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Division Spotlight
Accelerator Applications
The division was organized to promote the advancement of knowledge of the use of particle accelerator technologies for nuclear and other applications. It focuses on production of neutrons and other particles, utilization of these particles for scientific or industrial purposes, such as the production or destruction of radionuclides significant to energy, medicine, defense or other endeavors, as well as imaging and diagnostics.
Meeting Spotlight
Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo (UWC 2024)
August 4–7, 2024
Marco Island, FL|JW Marriott Marco Island
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
ARPA-E announces $40 million to develop transmutation technologies for UNF
The Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) announced $40 million in funding to develop cutting-edge technologies to enable the transmutation of used nuclear fuel into less-radioactive substances. According to ARPA-E, the new initiative addresses one of the agency’s core goals as outlined by Congress: to provide transformative solutions to improve the management, cleanup, and disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.
Francesco Milani, Ivone Benfatto, Alexander Roshal, Inho Song, Jeff Thomsen
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 61 | Number 1 | January 2012 | Pages 83-88
Fusion | Proceedings of the Fifteenth International Conference on Emerging Nuclear Energy Systems | doi.org/10.13182/FST12-A13401
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
In fusion experiments, interruption units for high DC currents are widely used for generating the loop voltage required at plasma breakdown and current start-up. Likewise, similar systems are employed for the protection of superconductive coils in case of quench (i.e. a loss of superconductivity). In such event, large resistor banks are inserted in the circuits by means of circuit breakers, so as to dissipate the energy stored in the coils.The ITER experiment, the largest fusion facility ever conceived, is currently under construction in the south of France at Cadarache site and, as in the already existing fusion experiments, it will be provided with DC interruption units for plasma initiation (the Switching Network Units - SNUs) and coil quench protection (the Fast Discharge Units - FDUs).The paper, after a survey on the interruption units installed in large fusion facilities worldwide, describes the systems designed for the ITER experiment, pointing out their peculiarities and challenging issues. Then, a comparison among different solutions implemented is given, pointing out critical performances required, issues in the design of key components and possible future developments.