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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.
G J Butterworth
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 21 | Number 3 | May 1992 | Pages 1994-2000
Safety, Recycling, and Waste Management | doi.org/10.13182/FST92-A30014
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
For a large-scale fusion energy system the ability to recycle materials removed from reactor service could confer several benefits. Firstly, it could extend the resources of strategic chemical elements, thus enhancing the potential of fusion as a sustainable long term energy source and, secondly, it could reduce the quantities of radioactive waste requiring permanent disposal. A number of preliminary studies have been performed to assess the recycling potential of some candidate reactor materials and particular examples of tritium breeders, low activation steels, vanadium alloys, tungsten and copper are briefly described. In most cases, technically-feasible processing routes can be identified for the recovery and reuse of material in the fusion cycle without the generation of large-volume waste streams.