Generation

Numerical simulations are critically important for the design and development of fusion concepts. However, establishing an adequate simulation capability for a fusion concept can easily be more expensive and time-consuming than building the first experiment. This Capability Team will provide simulation support for fusion-concept teams and independent analysis of fusion concepts.

A muon is a short-lived subatomic particle with the same charge as an electron but 206 times the mass. When bound to an atomic nucleus, it orbits much closer to the nucleus than an electron does. In the context of a deuterium-tritium molecule, this screens the electric charge and reduces the “Coulomb barrier” that ordinarily prevents the nuclei from fusing. When a muon stops in a mixture of deuterium and tritium, even at ordinary temperatures, it causes nuclear fusion.

A stellarator is a fusion energy concept that uses magnetic fields to confine fusion fuel in the form of a plasma. International R&D is underway with a new class of stellarators setting performance records with the goal of generating stable and disruption-free power. Stellarators have been expensive and time consuming to build. Their large and complex electromagnets need to be shaped, supported, and positioned with precision.

Advanced reactor (AR) power plants can minimize O&M costs by integrating advanced instrumentation and control systems into designs.

The BWRX-300 is a 300 MWe water-cooled, natural circulation small modular reactor designed by GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) to provide flexible energy generation that is cost-competitive with natural gas-fired plants. GE Research (GER) has 10+ years experience in developing probabilistic machine learning (ML) methods/tools integrated with their domain expertise in thermo-mechanical lifing/durability. GER has applied this industrially proven capability to build digital twins for military and commercial applications.

Celadyne Technologies will develop an innovative elevated temperature proton conducting ionomer material. The team improves upon existing technology relying on acid-base chemistry in favor of an approach driven by defect chemistry and interfacial nanoionic interactions. The technology could improve efficiency in fuel cells and electrolyzers and reduce CO2 emissions.

NETL seeks to produce a novel fiber-optic sensor system for monitoring advanced nuclear reactors that will permit operators to view conditions inside molten-salt cooling loops and inside reactor cores simultaneously and in real-time. This high level of data visibility will enable advanced automation in new reactor systems, and enable design engineers to accelerate the deployment of new reactor designs for commercial use.

Southern Research Institute proposes to transition most reactor maintenance activities from being done manually to people overseeing autonomous maintenance robotic systems, to reduce costs and avoid personnel exposure to radiation. To achieve this level of control, robots will be trained in a virtual environment through the use of virtual reality and machine learning to perform routine maintenance.

Construct and operate a transportable Thomson scattering diagnostic that will provide a direct measurement of the temperature and density of magnetized inertial fusion experiments. The system will then be operated to measure the electron density and temperature and so confirm whether experiments have reached fusion-relevant parameters.