a net facility gain fusion demonstration system.
Pacific Fusion said in September 2025 it is building a demonstration facility worth $1 billion in Albuquerque, N.M., with groundbreaking planned for Aug. 25.