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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.
N.M. Ghoniem, D.H. Berwald
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 4 | Number 2 | September 1983 | Pages 439-444
Materials Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST83-A22903
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Lifetime estimates of blanket components are extremely useful during the design process of fusion reactor blankets. In this paper, we present a preliminary analysis for the performance of HT-9 in the blanket modules of a reference Tandem Mirror Hybrid Reactor (TMHR). We utilize the available data base for HT-9 as well as other ferritic alloys to develop approximate design equations for void swelling, the shift in the ductile-to-brittle-transition temperature (DBTT), and thermal creep rupture at high temperature. HT-9 is used in a relatively low temperature design (below 500°C) to give an allowable design stress on the order of 145 MPa for up to 10 operating years. A minimum structure temperature of 365°C is imposed on the design to ensure a good margin of safety against neutron embrittlement. As an added design feature, the moderate DBTT shifts are almost entirely eliminated by a 450°C anneal for 50–60 hours, once every year. The lifetime of the blanket is estimated to exceed 10 years, and is based on the maximum limit for total elastic plus inelastic strains.