Randall Volberg

Randall Volberg

Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
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About

Randall is a serial deep tech entrepreneur, executive leader, and advanced manufacturing…

Articles by Randall

  • The Inevitable Industry
    Dec 13, 2016

    The Inevitable Industry

    How America can win the race to commercializing fusion energy, reap a fortune, and save the world. by Randall Volberg…

    2 Comments

Activity

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Experience

Education

  • Northeastern University Graphic

    Northeastern University

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    Applied studies in advanced manufacturing, inspection, materials, technology, processes, and supply chain.

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    Project Management

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    The program helps the next generation of Tough Tech leaders navigate the commercialization process through tailored programming concerning technology risk mitigation and experimentation planning, market discovery and selection, IP, team building, storytelling, and other topics.

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    Globally recognized credential offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). It is designed for project managers and demonstrates their competence and skills in managing projects effectively.

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Licenses & Certifications

Volunteer Experience

Publications

  • IEEE Las Vegas Tech Conference & Expo Presentation

    IEEE

    Presentation and Q&A to IEEE Members on the prospects of fusion energy, enabling technologies, and key performance metrics.

    See publication

  • FusionXInvest Webinar: Is Fusion Energy Ready for Institutional Investors?

    Fusion Energy Insights

    In a webinar on Thursday, April 20, before May’s FusionXInvest event in London, Andrew Holland, FIA CEO; Randall Volberg, Founder and VP Business Development at Type One Energy; Mark White, Investment Director at Future Planet Capital; and Dr. Melanie Windridge, CEO of Fusion Energy Insights; had a discussion on fusion energy’s readiness for mainstream institutional investors.

    See publication

  • Reviewer

    Fusion Engineering & Design

    Review scientific papers related to prototyping and manufacturing of fusion reactor components.

    See publication

  • The High Field Stellarator Path to Commercial Energy

    64th Annual Meeting of the American Physical Society - Division of Plasma Physics

    The stellarator offers the surest approach to reliable fusion energy production, offering many advantages as a power plant. The inherently steady-state, disruption-free operation leads to a lean reactor concept with fewer subsystems, low recirculating power, and longer component lifetimes. Type One Energy is leveraging recent breakthroughs in magnet technology, advanced manufacturing, and simulation and design approaches to radically accelerate development and demonstrate the commercial…

    The stellarator offers the surest approach to reliable fusion energy production, offering many advantages as a power plant. The inherently steady-state, disruption-free operation leads to a lean reactor concept with fewer subsystems, low recirculating power, and longer component lifetimes. Type One Energy is leveraging recent breakthroughs in magnet technology, advanced manufacturing, and simulation and design approaches to radically accelerate development and demonstrate the commercial viability of the stellarator approach to fusion. Our strategy takes advantage of multiple demonstrated successes in the optimization, construction, and operation of stellarators which have established the physics basis of this development path. The path to realizing a stellarator pilot plant, including near-term demonstration projects, will be presented.

    See publication

  • Design and modeling of a non-planar REBCO coil for stellarators based on the VIPER cable

    ASC 2022 - Applied Superconductivity Conference

    The long-understood benefits of operating fusion devices, such as tokamaks and stellarators, at high fields make superconducting magnets necessary to realize a compact fusion power system. Superconducting stellarators, such as W7-X, have used standard low-temperature superconductor technology (Nb Ti). ARPA-E has recently funded a 2-year project led by the startup Type One Energy and involving the Center for Plasma Theory and Computation and the HSX Plasma Laboratory at the University of…

    The long-understood benefits of operating fusion devices, such as tokamaks and stellarators, at high fields make superconducting magnets necessary to realize a compact fusion power system. Superconducting stellarators, such as W7-X, have used standard low-temperature superconductor technology (Nb Ti). ARPA-E has recently funded a 2-year project led by the startup Type One Energy and involving the Center for Plasma Theory and Computation and the HSX Plasma Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin @­ Madison and the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT, to design and manufacture the first non-planar HTS (REBCO) coil based on the SPARC tokamak's VIPER cable concept for a high-field stellarator. The design consists of a two-turn non-planar HTS coil supported by a pair of 3D printed stainless steel radial plates. The ultimate goals of the project are to determine if commercial REBCO tapes and additive manufacturing can be used to fabricate high field (>10 T) non-planar coils with tight bending radii (100 mm) and without degradation of the superconducting performance. In this work we focus on the numerical simulation studying the operating condition of a prototype coil with a critical current le of 5800 A (77 K, self­ field). The requirement of the peak magnetic field on conductor (B>0.5 T) as well as the critical current and maximum stress are well satisfied. By means of appropriate modifications to the original VIPER design, we built and tested (in liquid nitrogen bath, 77 K) short superconducting cable samples, showing that - even after being bent into non-planar shapes with bend radii 100 mm - no significant degradation of the critical current le was found. We also present preliminary simulations assessing the critical current, magnetic field and self-field Lorentz forces of the same coil operating at 20 K in liquid helium. Finally, challenging aspects related to the operation and reliability of the superconducting magnet will be discussed.

    Other authors
    See publication

  • High temperature superconductor (HTS) technology and 3D additive manufacturing (AM) for non-planar stellarator coils

    2021 IEEE Pulsed Power Conference & Symposium on Fusion Engineering (PPC/SOFE)

    Optimized superconducting stellarators, such as W7-X, have used standard low-temperature
    superconductor technology and conventional machining of support structures to fabricate
    their 3D non-planar coils. This technology limits the maximum B-field on-axis to ≤ 3 tesla, and
    construction is relatively expensive and time-consuming. ARPA-E has funded a project involving Type One Energy, Univ. of Wisconsin, MIT, and CFS to adapt the SPARC tokamak’s VIPER cable concept, which uses high…

    Optimized superconducting stellarators, such as W7-X, have used standard low-temperature
    superconductor technology and conventional machining of support structures to fabricate
    their 3D non-planar coils. This technology limits the maximum B-field on-axis to ≤ 3 tesla, and
    construction is relatively expensive and time-consuming. ARPA-E has funded a project involving Type One Energy, Univ. of Wisconsin, MIT, and CFS to adapt the SPARC tokamak’s VIPER cable concept, which uses high temperature superconducting (YBCO) tape, to wind a prototypical non-planar coil with tight-radius bends, suitable for high-field optimized stellarator magnets. The superconducting coil will be structurally supported by 3D non-planar stainless steel radial plates fabricated by additive manufacturing (AM). The ultimate goals of the project are to determine if HTS and AM can be used to fabricate non-planar coils that generate ≫ 3 tesla, while also reducing the manufacturing cost and schedule. The performance of stellarators, as measured by their nTτ triple product, scales very strongly with B-field (∝ B3 at least), and in principle HTS magnets should be capable of generating ≳ 10 tesla on axis.

    Incorporating a number of modifications to the original VIPER design has resulted in superconducting
    cable samples that have maintained their critical current, Ic, at 77 K, even after being bent into nonplanar
    shapes, with bend radii ≤ 100 mm. We will report on the fabrication of a two-turn non-planar HTS
    coil with tight-radius bends that will be supported by a pair of 3D printed stainless steel radial plates. A
    critical risk that is still to be retired is the accurate 3D bending of a multi-turn coil so that it mates
    properly with the radial plates, and produces the desired 3D B-field structure. Testing of the completed
    coil at 77 K will characterize the Ic, the 3D B-field structure, and the quench robustness, and will be
    compared to detailed electromagnetic, mechanical, and thermal modeling.

    Other authors
    • Robert Granetz
    • David Anderson
    • Lianyi Chen
    • Thomas Kruger
    • Paul Harris

  • High Temperature Superconductor and 3D Additive Manufacturing for Non-Planar Stellarator Coils

    Bulletin of the American Physical Society - 62nd Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics - Volume 65, Number 11

    Optimized superconducting stellarators, such as W7-X, have used low-temperature superconductor technology and conventional machining of support structure to fabricate the required 3D non-planar coils. This technology limits the maximum B-field on-axis to tesla, and construction is expensive and
    slow. ARPA-E has recently funded a 2-year project proposed by U. Wisconsin and MIT PSFC that will use high temperature superconducting (YBCO) tape and additive manufacturing (3D metal printing) to…

    Optimized superconducting stellarators, such as W7-X, have used low-temperature superconductor technology and conventional machining of support structure to fabricate the required 3D non-planar coils. This technology limits the maximum B-field on-axis to tesla, and construction is expensive and
    slow. ARPA-E has recently funded a 2-year project proposed by U. Wisconsin and MIT PSFC that will use high temperature superconducting (YBCO) tape and additive manufacturing (3D metal printing) to fabricate a prototypical 3D non-planar superconducting coil, with the eventual goals of producing higher magnetic field, while reducing the manufacturing cost and schedule. The non-planar coil will be based on HTS technology that has been developed for the SPARC tokamak, modified to accommodate the required non-planar geometry and tight-radius bends. The coil will consist of two multi-turn spiral pancakes, mechanically supported by 3D printed non-planar stainless steel radial plates, with inter-pancake electrical and coolant joints. The coil `diameter' will be 70 cm, and it will be operated at 77 K, with 40 kA-turns generating a peak field of 1 tesla on the conductor. Well-diagnosed testing will characterize the critical
    current, 3D B-field structure, and quench robustness.

    Other authors
    • Robert Granetz
    • David Anderson
    • Lianyi Chen
    • Thomas Kruger
    • Luis Izet Escano
    See publication

  • Knowledge, Capital, and a Growing Sense of Mission: Fusion Energy Development Enters a New Era

    MIT - The Engine

    Quoted in Article. Can today’s group of fusion startups demonstrate net-positive, commercially-viable fusion in time to make a difference? Or should their work just stay in the lab?

    See publication

  • F1 Reactor - An Evolution of the Magneto-Electrostatic Fusion (MEF) Concept to Achieve Net Power

    US Department of Energy ARPA-E Fusion Energy Program Annual Review - https://arpa-e.energy.gov/?q=site-page/alpha-2017-annual-review-meeting

  • Douglas College Chemistry Student Focuses on Clean Energy Alternatives - http://www.douglasishere.com/2015/09/chemistry-student-focuses-on-clean.html

    Douglas College

Patents

  • Bottle

    Issued US D575159

    A novel beverage bottle design.

    See patent

  • Self-Contained Hyperbaric Chamber

    Issued US 6016803

    This invention relates to a novel self-contained hyperbaric chamber. More particularly, this invention pertains to a hyperbaric chamber which contains all necessary gas processing equipment, conserves gas pressures and recovers oxygen from the waste gas.

    See patent

Projects

  • US Dept of Energy INFUSE Grant Project - Characterization and Qualification of JK2LB Alloy for Additive Manufacturing of Fusion Components

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    Role: Principal Investigator

    JK2LB is a nuclear alloy providing fast clearance for fusion components. The project provides initial
    characterization & qualification of JK2LB for additive manufacturing. The ORNL High Flux Isotope
    Reactor will irradiate AM-JK2LB specimens followed by tensile & microstructural analysis.

  • ARPA-E BETHE Grant Project - Non-Planar Capability HTS Magnet Coil with Additive-Manufactured Components

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    Role: Engineering Project Manager

    A stellarator is a fusion energy concept that uses magnetic fields to confine fusion fuel in the form of a plasma. International R&D is underway with a new class of stellarators setting performance records with the goal of generating stable and disruption-free power.

    Stellarators have been expensive and time consuming to build. Their large and complex electromagnets need to be shaped, supported, and positioned with precision. To overcome these…

    Role: Engineering Project Manager

    A stellarator is a fusion energy concept that uses magnetic fields to confine fusion fuel in the form of a plasma. International R&D is underway with a new class of stellarators setting performance records with the goal of generating stable and disruption-free power.

    Stellarators have been expensive and time consuming to build. Their large and complex electromagnets need to be shaped, supported, and positioned with precision. To overcome these challenges, two game-changing technologies hold great promise: advanced manufacturing (AM) to enable the complex shapes to be built accurately, rapidly, and economically; and high-temperature superconducting (HTS) magnets to reduce the size and weight of the reactor.

    This project will reduce the highest initial risks of building a non-planar HTS magnet by demonstrating whether HTS cable windings for an actual stellarator design maintain the needed tolerances and superconducting-current properties with three-dimensional bend radii as low as 10 cm. Success in this project will allow follow-on efforts to build a prototype non-planar HTS magnet coil to enable a stellarator development path to lower-cost fusion energy.

  • Douglas College Applied Research Grant - Construction and Research of Inertial Electrostatic Fusion Reactor

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  • Fiction by Fire Book Club

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    Organized and led a 15 member short story reading club that met in parks encircled by torches.

  • ESL Personal Development Program

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    Developed and taught a personal development program for international ESL students.

Organizations

  • American Energy Society

    Member

    - Present

  • Project Management Institute

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