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Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
Aigars Vitins, Vitalijs Zubkovs, Gunta Kizane, Elina Pajuste, Valentina Kinerte
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 60 | Number 3 | October 2011 | Pages 1143-1146
Blanket and Breeder Materials | Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Tritium Science and Technology | doi.org/10.13182/FST11-A12617
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In this paper, we present results on tritium release from the beryllium pebbles irradiated for 294 full power days from 17 April 2003 to November 2004 to the neutron fluence of 1.5-2 × 1025 m-2 (E>1 MeV) at temperature 523-773 K in the pebble-bed assemblies (PBA) experiment in the high flux reactor (HFR) at Petten, the Netherlands. Stages of gradual and burst release are evident in the tritium release of the PBA Be pebbles at a temperature ramp of 2.3-4.8 K/min from room temperature to 1310-1520 K. These two stages may be related to the tritium release by atomic diffusion and bubble venting respectively. The main maximum of the tritium release rate of the PBA Be pebbles was found to be in the temperature ranges of 1178-1309 K and 1178-1350 K at the temperature ramps of 2.4 and 4.8 K/min respectively. The tritium inventory and abundance ratios of chemical forms of tritium localized in the pebbles were determined with dissolution methods. The total tritium inventory in the PBA Be pebbles was found to be 2-4 GBq/g.