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Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
In transition: Commercializing fusion power
Commercial fusion power is closer than ever. There are now around 30 U.S. fusion companies, several of which claim to be on track to connect to the grid as early as the 2030s.
Tokamak and laser inertial confinement approaches benefit from decades of research at facilities such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and ITER, with alternative concepts including stellarator, magnetic mirror, and Z-pinch confinement also making notable progress as private and government funding for fusion increases.
Anis Bousbia-Salah, Juswald Vedovi, Francesco D'Auria, Kostadin Ivanov, Giorgio Galassi
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 148 | Number 2 | October 2004 | Pages 337-353
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE04-A2462
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Thanks to continuous progress in computer technology, it is now possible to perform best-estimate simulations of complex scenarios in nuclear power plants. This method is carried out through the coupling of three-dimensional (3-D) neutron modeling of a reactor core into system codes. It is particularly appropriate for transients that involve strong interactions between core neutronics and reactor loop thermal hydraulics. For this purpose, the Peach Bottom boiling water reactor turbine trip test was selected to challenge the capability of such coupled codes. The test is characterized by a power excursion induced by rapid core pressurization and a self-limiting course behavior. In order to perform the closest simulation, the coupled thermal-hydraulic system code RELAP5 and 3-D neutron kinetic code PARCS were used. The obtained results are compared to those available from experimental data. Overall, the coupled code calculations globally predict the most significant observed aspects of the transient, such as the pressure wave amplitude across the core and the power course, with an acceptable agreement. However, sensitivity studies revealed that more-accurate code models should be considered in order to better match the void dynamic and the cross-section variations during transient conditions.