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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
In transition: Commercializing fusion power
Commercial fusion power is closer than ever. There are now around 30 U.S. fusion companies, several of which claim to be on track to connect to the grid as early as the 2030s.
Tokamak and laser inertial confinement approaches benefit from decades of research at facilities such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and ITER, with alternative concepts including stellarator, magnetic mirror, and Z-pinch confinement also making notable progress as private and government funding for fusion increases.
E. J. Pitcher, C. T. Kelsey IV, S. A. Maloy
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 62 | Number 1 | July-August 2012 | Pages 289-294
Fusion Technology Facilities | Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference on Fusion Reactor Materials, Part A: Fusion Technology | doi.org/10.13182/FST62-289
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Los Alamos National Laboratory has completed the conceptual design of the Materials Test Station (MTS), an accelerator-driven neutron source for irradiating nuclear fuel and materials in a fast neutron spectrum. In many respects, the irradiation conditions in the MTS are quite similar to those experienced by the first wall of a fusion reactor. Calculated He-to-dpa (displacements per atom) ratios range from 35 down to 5 appm He/dpa, allowing for critical testing of helium effects on mechanical properties under fusion-relevant conditions. We present here a brief history on the assessment of spallation sources for fusion materials testing and discuss irradiation conditions in the MTS as they pertain to testing materials for fusion reactor applications. In particular, we examine the production of spallation residues in the MTS for the fusion reactor candidate alloy EUROFER97 and compare the concentrations of these transmutation elements to those predicted for a fusion reactor first wall. We show that predicted yields of phosphorous and sulfur in steel alloys irradiated to high dose in fusion-relevant regions of the MTS are below typical as-fabricated concentrations.