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DOE approves Xcimer’s laser fusion power plant design
The Department of Energy has approved Xcimer Energy's Athena fusion power plant preconceptual technical design. With this milestone achieved, the Denver, Colo.-based company is now moving forward with its plans to develop economical laser inertial confinement fusion using two beamlines, gas laser technology, and a molten salt fusion chamber.
The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory demonstrated net energy gain from inertial confinement fusion in 2022 using solid-state glass lasers and 192 beamlines.
Arsen S. Iskhakov, Cheng-Kai Tai, Igor A. Bolotnov, Tri Nguyen, Elia Merzari, Dillon R. Shaver, Nam T. Dinh
Nuclear Technology | Volume 210 | Number 7 | July 2024 | Pages 1167-1184
Research Article | doi.org/10.1080/00295450.2023.2185056
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Recent progress in data-driven turbulence modeling has shown its potential to enhance or replace traditional equation-based Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models. This work utilizes invariant neural network (NN) architectures to model Reynolds stresses and turbulent heat fluxes in forced convection flows (when the models can be decoupled). As the considered flow is statistically one dimensional, the invariant NN architecture for the Reynolds stress model reduces to the linear eddy viscosity model. To develop the data-driven models, direct numerical and RANS simulations in vertical planar channel geometry mimicking a part of the reactor downcomer are performed. Different conditions and fluids relevant to advanced reactors (sodium, lead, unitary-Prandtl-number fluid, and molten salt) constitute the training database. The models enabled accurate predictions of velocity and temperature, and compared to the baseline turbulence model with the simple gradient diffusion hypothesis, do not require tuning of the turbulent Prandtl number. The data-driven framework is implemented in the open-source graphics processing unit–accelerated spectral element solver nekRS and has shown the potential for future developments and consideration of more complex mixed convection flows.