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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.
J. Sanz, O. Cabellos, P. Yuste, S. Reyes, J.F. Latkowski
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 39 | Number 2 | March 2001 | Pages 996-1002
Safety and Environment | doi.org/10.13182/FST01-A11963372
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) devices, both test/experimental facilities and fusion energy (IFE) power plants, will operate in a pulsed mode. However, the pulsing schedule in these devices is very different, and it could range from one shot every several days in an experimental facility to some Hz in IFE reactors. The main objective of the present work is to determine whether or not a continuous-pulsed (CP) approach could be an accurate and practical methodology in modeling the pulsed activation experienced by chamber materials of both types of devices. In testing the applicability of the CP irradiation model, we used materials and neutron environment scenarios of the HYLIFE-II reactor and the NIF experimental facility. It is demonstrated that a CP approach consisting of a continuous irradiation period followed by a series of only a few pulses prior to shutdown, can efficiently model the real pulsed operating regimes of the chamber materials, in terms of both accuracy and CPU time consumption. Pros and cons of the model when compared with an equivalent steady-state (ESS) method are discussed, and comparison with the exact pulsed (EP) modeling is also performed.