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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.
Mahmoud Z. Youssef
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 44 | Number 2 | September 2003 | Pages 327-332
Technical Paper | Fusion Energy - Chamber Technology | doi.org/10.13182/FST03-A355
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Due to its low vapor pressure, the Sn-Li eutectic has been identified as a potential breeder for deployment in the liquid first wall (FW)/Blanket concepts under investigation in the APEX study for high power density fusion reactors. However, its breeding capability is limited. This drawback is rather improved due to the neutron multiplication via Sn(n,2n) reactions. However, the "local" tritium breeding ratio (TBR) was found to be still on the marginal side (even with 90%Li-6 enrichment). Aside from using a beryllium multiplier, other means to improve the capability of Sn-Li for breeding are explored. In this paper, we show that by isotopic tailoring of Tin in the Sn-Li breeder, one can achieve substantial improvement in TBR in addition to attaining significant reduction in the activation level in this material.