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Second round of Launch Pad selections includes eight newcomers
The National Reactor Innovation Center at Idaho National Laboratory has announced 13 project selections across 12 companies for the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad, a Department of Energy–led program that integrates reactor and fuel facility authorization, testing, and deployment support for private nuclear developers.
The Launch Pad emerged from the Reactor Pilot Program and Fuel Line Pilot Program.
According to INL, projects selected include reactor development and nuclear fuel cycle advancements, including fabrication, enrichment, and conversion technologies.
F. Najmabadi, A. R. Raffray, ARIES-IFE Team: S. I. Abdel-Khalik, L. Bromberg, L. A. El-Guebaly, D. Goodin, D. Haynes, J. Latkowski, W. Meier, R. Moore, S. Neff, C. L. Olson, J. Perkins, D. Petti, R. Petzoldt, D. V. Rose, W. M. Sharp, P. Sharpe, M. S. Tillack, L. Waganer, D. R. Welch, M. Yoda, S. S. Yu, M. Zaghloul
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 46 | Number 3 | November 2004 | Pages 401-416
Technical Paper | ARIES-IFE | doi.org/10.13182/FST04-A580
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The ARIES-IFE study was an integrated study of inertial fusion energy (IFE) chambers and chamber interfaces with the driver and target systems. Detailed analysis of various subsystems was performed parametrically to uncover key physics/technology uncertainties and to identify constraints imposed by each subsystem. In this paper, these constraints (e.g., target injection and tracking, thermal response of the first wall, and driver propagation and focusing) were combined to understand the trade-offs, to develop operational windows for chamber concepts, and to identify high-leverage research and development directions for IFE research. Some conclusions drawn in this paper are (a) the detailed characterization of the target yield and spectrum has a major impact on the chamber; (b) it is prudent to use a thin armor instead of a monolithic first wall for dry-wall concepts; (c) for dry-wall concepts with direct-drive targets, the most stringent constraint is imposed by target survival during the injection process; (d) for relatively low yield targets (<250 MJ), an operational window with no buffer gas may exist; (e) for dry-wall concepts with indirect-drive targets, a high buffer gas pressure would be necessary that may preclude propagation of the laser driver and require assisted pinch transport for the heavy-ion driver; and (f) generation and transport of aerosols in the chamber is the key feasibility issue for wetted-wall concepts.