Deuteron-Induced Cross Section Calculations of Some Structural Fusion Materials

The development of fusion materials for the safety of fusion power systems and understanding nuclear properties is important. The reaction cross-section data have a critical importance on fusion reactors and development for fusion reactor technology. In this study, the theoretical cross sections of some structural fusion materials such as Cr, V, Fe, Ni, Zr and Ta in deuteron-induced reactions have been investigated. The new calculations on the excitation functions of ⁵⁰Cr(d, α)⁴⁸V, ⁵¹V(d, 2n)⁵¹Cr, ⁵¹V(d, 4n)⁴⁹Cr, ⁵⁴Fe(d, α)⁵²Mn, ⁵⁴Fe(d, n)⁵⁵Co, ⁵⁸Ni(d, α)⁵⁶Co, ⁹⁶Zr(d, n)⁹⁷Nb, ⁹⁶Zr(d, 2n)⁹⁶Nb and ¹⁸¹Ta(d, 2n)¹⁸¹W reactions have been carried out up to 90 MeV incident deuteron energies. In these calculations, the pre-equilibrium and equilibrium effects have been investigated. The pre-equilibrium calculations involve the geometry dependent hybrid model and hybrid model. Equilibrium effects have been calculated according to the Weisskopf–Ewing model. The ALICE/ASH computer code has been used in all calculations. The calculated results have been compared with the experimental data existing in EXFOR database and found to be in good agreement.     

Effects of 14-MeV Neutron Irradiation on Optical Components for Fusion Diagnostics

Various kinds of optical fibers and related optical components for fusion diagnostics were irradiated with 14-MeV neutrons from OKTAVIAN or RTNS-II. This report shows typical fusion neutron irradiation effects on them and their hardness levels to mean 14-MeV neutron fluences at which their important performance degrades 10%. Also experimental formulas for fusion neutron induced backgrounds of scintillators and a photomultiplier tube are given by fitting their pulse height distributions for 14-MeV neutrons with a summation of exponential functions. These data and formulas are useful for the estimation of lifetimes and background levels of optical fusion diagnostic systems which may be located in the 14-MeV neutron environment of a fusion reactor.     

IoT-Based Maintenance Process Design for Fusion Reactor Remote Handling System

Nuclear fusion is one of the most important ways to resolve human energy shortages issues. Due to risk of ionizing radiation, the nuclear fusion reactor will relay on remote handling maintenance to achieve its scientific mission. Remote handling maintenance system is required to provide more reliable and powerful remote handling tools for increasing the efficiency of maintenance. With the development of technology, Internet of Things (IoT) has been became an important way to increase the maintenance efficiency. The basic structure of fusion machine and its functions has been introduced in this article. Besides, the maintenance system for fusion reactor has been described. Finally, IoT-based maintenance process for fusion reactor remote handling system has been established and it will greatly improve the maintenance efficiency and save the maintenance cost.     

Revamping Fusion Research

A fundamental revamping of magnetic plasma fusion research is needed, because the current focus of world fusion research—the ITER-tokamak concept—is virtually certain to be a commercial failure. Towards that end, a number of technological considerations are described, believed important to successful fusion research. Beyond critical attention to plasma physics challenges, there must be a much sharper focus on electric utility acceptance criteria, which strongly reflect the public interest. While the ITER-tokamak experience has provided important understanding of a variety of technology issues, it is expensive and time-consuming. Engineers with commercial-world experience must become involved in future fusion research and must have a major influence on program decision-making and evaluation. Fusion engineers will have to be imaginative while being rooted in an understanding of fission reactor development, nuclear regulation, and electric utility realities, the proper consideration of which will impact fusion program success. Properly developed, fusion power holds great promise as an attractive electric power source for the long-term future.     

聚变堆中第一壁材料钨的紧束缚理论研究

为研究辐照时处于电子激发态下第一壁材料钨（W）的结构演化规律和热力学性质,采用紧束缚方法对聚变堆中W的物理性质进行理论研究。结果表明,体系在高能粒子辐照下诱导的电子激发导致了体系中被辐照的区域自发出现微孔、晶格急剧膨胀、熔点下降等现象。具体地,在中等电子温度（~5 000 K）以下,W的晶格膨胀主要由晶格温度驱动,但在电子温度较高时电子温度导致被辐照区域的晶格膨胀效应不可被忽略。特别是当电子温度很高（>10 000 K）时,即便晶格温度不高,电子温度也会导致很大程度晶格膨胀。这对认识聚变堆中第一壁材料W在服役过程中的物理状态十分重要。     

The Fusion Energy Option

Presentations from a Fusion Power Associates symposium, The Fusion Energy Option, are summarized. The topics include perspectives on fossil fuel reserves, fusion as a source for hydrogen production, status and plans for the development of inertial fusion, planning for the construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, status and promise of alternate approaches to fusion and the need for R&D now on fusion technologies.     

Magneto-Inertial Fusion

In this community white paper, we describe an approach to achieving fusion which employs a hybrid of elements from the traditional magnetic and inertial fusion concepts, called magneto-inertial fusion (MIF). The status of MIF research in North America at multiple institutions is summarized including recent progress, research opportunities, and future plans.     

Fusion reactors blanket nucleonics

Nucleonic considerations of fusion reactor blankets design are reviewed, and blanket design approaches are illustrated. Non-nuclear blanket design considerations are only briefly reviewed. The review concentrates on blankets for D-T fusion power reactors but considers also blankets for fusion power reactors based on D-D fusion, as well as blankets for high temperature heat source and for non-electrical applications of fusion.     

Fusion Breeding for Mid-Century Sustainable Power

This article is an editorial, which makes the case that fusion breeding (that is using fusion neutrons to breed nuclear fuel for use in conventional nuclear reactors) is the best objective for the fusion program. To make the case, it reviews a great deal of plasma physics and fusion data. Fusion breeding could potentially play a key role in delivering large-scale sustainable carbon-free commercial power by mid-century. There is almost no chance that pure fusion can do that. The leading magnetic fusion concept, the tokamak, is subject to well-known constraints, which we have called conservative design rules, and review in this paper. These constraints will very likely prevent tokamaks from ever delivering economical pure fusion. Inertial fusion, in pure fusion mode, may ultimately be able to deliver commercial power, but the failure to date of the leading inertial fusion experiment, the National Ignition Campaign, shows that there are still large gaps in our understanding of laser fusion. Fusion breeding, based on either magnetic fusion or inertial fusion, greatly relaxes the requirements on the fusion reactor. It is also a much better fit to today’s and tomorrow’s nuclear infrastructure than is its competitor, fission breeding. This article also shows that the proposed fusion and fission infrastructure, ‘The Energy Park’, reviewed here, is sustainable, economically and environmentally sound, and poses little or no proliferation risk.     

The Role of Magnetized Liner Inertial Fusion as a Pathway to Fusion Energy

We discuss the possible impacts of a new magnetized liner inertial fusion concept on magneto-inertial fusion approaches to fusion energy. Experiments in the last 1.5 years have already shown direct evidence of magnetic flux compression, a highly magnetized fusing fuel, significant compressional heating, a compressed cylindrical fusing plasma, and significant fusion yield. While these exciting results demonstrate several key principles behind magneto-inertial fusion, more work in the coming years will be needed to demonstrate that such targets can scale to ignition and high yield. We argue that justifying significant investment in pulsed inertial fusion energy beyond target development should require well-understood, significant fusion yields to be demonstrated in single-shot experiments. We also caution that even once target ideas and fusion power plants have been demonstrated, historical trends suggest it would still be decades before fusion could materially impact worldwide energy production.     

Condensed Atomic Hydrogen as a Possible Target in Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF)

H atom Rydberg matter (RM) in excitation state n = 1 is concluded to be a form of metallic hydrogen [Badiei S, Holmlid L (2004) J Phys Condens Matter 16:7017]. This material can be produced at low pressure. This condensed form of hydrogen may be very useful as a dense hydrogen inertial confinement fusion (ICF) target, being almost metallic and ten times denser than solid (frozen) diatomic hydrogen used at present. Coulomb explosions and plasma formation are initiated in condensed atomic hydrogen even by relatively weak nanosecond pulsed lasers. The protons emitted with high directivity in these explosions are energetic, corresponding to T = 10⁵ K, and they may be utilized to give strong compression of the material. The fastest protons observed at up to 1 keV indicate a compression considerably higher than that required for “fast ignition” fusion.     

Fusion Breeding: An Old,New Strategic Opportunity for Fusion

This article reviews the case for fusion breeding that the author has made over more than the last 15 years. It shows that even stipulating maximum success or ITER or NIF, pure fusion is nowhere near ready to provide economical power. Fusion breeding, using a device like one or both of these machines just might. A new direction for the American MFE base program is proposed. Fusion breeding could be a short cut which could cut out decades and decades from the development of pure fusion. Fusion breeding allows a midcentury power source, one which is carbon free, sustainable, economical, environmentally sound and have litte or no proliferation risk.     

A study on the excitation functions of ~(60,62)Ni(α,n),~(60,61)Ni(α,2n),~(58,64)Ni(α,p),~(nat)Ni(α,x) reactions

The prediction of nuclear cross-section data is crucial, especially in the absence of experimental data or in the difficulty of these experimental data. Nickel(Ni) is an important material in fusion and fission reactor technologies, the production of radionuclides in nuclear medicine,and many other fields. In this study, the excitation functions for~(60,62) Ni(a,n),~(60,61) Ni(a,2 n),~(58,64) Ni(a,p), and ~(nat)Ni(a,x) reactions have been investigated by using preequilibrium reaction models. The calculations of the excitation functions for the reactions are used with the geometry-dependent hybrid model in ALICE/ASH code and the two-component exciton model in TALYS 1.8 code. The obtained results are compared to each other, and the experimental data are taken from the EXFOR database.     

Innovative Fusion Tokamak Powerplant and the Basic Engineering for Mhd Theory

All around the world an endeavour to develop the fusion process as a major alternative energy has been going on for about a half century. Aries-St is the spherical tokamak (St) a innovative fusion reactor engineering. This toroidal reactor is a type of system that facilitates the occurrence of the nuclear fusion and fission events together (Tillack et al. in Fusion Energ Des 65:215–261, 2003; El-Guebaly in Fusion Energ Des 65:263–284, 2003). The Aries-St power core consist of the components directly surrounding the burning plasma and serves important functions. In fusion applications, liquid metals are traditionally considered to be the best working fluids. Sufficient tritium breed amount must be TBR >1.1 for Aries-St fusion tokamak power plant (Tillack et al. in Fusion Energ Des 65:215–261, 2003; El-Guebaly in Fusion Energ Des 65:263–284, 2003). The Aries-St power core has designed for correlation with an optimized St plasma that develop through the investigation of extensive range of plasma magnetohydrodynamic (Mhd) equations. In this study, the engineering design plasma parameters are described with respect to Mhd equilibrium and nuclear analysis, stability, radiation heat transfer conditions, current drive, and safety. In addition, turbulence model extended to an incompressible Mhd flows and monte carlo simulation are used for modeling of low-conductivity fluid. In this study the modeling of aries-st tokamak reactor produced by using aries design technology, has performed by using the monte carlo code and Endf/b-V-VI nuclear data. Monte carlo method is the general name for the solution of experimental and statistical problems with a random approach.     

Strategic Opportunities in Fusion Energy

The world’s demand for electricity (and electricity plants) will grow even faster than its needs for energy, and the opportunity for fusion to participate in that growth is both real and ecologically necessary. While magnetic confinement fusion is presently the most highly studied and most likely to be commercialized first, other techniques are also reviewed. Commercial fusion electricity is probably still 10 years away, but recent events have shown that it will happen—and possibly sooner. Worldwide developments indicate that the United States is no longer the world leader in fusion engineering, although the potential for the US to recover that position is real. The Far East is leading the world’s fusion development, and the ITER site in France has made significant changes which should improve its image and performance.     

Fusion Energy Without Strong Nuclear Radiation

Conventional quantum mechanics calculation shows that fusion energy without strong nuclear radiation is feasible, because this is the nature of sub-barrier nuclear fusion. When the Coulomb barrier is relatively thin and low, the resonant tunneling would select the fusion reaction with strong neutron and Gamma radiation. On the other hand, if the Coulomb barrier is thick and high, the resonant tunneling would select the fusion reaction without strong neutron and Gamma radiation. Thus, fusion energy with lowest radiation is predictable in terms of d + t fusion data. This is the harmony between various approaches towards fusion energy. What we lose is the assumption of compound nucleus model for light nuclei fusion, and what we gain is the fusion energy without strong neutron and Gamma radiation.     

The Year 2015 Fusion Power Conversations

Assuming significant technical success in the ITER project by the year 2015, it is likely that governments will want to develop a more comprehensive plan for DT tokamak fusion power commercialization. To provide a glimpse into many of the related issues, we construct conversations between the director of the U.S. fusion program and three specialists key to commercial fusion success: an environment and safety regulator, an environmentalist, and an electric generation investor. The insights from these imagined conversations will hopefully be of value as tokamak fusion power proponents plan beyond ITER.     

Fusion News: 2006

This paper summarizes key 2006 news events in the development of fusion energy. Highlights include status of ITER project, progress on construction of NIF, and status of US fusion budget for Fiscal Year 2007.     

Fusion and Energy Policy

Presentations from a Fusion Power Associates symposium, Fusion and Energy Policy, are summarized. The topics include an overview of U.S. Department of Energy policies, fusion strategies in Europe and Japan, plans for U.S. participation in the construction of ITER, status of construction of the National Ignition Facility and recent progress in all aspects of magnetic and inertial fusion.     

Conceptual Designs of Tokamak Fusion Reactors

Tokamak fusion reactor design studies conducted in JAERI with support from national laboratories, universities and industries in the fifteen years since 1973 to the present are described. These studies gave considerable impact on the national and international fusion programs.

From the proposal of He-cooled Li²0 blanket for fusion power reactor in 1973 to the most recent proposal of easily replaceable guard limiter concept to the ITER project, a number of unique proposals that have influenced the world wide fusion reactor design studies are introduced. They are described in the context of major fusion reactor design efforts and design methodology developments of the past fifteen years.