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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.
R. A. Anderl, R. J. Pawelko, G. R. Smolik, F. Scaffidi-Argentina, D. Davydov
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 38 | Number 3 | November 2000 | Pages 283-289
Technical Paper | Special Issue on Beryllium Technology for Fusion | doi.org/10.13182/FST00-A36141
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
This paper reports the results of chemical reactivity experiments for Be pebbles (2-mm and 0.2-mm diameter) and Be powder (14–31 μm diameter) exposed to steam at elevated temperatures, 350 to 900°C for pebbles and 400 to 500°C for powders. We measured BET specific surface areas of 0.12 m2/g for 2-mm pebbles, 0.24 m2/g for 0.2-mm pebbles and 0.66 to 1.21 m2/g for Be powder samples. These experiments showed a complex reactivity behavior for the material, dependent primarily on the test temperature. Average H2 generation rates for powder samples, based on measured BET surface areas, were in good agreement with previous measurements for fully-dense CPM-Be. Rates for the Be pebbles, based on measured BET surface areas, were systematically lower than the CPM-Be rates, possibly because of different surface and bulk features for the pebbles, especially surface-layer impurities, that contribute to the measured BET surface area and influence the oxidation process at the material surface.