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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.
Xuejiao Xiao, Chang Nyung Kim
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 66 | Number 3 | November 2014 | Pages 414-425
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST14-806
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In this study, three-dimensional liquid-metal magnetohydrodynamic flows in a rectangular hairpin duct with parallel inflow and outflow channels, placed under uniform magnetic fields, are analyzed based on a computational fluid dynamics method. Detailed information on flow velocity, pressure, current, and electric potential in magnetohydrodynamic duct flows is predicted. In the side layers of the inflow and outflow channels, higher velocities are observed, and M-shaped velocity profiles are presented. In the turning segment, the velocity distribution is very complex, yielding complicated induced current therein. The electromagnetic characteristics of the complicated liquid-metal flows are examined in terms of the electromotive and electric-field components of the current. The pressure almost linearly decreases along the main flow direction, except for in the turning segment. Cases with different Hartmann numbers are examined, and the larger the Hartmann number is, the larger the pressure drop is. However, the nondimensional pressure gradient is smaller in cases of larger Hartmann numbers.