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The Mission of the Robotics and Remote Systems Division is to promote the development and application of immersive simulation, robotics, and remote systems for hazardous environments for the purpose of reducing hazardous exposure to individuals, reducing environmental hazards and reducing the cost of performing work.
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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
Take steps on SNF and HLW disposal
Matt Bowen
With a new administration and Congress, it is time once again to ponder what will happen—if anything—on U.S. spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste management policy over the next few years. One element of the forthcoming discussion seems clear: The executive and legislative branches are eager to talk about recycling commercial SNF. Whatever the merits of doing so, it does not obviate the need for one or more facilities for disposal of remaining long-lived radionuclides. For that reason, making progress on U.S. disposal capabilities remains urgent, lest the associated radionuclide inventories simply be left for future generations to deal with.
In March, Rick Perry, who was secretary of energy during President Trump’s first administration, observed that during his tenure at the Department of Energy it became clear to him that any plan to move SNF “required some practical consent of the receiving state and local community.”1
Y. Nakashima et al.
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 55 | Number 2 | February 2009 | Pages 38-45
Technical Paper | Seventh International Conference on Open Magnetic Systems for Plasma Confinement | doi.org/10.13182/FST09-A6980
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Detailed behavior of plasmas has been investigated in the course of an optimization phase of wall conditioning in the central-cell of GAMMA 10 tandem mirror. The results are described based on the visible image measurements using CCD camera together with H line-emission measurements in the central-cell. Three limiters are installed in the central-cell and the behavior of the plasmas near the each limiter is precisely observed in response to electron cyclotron heating (ECH) for potential formation. In an early stage of wall conditioning in GAMMA 10, plasma parameters obtained in standard hot ion mode plasmas are compared in cases of sustained plasma in ECH pulses and of collapsed one simultaneously with ECH. Dependence of gas puffing from the mirror throat in the central cell and of the diameter of limiters is also investigated on the plasma behavior in ECH. From the measured results, it is recognized that a significant upward shift of the plasma column and imbalance of the H intensity between east and west Iris-limiters cause the plasma collapse in ECH. A systematic analysis of the dependence on plasma durability in the number of wall conditioning shots, the position of the plasma just before the ECH injection and suitable quantity of gas puffing is necessary for stably sustaining the plasma during potential formation by ECH.
