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Comparison
Compact vs Conventional Fusion
Compact high-field machines reach reactor conditions in a fraction of the size of conventional low-field designs — cheaper, faster, and manufacturable as a product.
- Compact
- High field (HTS), small, manufacturable
- Conventional
- Lower field, very large, bespoke
- Driver
- Power density ∝ field⁴
- Kronos
- Compact — 5.75 m at 24.6 T
The defining split in fusion today is between big, low-field machines and compact, high-field ones. Because power density scales with the fourth power of magnetic field, the high fields HTS magnets enable let a much smaller machine reach the same conditions as a giant conventional one.
| Dimension | Compact (Kronos) / Conventional |
|---|---|
| Magnetic field | High (24.6 T, HTS) / lower (LTS) |
| Size | Small (R₀ = 5.75 m) / very large |
| Build model | Manufacturable product / bespoke megaproject |
| Cost & speed | Lower, faster to iterate / higher, slower |
Compactness isn't just cheaper — it's what makes fusion scalable as a repeatable product rather than a series of one-off giants. It's the thesis behind the whole modern private-fusion wave, Kronos included.