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WIPP: Lessons in transportation safety
As part of a future consent-based approach by the federal government to site new deep geologic repositories for nuclear waste, local communities and states that are considering hosting such facilities are sure to have many questions. Currently, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico is the only example of such a repository in operation, and it offers the opportunity for state and local officials to visit and judge for themselves the risks and benefits of hosting a similar facility. But its history can also provide lessons for these officials, particularly the political process leading up to the opening of WIPP, the safety of WIPP operations and transportation of waste from generator facilities to the site, and the economic impacts the project has had on the local area of Carlsbad, as well as the rest of the state of New Mexico.
M. J. Gouge
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 34 | Number 3 | November 1998 | Pages 435-440
Plasma Fueling, Heating, and Current Drive | doi.org/10.13182/FST98-A11963652
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Fueling system functions for the International Thermonuclear Engineering Reactor (ITER) and similar scale devices are to provide hydrogenic fuel to maintain the plasma density profile for a specified fusion power, to replace the deuterium-tritium (D-T) ions consumed in the fusion reaction, to establish a density gradient for plasma particle (especially helium ash) flow to the edge, and also to supply hydrogenic edge fueling for increased scrape-off layer flow for optimum divertor operation. An additional function is to inject impurity gases at lower flow rates for divertor plasma radiative cooling, for wall conditioning, and for plasma discharge termination on demand. The burn fraction of ITER is about 1%, which is more than an order of magnitude lower than values typically assumed in fusion reactor studies. This low burn fraction results in large vacuum pumping and fuel processing systems to handle the larger D-T throughput. Gas and pellet fueling efficiency data from past tokamak experiments are reviewed; pellet fueling efficiency is significantly larger than that of gas injection. An overview of the current research and development status of gas and pellet fueling technology is presented.