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The mission of the Decommissioning and Environmental Sciences (DES) Division is to promote the development and use of those skills and technologies associated with the use of nuclear energy and the optimal management and stewardship of the environment, sustainable development, decommissioning, remediation, reutilization, and long-term surveillance and maintenance of nuclear-related installations, and sites. The target audience for this effort is the membership of the Division, the Society, and the public at large.
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Smarter waste strategies: Helping deliver on the promise of advanced nuclear
At COP28, held in Dubai in 2023, a clear consensus emerged: Nuclear energy must be a cornerstone of the global clean energy transition. With electricity demand projected to soar as we decarbonize not just power but also industry, transport, and heat, the case for new nuclear is compelling. More than 20 countries committed to tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050. In the United States alone, the Department of Energy forecasts that the country’s current nuclear capacity could more than triple, adding 200 GW of new nuclear to the existing 95 GW by mid-century.
Lane Carlson, Mark Tillack, Thomas Lorentz, Jon Spalding, Neil Alexander, Graham Flint, Dan Goodin, Ronald Petzoldt
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 52 | Number 3 | October 2007 | Pages 478-482
Technical Paper | The Technology of Fusion Energy - Inertial Fusion Technology: Targets and Chambers | doi.org/10.13182/FST07-A1534
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In the High Average Power Laser program, we have developed an integrated target tracking and engagement system designed to track an inertial fusion energy target traveling 50-100 m/s in three dimensions and to steer driver beams so as to engage it with ±20 m accuracy. The system consists of separate axial and transverse detection techniques to pre-steer individual beamlet mirrors, and a final fine-correction technique using a short-pulse laser "glint" from the target itself.Transverse tracking of the target uses the Poisson spot diffraction phenomenon, which lies exactly on axis to the centroid of the target. The spot is imaged on a digital video camera and its centroid is calculated in ~10 ms with 5 m precision. In our tabletop demonstration, we have been able to continuously track a target falling at 5 m/s and provide a fast steering mirror with steering commands. We are on the verge of intercepting the target on-the-fly and of verifying the accuracy of engagement.Future work entails combining transverse tracking, axial tracking, triggering and the final "glint" system. We also will implement a verification technique that confirms successful target engagement with a simulated driver beam. Results and integration progress are reported.
