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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.
Jon Streit, Diana Schroen
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 43 | Number 3 | May 2003 | Pages 321-326
Technical Paper | Targets and Target Protection During Injection | doi.org/10.13182/FST43-321
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An overview of the present status of development of a hollow foam shell designed to produce high yields when used in a krypton fluoride inertial fusion energy (IFE) reactor is presented. Prototype shells have been produced from a 100 mg/cm3 density CH foam with an ~4-mm diameter and 300 m wall thickness. A triple-orifice droplet generator was used to form the shells using solutions of an internal water phase, an oil phase (divinylbenzene monomer, dibutyl phthalate solvent, and a radical initiator), and an external water phase. The lowest percent of nonconcentricity measured for a completed shell was 3%, and the lowest average percent of nonconcentricity for a batch of shells was 7%. A technique to overcoat the shells with a 1- to 5-m-thick full-density polymer layer using an interfacial polycondensation reaction is being developed. Methods to further optimize dimensions to produce shells that meet IFE specifications are also discussed.