In an extraordinary achievement, 17-year-old Cesare Mencarini has successfully built a small nuclear fusion reactor as part of his A-Levels, making him one of the youngest individuals to reach such a milestone. This groundbreaking project, which generated neutrons and achieved plasma, was completed as part of Mencarini’s Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and earned him an A* in his A-Level results.
Mencarini’s reactor is notable for being the only nuclear reactor ever built in a school environment. The ambitious project, which took 18 months to complete, faced initial skepticism and concerns from the faculty at Cardiff Sixth Form College due to its perceived dangers. However, after rigorous risk assessments, the college staff supported Mencarini in pursuing his innovative idea.
The nuclear reactor was showcased at the Cambridge Science Festival, where Mencarini detailed the challenges he faced, particularly the difficulty in replicating the immense pressures found within the Sun. To overcome this, he utilized high voltage to heat the atoms to the necessary temperatures for fusion, although the reactor could not match the Sun’s gravitational pressure.
Describing Mencarini as “outstanding,” Dr. Julian Davies, the principal of Cardiff Sixth Form College, praised the young scientist’s dedication and vision. “Cesare’s work is extremely exciting, and we are proud to support students like him in taking risks and developing projects that have real-world applications,” said Davies.
Mencarini, who hails from Italy and studied mathematics, chemistry, and physics, has set his sights on a future in engineering. He aims to work at the University of Bristol’s Interface and Analysis Centre before pursuing a degree. Mencarini demonstrated his reactor’s potential alongside renowned institutions like Imperial College and Bangor University. In a LinkedIn post, he expressed his excitement, stating, “Two days ago I achieved plasma, which was brilliant, and I’m massively happy about this.”
With his exceptional work ethic and innovative spirit, Mencarini is poised to make a significant impact on the energy industry in the future.