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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.
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.