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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Bipartisan Fusion Energy Act pushes for regulatory clarity
Sen. Alex Padilla (D., Calif.) introduced the Fusion Energy Act (S. 4151) last month with a bipartisan group of cosponsors—John Cornyn (R., Texas), Cory Booker (D., N.J.), Todd Young (R., Ind.), and Patty Murray (D., Wash.). The legislation would codify the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s regulatory authority over commercial fusion energy systems to streamline the creation of clear federal regulations that will support the development of commercial fusion power plants—and would require a report within one year on a study of risk- and performance-based, design-specific licensing frameworks for “mass-manufactured fusion machines.
“Congress must do everything in its power to ensure continued U.S. leadership in developing commercial fusion energy facilities,” said Padilla as he introduced the bill. “The Fusion Energy Act would provide regulatory certainty for investors as the NRC develops and streamlines frameworks for such facilities.”
B. Misra, D. L. Smith, R. C. Burk, G. D. Morgan
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 4 | Number 2 | September 1983 | Pages 1061-1066
Blanket and First Wall Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST83-A22998
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Liquid lithium-lead eutectic alloy (17 at−% Li-83 at−% Pb, referred to herein as Li-Pb) is currently being considered as a candidate breeding material for fusion reactors. Some important considerations in the design of a Li-Pb blanket are compatibility with the structure, tritium containment and recovery, and safety. Additional design complexities arise because of the high density of Li-Pb, the relatively high melting temperature (235°C), and the high tritium overpressure associated with this alloy. In this study, the Li-Pb eutectic was considered both as the breeder and as the coolant. Thermal hydraulic and stress analyses were conducted to assess the technical feasibility of using Li-Pb as the breeder and coolant based on DEMO reactor conditions. The results of the thermo-mechanical analyses showed that the elongated cylindrical blanket modules made from either HT-9 or vanadium alloy offer a viable first wall/blanket design concept.