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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.
J. Richard Smith, John J. King, J. Wiley Davidson, Morris E. Battat
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 23 | Number 1 | January 1993 | Pages 51-67
Technical Paper | Blanket Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST93-A30119
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An experiment to measure the multiplication of 14-MeV neutrons in bulk beryllium has been completed. The experiment consisted of determining the ratio of 56Mn activities induced in a large manganese bath by a central 14-MeV neutron source, with and without a beryllium sample surrounding the source. The superior isotropy and flat energy response of the manganese bath gives this detector an advantage over the inhomogeneous and anisotropic detector arrays used in previous experiments for measurements of this type. Values of the multiplication have been obtained for beryllium samples of four thicknesses. The measurements are affected by several systematic effects characteristic of the manganese bath. The values of these systematic corrections are established by a combination of calculation and experimental parameterization. Detailed calculations of the multiplication and all the systematic effects are made by using a highly detailed three-dimensional Monte Carlo geometry model with the MCNP Monte Carlo program. The Young-Stewart and the ENDF/BVI evaluations for beryllium are used in the analysis. Both data sets produce multiplication values that are in excellent agreement with the manganese bath measurements for both raw and corrected values of the multiplication. It is concluded that there is no real discrepancy between experimental and calculated values for the multiplication of neutrons in bulk beryllium.