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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.
A. El-Azab, N. M. Ghoniem
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 26 | Number 4 | December 1994 | Pages 1250-1264
Technical Paper | Material Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST94-A30310
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Experimental data on irradiation-induced dimensional changes and creep in beta-silicon carbide (SiC) and SiC fibers are analyzed with the objective of studying the constitutive behavior of these materials under high-temperature irradiation. The data analysis includes the empirical representation of irradiation-induced dimensional changes in an SiC matrix and SiC fibers as functions of time and irradiation temperature. The analysis also includes the formulation of simple scaling laws to extrapolate the existing data to fusion conditions on the basis of the physical mechanisms of radiation effects on crystalline solids. Inelastic constitutive equations are then developed for SCS-6 SiC fibers, Nicalon fibers, and chemical vapor deposition SiC. The effects of applied stress, temperature, and irradiation fields on the deformation behavior of this class of materials are simultaneously represented. Numerical results are presented for the relevant creep functions under the conditions of the fusion reactor (ARIES IV) first wall. The developed equations can be used in estimating the macromechanical properties of SiC-SiC composite systems as well as in performing a time-dependent micromechanical analysis that is relevant to slow crack growth and fiber pullout under fusion conditions.