The ENN Energy Research Institute is running the ENN Fusion Engine Challenge (FUGINE) during the time July 2018 to April 2019.
ENN Fusion Engine Challenge (FUGINE) is a global program that seeks to attract dedicated scholars and innovators who are devoted to advance fusion research and development. It is part of the ENN Carbon-free Energy Initiative (ENN-CFEI) launched by ENN Energy Research Institute, with an aim to leverage open innovation to solve the world's energy challenges and embrace a carbon-free future.
Both individuals and organizations are encouraged to participate and submit proposals. These will be reviewed by an international panel of scientists, engineers and academics according to technical merits. Substantive prizes as high as $150,000.00 USD will be awarded to the winners. All the prize winners will have opportunity to become ENN’s technology partners, to jointly work toward the realization of the winning proposals.
The results of this competition should be announced in April 2019.
"Climate change", second sentence in the introduction. Well, there goes their credibility. Fusion energy does not need a bogus climate crisis to justify it.
The daylight is uncomfortably bright for eyes so long in the dark.
This would appear to be another PRC front for gaining access to tech and research, IMHO.
The development of atomic power, though it could confer unimaginable blessings on mankind, is something that is dreaded by the owners of coal mines and oil wells. (Hazlitt)
What I want to do is to look up C. . . . I call him the Forgotten Man. (Sumner)
China already has the EAST tokamak and the ShenGuang-III laser facility, but I'm not aware of much research going on into alternative confinement concepts. This would put China at a disadvantage if one of the private fusion efforts succeeded before ITER or NIF, especially since private companies are more secretive than universities, so it appears they're looking to hedge their bets:
It looks to me like ENN doesn't even have a specific confinement concept. They're just fishing for one, and/or the expertise that comes along with it. Or, at least, that was the case about a year ago. I wonder if anyone took the bait.
Temperature, density, confinement time: pick any two.