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Fusion Energy
This division promotes the development and timely introduction of fusion energy as a sustainable energy source with favorable economic, environmental, and safety attributes. The division cooperates with other organizations on common issues of multidisciplinary fusion science and technology, conducts professional meetings, and disseminates technical information in support of these goals. Members focus on the assessment and resolution of critical developmental issues for practical fusion energy applications.
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2024 ANS Annual Conference
June 16–19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV|Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
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The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Commercial nuclear innovation "new space" age
In early 2006, a start-up company launched a small rocket from a tiny island in the Pacific. It exploded, showering the island with debris. A year later, a second launch attempt sent a rocket to space but failed to make orbit, burning up in the atmosphere. Another year brought a third attempt—and a third failure. The following month, in September 2008, the company used the last of its funds to launch a fourth rocket. It reached orbit, making history as the first privately funded liquid-fueled rocket to do so.
T. R. Jarboe, C. J. Hansen, A. C. Hossack, G. J. Marklin, K. D. Morgan, B. A. Nelson, D. A. Sutherland, B. S. Victor
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 66 | Number 3 | November 2014 | Pages 369-384
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST14-782
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The conceptual design of an experiment for demonstrating and developing the efficient sustainment of a spheromak with sufficient confinement is presented. “Sufficient” means that the current drive power can heat the plasma to its stability β limit. Previous transient experiments showing sufficient confinement in the kilo-electron-volt temperature range with no external toroidal field coil, recent results on Helicity Injected Torus with Steady Inductive (HIT-SI) showing sustainment with sufficient confinement, the potential of imposed dynamo current drive (IDCD) of solving other fusion issues, and a very attractive reactor concept justify a proof-of-principle experiment for a high-β spheromak sustained by IDCD. A machine with 1-m minor radius with the required density control, wall loading, and neutral shielding for a 10-s pulse is described. Peak temperatures of 3 keV and toroidal currents of 3.2 MA and 16% wall-normalized plasma β are envisioned.