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Argonne’s METL gears up to test more sodium fast reactor components
Argonne National Laboratory has successfully swapped out an aging cold trap in the sodium test loop called METL (Mechanisms Engineering Test Loop), the Department of Energy announced April 23. The upgrade is the first of its kind in the United States in more than 30 years, according to the DOE, and will help test components and operations for the sodium-cooled fast reactors being developed now.
G. H. Neilson, D. B. Batchelor, M. D. Carter, J. D. Galambos, E. A. Lazarus, D. W. Swain, C. C. Tsai, N. A. Uckan, R. J. Goldston, C. E. Kessel, D. R. Mikkelsen, W. Reiersen, J. A. Schmidt, R. H. Bulmer, D. N. Hill, W. M. Nevins, P.-W. Wang
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 30 | Number 3 | December 1996 | Pages 1261-1265
Steady-State and Long-Pulse Machine Studies | doi.org/10.13182/FST96-A11963121
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The physics capabilities of an ignition-and-moderate-burn tokamak to explore the physics of burning plasmas and bum control on ash accumulation time scales are described. The machine provides physics capabilities comparable to those of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) for pulse lengths up to 120 s, but lacks the nuclear component testing, superconducting magnet technology, and long-pulse aspects of ITER's mission. Strong plasma shaping is adopted to reduce the cost relative to ITER. Using ITER guidelines to evaluate the physics performance, this machine has the same ignition margin as ITER's, and operates within the limits on beta, density (i.e., the Greenwald density limit), and safety-factor specified in the ITER physics guidelines. Acceptable peak heat fluxes to divertor target surfaces are maintained with an attached, high-recycling divertor operating scenario typical of present-day machines. A range of ignited and driven operating modes is available, including advanced modes prototypical of steady-state tokamak operation.