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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.
S. Sharafat, A. Mills, D. Youchison, R. Nygren, B. Williams, N. Ghoniem
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 52 | Number 3 | October 2007 | Pages 559-565
Technical Paper | The Technology of Fusion Energy - High Heat Flux Components | doi.org/10.13182/FST07-15
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A new class of helium-cooled high heat-flux plasma facing heat exchanger (HX) concept is presented. These unique "Foam-In-Tube" HX concepts are composed of a thin tungsten shell integrally bonded to an open-cell tungsten foam core. High heat flux tests show maximum heat loads of 22.4 MW/m2 using 4 MPa helium at a flow rate of 27 g/s. Based on these impressive performance results, a unique and scalable heat exchanger channel with ultra-low pressure drop through the porous foam is presented. The primary advantage of the new concept is that pressure drop through the porous media and structure temperatures are nearly independent of HX tube length. The concept is modular in design and can be combined to meet divertor size requirements. From a manufacturing and reliability point of view, the advantage of the proposed concept is that it minimizes the need for joining to other functional materials.