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Godzilla is helping ITER prepare for tokamak assembly
ITER employees stand by Godzilla, the most powerful commercially available industrial robot available. (Photo: ITER)
Many people are familiar with Godzilla as a giant reptilian monster that emerged from the sea off the coast of Japan, the product of radioactive contamination. These days, there is a new Godzilla, but it has a positive—and entirely fact-based—association with nuclear energy. This one has emerged inside the Tokamak Assembly Preparation Building of ITER in southern France.
G. Petö, R. Pepelnik
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 106 | Number 2 | October 1990 | Pages 219-227
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE90-A27472
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The present status of various deuterium-tritium (D-T) neutron sources is given, including the prospects for improvements. By upgrading a Rotating Target Neutron Source II-type neutron generator, a yield of 1014 n/s can be achieved in a small volume. A yield of 1015 n/s is expected with construction of a gas-jet target. According to a proposal from Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe, a similar yield could be reached even with a volume of 500 cm3. Realistic fusion reactor conditions can only be satisfied by high-intensity D-T neutron sources. Other more economical or higher intensity accelerator-based neutron sources cannot replace them in this research field. The lack of sufficient financial support delays technically realistic projects. This difficulty might be overcome by a more intense joint international collaboration.