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Conference Spotlight
2025 ANS Winter Conference & Expo
November 9–12, 2025
Washington, DC|Washington Hilton
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Latest News
IAEA again raises global nuclear power projections
Noting recent momentum behind nuclear power, the International Atomic Energy Agency has revised up its projections for the expansion of nuclear power, estimating that global nuclear operational capacity will more than double by 2050—reaching 2.6 times the 2024 level—with small modular reactors expected to play a pivotal role in this high-case scenario.
IAEA director general Rafael Mariano Grossi announced the new projections, contained in the annual report Energy, Electricity, and Nuclear Power Estimates for the Period up to 2050 at the 69th IAEA General Conference in Vienna.
In the report’s high-case scenario, nuclear electrical generating capacity is projected to increase to from 377 GW at the end of 2024 to 992 GW by 2050. In a low-case scenario, capacity rises 50 percent, compared with 2024, to 561 GW. SMRs are projected to account for 24 percent of the new capacity added in the high case and for 5 percent in the low case.
Samuel J. Zenobia, Lauren M. Garrison, Gerald L. Kulcinski
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 60 | Number 1 | July 2011 | Pages 344-348
Materials Development & Plasma-Material Interactions | Proceedings of the Nineteenth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (TOFE) (Part 1) | doi.org/10.13182/FST11-A12377
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Surface morphology changes of sub-micron tipped tungsten needles (W.N.) and an engineered fine-grain tungsten (FGW) were studied after implantation with He ions at reactor relevant conditions. Surface and subsurface pore formation was observed on all of the samples by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and focused ion beam (FIB) milling. Additionally, helium retention analysis was performed on the FGW and compared to several previously studied W materials.Three samples of FGW were irradiated with 30 keV 3He ions to 3×1017 He+/cm2 at 700 °C, 9×1017 He+/cm2 at 850 °C, and 1×1019 He+/cm2 at 1050 °C. SEM analysis revealed that the threshold for visible pore formation was below ~1018 He+/cm2. The sample irradiated to the highest fluence showed “coral-like” morphology on the surface, and FIB analysis showed that the sub-surface semi-porous layer extended almost one micron below the surface. The percentage of implanted helium retained in the samples ranged from 4.5-40%.Two W.N. were implanted with 100 keV 4He ions to conditions of 3×1018 He+/cm2 at 700 °C and 1.3x1019 He+/cm2 at 1000 °C. Extensive pore formation was observed on both specimens. FIB analysis revealed that a sub-surface semi-porous layer developed after ion implantation that extended ~300 nm in the W.N. implanted to the lower dose, and over 1500 nm in the needle implanted to the higher dose. This second needle also exhibited a drastic morphology change, which appears to be a result of the unraveling of the grains at the tip.
