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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.
Stephen A. Birdsell, R. Scott Willms, Richard C. Wilhelm
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 30 | Number 3 | December 1996 | Pages 905-910
Fuel Cycle and Tritium Technology | doi.org/10.13182/FST96-A11963053
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A 2-stage cold (non-tritium) PMR system was tested with the ITER mix* in 61 days of continuous operation. No decrease in performance was observed over the duration of the test. Decontamination factor (DF) was found to increase with decreasing inlet rate. Decontamination factors in excess of 1.4×105 were obtained, but the exact value of the highest DF could not be determined because of analysis limitations.
Results of the 61-day test were used to design a 2-stage PMR system for use in tritium testing. The PMR system was scaled up by a factor of 6 and built into a glovebox in the Tritium Systems Test Assembly (TSTA) of the Los Alamos National Laboratory. This system is approximately 1/5th of the expected full ITER scale. The ITER mix was injected into the PMR system for 31 hours, during which 4.5 g of tritium were processed. The 1st stage had DF =200 and the 2nd stage had DF=2.9×106. The overall DF=5.8×108, which is greater than ITER requirements.
