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Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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Startup looks to commercialize inertial fusion energy
Another startup hoping to capitalize on progress the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has made in realizing inertial fusion energy has been launched. On August 27, San Francisco–based Inertia Enterprises, a private fusion power start-up, announced the formation of the company with the goal of commercializing fusion energy.
Mano Subudhi
Nuclear Technology | Volume 97 | Number 3 | March 1992 | Pages 362-370
Technical Paper | Reactor Operation | doi.org/10.13182/NT92-A34644
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A DS-416 low-voltage air circuit breaker manufactured by Westinghouse is mechanically cycled to identify age-related degradation in the various breaker subcomponents, specifically in the power-operated mechanism. This accelerated aging test is performed on one breaker unit for over 36 000 cycles. Three separate pole shafts, one with a 60-deg weld, one with a 120-deg weld, and one with a 180-deg weld in the third pole lever, are used to characterize cracking in the welds. In addition, during the testing, three different operating mechanisms and several other parts are replaced as they become inoperable. Among the seven welds on the pole shaft, welds 1 and 3 are found to be critical ones whose fracture can result in misalignment of the pole levers. This can lead to problems with the operating mechanism, including the burning of coils, excessive wear in certain parts, and overstressed linkages. Furthermore, the limiting service life of a number of subcomponents of the power-operated mechanism, including the operating mechanism itself, is assessed. Based on these findings, suggestions are provided to alleviate the age-related degradation that could occur as a result of normal closing and opening of the breaker contacts during the breaker’s service life.