ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
August 24–27, 2026
Dallas, TX|Hilton Anatole
Latest Magazine Issues
Jun 2026
Jan 2026
2026
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
July 2026
Nuclear Technology
June 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
May 2026
Latest News
North American construction is back—smaller and faster—at OPG’s Darlington
“The nuclear renaissance is real here,” said Ontario Power Generation’s Subo Sinnathamby on May 8, one year to the day after OPG secured a final investment decision to build the first of four planned BWRX-300 reactors at its Darlington nuclear power plant, and shortly after the new reactor’s foundation was lifted into place. “We got our license to construct in April and our [final investment decision] in May, and we’ve been off to the races since.”
Yoshi Hirooka
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 52 | Number 4 | November 2007 | Pages 1040-1044
Technical Paper | Plasma Engineering and Diagnostics | doi.org/10.13182/FST07-A1632
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
For the successful steady state operation of deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion reactors, helium (He) ash needs to be removed continuously from the burning core, along with unburned hydrogenic fuel particles, to sustain the power generation. This will require enormous particle pumping capabilities despite the fact that helium is the most difficult gas to be pumped by means of cryogenic condensation. In the present work, zero-dimensional, four-reservoir (core-plasma, SOL-plasma, gas-phase, and wall material) global particle balance modeling has been conducted for both DT-fuel and He-ash particles. Modeling results indicate that, for the density control of He-ash particles in the burning core, passive wall pumping via codeposition with eroded plasma-facing materials would definitely be necessary to compensate for the lack of pumping speed provided by conventional vacuum equipment. Recent experimental data on helium codeposition with lithium have been used as input for modeling and results indicate that lithium-gettered moving-surface plasma-facing components can meet the He-ash pumping requirements.