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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.
Ying T. Lee, Myron A. Hoffman, M. Hafez
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 30 | Number 3 | December 1996 | Pages 669-673
Divertor Design and Experiments | doi.org/10.13182/FST96-A11963013
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A subcooled nucleate boiling computer code (with 3D heat conduction in solid and 1D forced convection in fluid) that incorporates a good estimation of the single-phase and two-phase pressure drop was developed to evaluate a monoblock design of the divertor with smooth tubes as well as a wide variety of cooling designs. Using one of the monoblock divertor designs proposed by the European International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) team as of March 1995, it was found that under a normal steady state operating condition with a peak heat flux of about 5 MW/m2, the water flow remained in the single phase liquid regime. Under an abnormal operating condition with a peak heat flux of about 20 MW/m2, the partially developed boiling (PDB) regime occurred where the local critical heat flux safety factor, (SFCHF=CHF(z)/q“(0=0°)), was estimated to be about 1.4 using the Tong-75 CHF correlation. This indicates that further increases in the magnitude of the heat flux beyond 20 MW/m2 may raise safety concerns for the design. By increasing the mass flux, decreasing the inlet water temperature, or increasing the inlet water pressure, the CHF safety margin of the design can be increased without inserting twisted tapes inside cooling tubes.