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Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Division Spotlight
Nuclear Installations Safety
Devoted specifically to the safety of nuclear installations and the health and safety of the public, this division seeks a better understanding of the role of safety in the design, construction and operation of nuclear installation facilities. The division also promotes engineering and scientific technology advancement associated with the safety of such facilities.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Nuclear Science and Engineering
September 2024
Nuclear Technology
August 2024
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Taking shape: Fusion energy ecosystems built with public-private partnerships
It’s possible to describe fusion in simple terms: heat and squeeze small atoms to get abundant clean energy. But there’s nothing simple about getting fusion ready for the grid.
Private developers, national lab and university researchers, suppliers, and end users working toward that goal are developing a range of complex technologies to reach fusion temperatures and pressures, confounded by science and technology gaps linked to plasma behavior; materials, diagnostics, and electronics for extreme environments; fuel cycle sustainability; and economics.
N. Rice, M. Vu, C. Kong, M. Mauldin, A. Tambazidis, M. Hoppe, Jr., P. Fitzsimmons, M. Farrell, D. Clark, E. Dewald, V. Smalyuk
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 73 | Number 2 | March 2018 | Pages 279-284
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2017.1389603
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Capsule drive in National Ignition Facility indirect-drive implosions is generated by X-ray illumination from cylindrical hohlraums. The cylindrical hohlraum geometry is axially symmetric but not spherically symmetric, causing capsule–fuel drive asymmetries. It is hypothesized that fabricating capsules asymmetric in wall thickness (shimmed) may compensate for drive asymmetries and improve implosion symmetry. Simulations suggest that for high-compression implosions, Legendre mode P4 hohlraum flux asymmetries are the most detrimental to implosion performance.
General Atomics has developed a diamond-turning method to form a glow discharge polymer capsule outer surface to a Legendre mode P4 profile. The P4 shape requires full capsule surface coverage. As a result, in order to avoid tool-lathe interference, flipping the capsule part way through the machining process is required. This flipping process risks misalignment of the capsule, causing a vertical step feature on the capsule surface. Recent trials have proven this step feature height can be minimized to ~0.25 µm.