American Fusion Inc. (OTCQB: AMFN) has kicked off the experimental program for its Texatron™ fusion engine at the Department of Physics and Astronomy laboratories of Texas Tech University. A team of seven engineers and scientists set up the research environment, verified instrumentation, and validated the remote plasma ignition system — a key technical milestone required to ensure safe and repeatable operations throughout the testing phases.
The Texatron™ is an aneutronic, pulsed magnetic compression fusion platform. It draws on energy stored in a capacitor bank to generate a brief, intense magnetic pulse designed to compress plasma inward. Shockwaves and compression heat the plasma as density rises. The intended fuel is a mixture of deuterium and helium-3 (D–³He): a pairing that, when fused, primarily produces energetic charged particles rather than neutrons, thereby reducing structural material degradation and long-lived radioactive waste compared to conventional D-T systems.
Ongoing tests are evaluating two distinct configurations. The smaller one features an 11-inch chamber with a 25.4 mm plasma column, designed for a 500-kilowatt unit, with an active plasma volume of 445 cubic centimeters. Models project approximately 1.3×10¹⁵ fusion reactions per pulse, equivalent to 3.9 kilojoules of gross thermal energy. The larger version scales the chamber up to 23 inches with a 50.8 mm plasma column, targeting a 5-megawatt system: its plasma volume is more than eight times that of the smaller prototype, with a calculated yield of 32.6 kilojoules per pulse and a peak power of 32.6 gigawatts during the single-microsecond window. These remain modeled figures, not measured output values.
American Fusion has also completed a detailed technical analysis of the pressure and temperature conditions required to approach D–³He ignition. The analysis, led by physicist Dr. John Brandenburg, examines ion densities on the order of 10¹⁷ per cubic centimeter and pre-ignition temperatures of several kiloelectronvolts. The company’s next stated objective is to characterize the so-called triple product — the interplay between density, temperature, and confinement time — which governs the conditions necessary for fusion ignition. American Fusion has already secured sufficient deuterium supplies to support its planned testing activities through the end of 2026.
The Texatron™ platform is conceived as a family of modular systems, with planned configurations ranging from roughly 1 MW up to 500 MW, targeting industrial, commercial, and grid applications in areas with limited access to traditional energy infrastructure. Should testing confirm the required plasma conditions and a net energy gain demonstration follow, Texatron™ could open a tangible pathway toward commercial aneutronic fusion — a segment still largely unexplored compared to the tokamak mainstream. The road ahead is long, but the first steps in the laboratory have been taken.
