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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.
Anisia Bornea, Marius Zamfirache, Liviu Stefan, Ioan Stefanescu, Anisoara Preda
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 67 | Number 2 | March 2015 | Pages 266-269
Proceedings of TRITIUM 2013 | doi.org/10.13182/FST14-T7
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Cryogenic distillation is the back-end process used in water detritiation technologies with the aim to separate the hydrogen isotopes and concentrate it for further extraction and storage. At ICIT, research towards cryogenic distillation has been approached to develop the technology for heavy water detritiation at CANDU reactors. These results can be also useful for fusion reactors. ICIT has developed a technology for producing heavy water which was completed through a technological transfer to a heavy water plant. With this technology, ICIT has developed a research program to achieve high efficiency ordered packing for the water distillation process. These packings have been promoted at Cernavoda NPP and now equip the heavy water upgrading installations for the CANDU reactors. The packages for water distillation processes were made of phosphorous bronze, being required a very high wettability. Considering on water distillation process similarity, respectively hydrogen distillation, ICIT has started a research program for the development of similar package made by stainless steel, to be used at cryogenic distillation. This paper presents two types of ICIT packages developed for hydrogen distillation and performance data obtained on laboratory scale. In order to determine the characteristics of the package, the installation was operated in the total reflux mode, for different flow rate for the liquid. There were made several experiments considering different operating conditions.