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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.
Chad A. Nixon, Wade R. Marcum
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 197 | Number 5 | May 2023 | Pages 788-812
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/00295639.2022.2058846
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Vibration of nuclear power plant components can cause fretting wear and fatigue that can eventually lead to component failure. Flexible, high-aspect-ratio components under flow, such as the wire-wrapped cylindrical fuel elements in a liquid metal-cooled fast reactor core, are particularly susceptible to vibration due to their low natural frequencies. The flow-induced vibrations experienced by such components tend to be random and of low amplitude and frequency; however, at critical flow velocities these components can experience self-excited, fluid-elastic instabilities that can lead to immediate failure. Such failures of critical reactor components, particularly those that act as fission product barriers, can lead to prolonged shutdowns of nuclear power plants and even to their permanent closure. Thus, a better understanding of the vibration response of wire-wrapped cylinders in axial flow is needed. This study details the development of a theoretical model that incorporates the effects of a helical wire wrap along a cylinder to understand its impact on the dynamic response of the cylinder under flow. This theoretical model is compared against experimental vibration data of varying geometries of solitary wire-wrapped cylinders in confined axial flow. The results of this study provide an improved knowledge of how a helical wire wrap can affect the dynamic response of a cylinder under flow.