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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.
K. Kotoh et al.
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 56 | Number 1 | July 2009 | Pages 173-178
Tritium, Safety, and Environment | Eighteenth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (Part 1) | doi.org/10.13182/FST09-A8897
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
For the purpose of developing a cryogenic pressure swing adsorption (PSA) system, we have been studying the breakthrough behavior of hydrogen isotopes with synthetic zeolite packed-beds under conditions specified for designing a PSA process. Previously, we have reported that overshooting breakthrough curves of tracer D2 in H2 were obtained from experiments of exchange-adsorption carried out after replenishing a packed-bed column with H2 from its outlet, following evacuation for a given period. The overshooting behavior is considered due to the enrichment of the heavier component D2 not only in the adsorption process but also in the evacuation process. In the next work, we have examined the effects of priming flow rates and evacuation periods on the overshooting behavior, using synthetic zeolites 5A and 13X packed-bed columns. In this paper, it is reported that the overshooting profile depends on the conditions of evacuation but not sensitively on the mass flow rates in replenishing process. The overshooting is advantageous for the adsorption process, because of improvement of the breakthrough time. Since the replenishing period is shortened proportionally to the priming flow late, the insensitive dependence of the overshooting on the priming flow rate is favorable to the PSA process, resulting in saving the time for replenishing process.
