• Michael Brookman - Quaise Energy's Senior RF Engineer

  • 2025/04/17
  • 再生時間： 33 分
  • ポッドキャスト

Michael Brookman - Quaise Energy's Senior RF Engineer

無料で聴く

ポッドキャストの詳細を見る

  • サマリー

  • In this episode, I sit down with Michael Brookman, a seasoned physicist whose career has spanned from nuclear fusion research to pioneering advancements in geothermal energy. Currently serving as a Senior Radio-Frequency (RF) Engineer at Quaise Energy, Michael focuses on leveraging RF technology to revolutionize geothermal energy production.Episode Highlights:* Michael's Journey: From his early days studying physics at the University of Wisconsin to his pivotal roles in nuclear fusion projects across the U.S., including his tenure at General Atomics and Commonwealth Fusion Systems.​* Transition to Geothermal: The motivations and insights that led Michael to shift from fusion to geothermal energy, emphasizing the potential for immediate impact, reduced cost, and scalability.​* Innovative Drilling Techniques: An exploration of how Quaise Energy is adapting gyrotron technology—originally used in fusion reactors—to drill deep into the Earth's crust using millimeter waves, enabling access to superhot geothermal resources. ​* Overcoming Challenges: A discussion on the technical and regulatory hurdles in advancing geothermal technology and how Michael's team is addressing them.​Join us as we delve into the intersection of fusion and geothermal technologies and discover how innovations in one field can catalyze breakthroughs in another.Thanks for reading The Geothermal Energy Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive our new posts and podcast weekly!🧭 Michael’s Journey: From Shotgun Accident to Fusion Physicist* Survived a childhood hunting accident, discovered fusion through video games like MechWarrior and Civilization.* Studied physics at University of Wisconsin (working on the Madison Symmetric Torus), then UT Austin for PhD (with Ken Gentle’s group)* Specialized in RF systems and gyrotrons at General Atomics (working on their tokamak, DIII-D) and Commonwealth Fusion Systems.🔁 Why the Leap from Fusion to Geothermal?* Quase’s 2030 timeline is half that of fusion’s long timelines (2035+).* Geothermal works now, and Quaise aims for <$75/MWh vs. fusion’s projected $140–$500/MWh.* Inspired by How Big Things Get Done—modularity is key to scaling - many gyrotrons making many wells.💡 What is Quaise Doing?Goal: Unlock superhot geothermal by drilling with millimeter waves.The Tech:* Gyrotrons generate high-power millimeter waves that can drill through rock; basically they’re laser beams.* Current testing shows drilling to be at a rate of a meter per hour.* Power is transmitted through corrugated waveguides to vaporize rock—no conventional drill bits needed, avoiding typical wear and tear, bit trucking.* Uses compressed air to cool and clear debris from the hole.* See a video of the drilling in action here. Learn more about the research here.If you’ve read this far, you’ll like our future posts too : )🔬 Tech Challenges and Evolution* Managing arcing (essentially current hopping about the system in potentially damaging ways) in high-power systems (shutoff within 10 microseconds).* System resilience: Quaise’s protection systems and control software allow for long, stable runtimes—orders of magnitude longer than fusion pulses.* Powering the system: Needs ~3 MW input for 1 MW output (~40% efficiency). Can use diesel generators or grid, all containerized on trucks.* Manufacturing bottleneck: Gyrotrons are custom-built. Quaise works with Microwave Power Products to scale production.⚙️ Why Superhot Rock?* Electricity generated by heating water, putting it through a turbine, extracting power from the temperature & pressure drop - Higher input temperatures and lower output temperatures → higher thermodynamic efficiency* More energy per well = higher power density = more competitive with fossil and nuclear.🧱 Barriers to Scale* Permitting takes 12+ months—slower than oil & gas (<12 months).* Goal: modernize geothermal permitting to match its competitors.📈 What’s Next?* Near-term: Field deployment west of Austin, TX using 1 MW gyrotrons in truck-mounted systems.* Target: Delivering power in 5 years on the West Coast at scale; global expansion beyond that.* Long-term goals:* Scaling 1 MW gyrotrons (faster, deeper drilling) and drilling into hot basement rock (granite, basalt).* Lower cost per megawatt-hour to compete with all major energy sources✨ Magic Wand Wish:Fix permitting. It’s the single biggest blocker to faster geothermal deployment.📚 Learn More🔗 https://www.quaise.energyRemember to:And follow us on your favorite platforms in addition to sharing your thoughts, questions, and recommendations for future guests on:* Substack* Spotify* Apple Music* Amazon This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geothermalweekly.substack.com
    続きを読む 一部表示

あらすじ・解説

In this episode, I sit down with Michael Brookman, a seasoned physicist whose career has spanned from nuclear fusion research to pioneering advancements in geothermal energy. Currently serving as a Senior Radio-Frequency (RF) Engineer at Quaise Energy, Michael focuses on leveraging RF technology to revolutionize geothermal energy production.Episode Highlights:* Michael's Journey: From his early days studying physics at the University of Wisconsin to his pivotal roles in nuclear fusion projects across the U.S., including his tenure at General Atomics and Commonwealth Fusion Systems.​* Transition to Geothermal: The motivations and insights that led Michael to shift from fusion to geothermal energy, emphasizing the potential for immediate impact, reduced cost, and scalability.​* Innovative Drilling Techniques: An exploration of how Quaise Energy is adapting gyrotron technology—originally used in fusion reactors—to drill deep into the Earth's crust using millimeter waves, enabling access to superhot geothermal resources. ​* Overcoming Challenges: A discussion on the technical and regulatory hurdles in advancing geothermal technology and how Michael's team is addressing them.​Join us as we delve into the intersection of fusion and geothermal technologies and discover how innovations in one field can catalyze breakthroughs in another.Thanks for reading The Geothermal Energy Newsletter! Subscribe for free to receive our new posts and podcast weekly!🧭 Michael’s Journey: From Shotgun Accident to Fusion Physicist* Survived a childhood hunting accident, discovered fusion through video games like MechWarrior and Civilization.* Studied physics at University of Wisconsin (working on the Madison Symmetric Torus), then UT Austin for PhD (with Ken Gentle’s group)* Specialized in RF systems and gyrotrons at General Atomics (working on their tokamak, DIII-D) and Commonwealth Fusion Systems.🔁 Why the Leap from Fusion to Geothermal?* Quase’s 2030 timeline is half that of fusion’s long timelines (2035+).* Geothermal works now, and Quaise aims for <$75/MWh vs. fusion’s projected $140–$500/MWh.* Inspired by How Big Things Get Done—modularity is key to scaling - many gyrotrons making many wells.💡 What is Quaise Doing?Goal: Unlock superhot geothermal by drilling with millimeter waves.The Tech:* Gyrotrons generate high-power millimeter waves that can drill through rock; basically they’re laser beams.* Current testing shows drilling to be at a rate of a meter per hour.* Power is transmitted through corrugated waveguides to vaporize rock—no conventional drill bits needed, avoiding typical wear and tear, bit trucking.* Uses compressed air to cool and clear debris from the hole.* See a video of the drilling in action here. Learn more about the research here.If you’ve read this far, you’ll like our future posts too : )🔬 Tech Challenges and Evolution* Managing arcing (essentially current hopping about the system in potentially damaging ways) in high-power systems (shutoff within 10 microseconds).* System resilience: Quaise’s protection systems and control software allow for long, stable runtimes—orders of magnitude longer than fusion pulses.* Powering the system: Needs ~3 MW input for 1 MW output (~40% efficiency). Can use diesel generators or grid, all containerized on trucks.* Manufacturing bottleneck: Gyrotrons are custom-built. Quaise works with Microwave Power Products to scale production.⚙️ Why Superhot Rock?* Electricity generated by heating water, putting it through a turbine, extracting power from the temperature & pressure drop - Higher input temperatures and lower output temperatures → higher thermodynamic efficiency* More energy per well = higher power density = more competitive with fossil and nuclear.🧱 Barriers to Scale* Permitting takes 12+ months—slower than oil & gas (<12 months).* Goal: modernize geothermal permitting to match its competitors.📈 What’s Next?* Near-term: Field deployment west of Austin, TX using 1 MW gyrotrons in truck-mounted systems.* Target: Delivering power in 5 years on the West Coast at scale; global expansion beyond that.* Long-term goals:* Scaling 1 MW gyrotrons (faster, deeper drilling) and drilling into hot basement rock (granite, basalt).* Lower cost per megawatt-hour to compete with all major energy sources✨ Magic Wand Wish:Fix permitting. It’s the single biggest blocker to faster geothermal deployment.📚 Learn More🔗 https://www.quaise.energyRemember to:And follow us on your favorite platforms in addition to sharing your thoughts, questions, and recommendations for future guests on:* Substack* Spotify* Apple Music* Amazon This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit geothermalweekly.substack.com
続きを読む 一部表示

Michael Brookman - Quaise Energy's Senior RF Engineerに寄せられたリスナーの声

カスタマーレビュー：以下のタブを選択することで、他のサイトのレビューをご覧になれます。

Audible.co.jp

Amazon.co.jp
レビューはまだありません。