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Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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Latest News
NRC approves transfer of Vallecitos to North Star for D&D
By an order dated April 25, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved the transfer of ownership of Vallecitos Nuclear Center from GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy to NorthStar Group Services for nuclear decontamination, decommissioning, and environmental site restoration.
John H. Pitts
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 4 | Number 2 | September 1983 | Pages 967-972
Inertial Confinement Fusion | doi.org/10.13182/FST83-A22984
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Cascade concept uses the high-temperature (1200 K) potential of a solid Li2O pebble blanket in conjunction with centrifugal action to produce a safe and highly efficient (up to 55%) reaction chamber for commercial power production. One option using a 25-mm-thick steel wall is shown to have low primary stresses of 22 MPa, which when coupled with a secondary thermal stress of 132 MPa, satisfies the intent and methodology for an ASME-designed vessel. A high tritium breeding ratio of 1.35 results from direct exposure of the Li2O blanket to the fusion reactions. Vacuum pumping requirements of the chamber, using laser drivers at a pressure of 0.1 Torr, are a modest 4.7 m3/s for D-T and 3.1 m3/s for helium. Carbon-14 activation in the blanket is insignificant. We conclude that the Cascade concept offers an attractive option for a safe and efficient inertial fusion reaction chamber.