Scientists at the Idaho National Laboratory are using existing fission capabilities to test the viability of a nuclear fusion blanket's technology in a nuclear setup, Interesting Engineering reported.
Fusion blankets are a critical component of fusion reactors; if the blanket technology is successful, the fusion blanket could bring the United States one step closer to commercializing fusion energy.
The INL is leading one of six research centers selected to receive funding from the Department of Energy for the Fusion Innovative Research Engine collaboratives. The goal of the FIRE collaboratives is to "creat[e] a fusion energy S&T (science and technology) innovation ecosystem," per the DOE, to "develop an operational fuel cycle within a decade," according to a news release by INL.
A fusion blanket, which sits between the reactor's magnets and the reactor's vacuum chamber (which holds the plasma core), could be the cornerstone to sustainably producing continuous fusion energy in a fusion reactor.
The blanket serves three main goals: creating new fuel for the reactor, converting fusion power to heat for electricity, and protecting the reactor's magnets, according to INL's news release.
Scientists have discovered that blankets containing lithium, which react with existing neutrons in a fusion reactor, can produce tritium, a reactor fuel with a limited global supply. The blanket helps achieve tritium self-sufficiency, which keeps the reactor in operation.
The kinetic energy of the neutrons inside the reactor is transformed into heat energy, which can be converted into power for electricity. The fusion blanket absorbs this heat energy to produce power.
To mimic the energy-generation fusion process of the sun, fusion reactions on Earth must happen at very high temperatures — at least 100 million degrees, according to Nuclear Power. Fusion blankets are a barrier for the reactor's magnets, preventing component damage.
Testing the fusion blanket technology at INL, the nation's nuclear energy lab, which is primarily focused on nuclear fission, allows scientists to experiment and hone the blanket technology in a nuclear environment, without needing to build expensive separate facilities for fusion testing, just yet.
"Fusion blankets are pivotal to delivering limitless fusion energy to the grid," said Aaron Washington, a representative from Tokamak Energy, the company tasked with designing and developing the blanket technology, per INL's news release.
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Should we be pouring money into nuclear fusion technology? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Yes — it'll pay off 👍 Unlike nuclear fission, fusion doesn't produce radioactive waste, which is dangerous to human health and requires proper management and disposal. Nuclear fusion, if successfully commercialized, can offer the world an abundant, alternative energy source from dirty fuels, which contribute to the pollution of planet-heating gases.
The latest developments in nuclear fusion include building laser fusion technology that can get as hot as the sun and building a strong enough wall to withstand fusion reactions' extreme temperatures.
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