Open Engineering Questions

Beyond physics, MetroVolt has engineering gates — plug magnets, cryogenics, DEC hardware, materials, and integration — at varying maturity.

The engineering to be built

Even with the physics proven, a firm-power machine must be engineered: magnets built and protected, cryogenics run continuously, direct-conversion collectors handling real loads, materials qualified, and everything integrated into a reliable plant. These are the engineering gates, several of them helped by the breeder.

Maturity varies by subsystem

Magnets, cryogenics, and materials benefit from the breeder and the wider field, so they are partial rather than open. DEC collectors and full plant integration are burner-specific and sit at design — specified and simulated, awaiting the test unit. None is demonstrated at MetroVolt scale.

• Head start: magnets, cryogenics, materials (from the breeder).
• Burner-specific: DEC collectors, plant integration.
• All meet hardware on the ~2032 test unit.

Engineering gates tend to be resolved by disciplined build-and-test, whereas physics gates can force redesign. Both are tracked in the risk register.