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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.
Denis Chatain, Jean Paul Perin, Olivier Chanal, Denis Desenne
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 38 | Number 1 | July 2000 | Pages 143-148
Technical Paper | Thirteenth Target Fabrication Specialists’ Meeting | doi.org/10.13182/FST00-A36132
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The cryogenic targets of the Laser Megajoule facility (LMJ) are hollow spheres. Their internal walls are covered with a solid layer of frozen deuterium-tritium (D-T). One issue of inertial confinement fusion experiments is to guarantee the quality of the geometry of fuel layer. Cryogenic targets must be cooled at a temperature near the triple point (19K) with a very good stability (0.2mK) for many hours. This period is used to position the target with an accuracy of ±5μm at the center of the experimental vacuum vessel where the 240 laser beams are focalized. A complex cryogenic infrastructure has been conceived to insure the continuity of the cryogenic chain from the filling station located at CEA/Valduc in Burgundy to the LMJ experimental chamber installed in the vicinity of Bordeaux. The design of the target and a detailed description of the infrastructure are presented. A first prototype of cryogenic grip has been fabricated and characterized. Some experimental results are given.