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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.
Koichi Maki
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 8 | Number 3 | November 1985 | Pages 2655-2664
Technical Paper | Blanket Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST85-A24687
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A fusion reactor blanket having a large tritium breeding ratio (TBR) is proposed. The blanket has a front breeder zone on the plasma side near its multiplier. A suitable zone thickness is 1 cm when 6Li enrichment is 50%. Combined with a multiplier composed of only ∼18-cm-thick beryllium, the TBR is maximized at a value over 20% larger than that of a blanket without a front breeder zone. Since the beryllium multiplier is supposed to include 5% of SUS as structural material in addition to cooling channels, a 12-cm-thick multiplier gives the maximum TBR as >1.4 for the blanket with the front breeder zone.