Overview of Fusion Nuclear Technology in the US
Fusion Nuclear Technology (FNT) research in the United States encompasses many activities and requires expertise and capabilities in many different disciplines. The US Enabling Technology program is divided into several task areas, with aspects of fusion nuclear technology being addressed mainly in the Plasma Chamber, Neutronics, Safety, Materials, Tritium and Plasma Facing Component Programs. These various programs work together to address key FNT topics, including support for the ITER basic machine and the ITER Test Blanket Module, support for domestic plasma experiments, and development of DEMO relevant material and technological systems for blankets, shields, and plasma facing components. While it is difficult to describe all these activities in adequate detail, this paper gives an overview of critical FNT activities. With the recent return of the US to the ITER collaboration, several activities in support of the ITER machine have been initiated, including development of the first wall shielding blanket baffle module (module 18), testing of plasma facing components, ITER tokamak exhaust tritium processing system development, and 3-D neutronics and activation code advances. The ITER test blanket module development activity has also been restarted in the US, and critical R&D is proceeding on ceramic breeder thermomechanical systems and lead-lithium breeder systems utilizing SiC composite flow channel inserts for thermal and MHD electrical insulation. Novel research on free surface liquid metal divertors is also continuing, with the goal of fielding a lithium free surface divertor in the National Spherical Torus eXperimental device (NSTX) and aiding the development of the Lithium Tokamak Experiment at Princeton. Materials research in the long term is focused on coupled computational materials science and carefully designed experiments to determine the underlying mechanisms that control the mechanical and physical behavior of advanced body-centered cubic metals and ceramic composites in the harsh fusion environment. In addition, two inertial fusion energy (IFE) research programs conducting FNT-related research for IFE are also described.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 881321
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-47043; AT6020100; TRN: US0602910
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Proceedings of the Seventh International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology, ISFNT-7 Part A, May 22-27 2005. Published in Fusion Engineering and Design, 81(1-7):33-43
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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