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Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
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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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Deep Space: The new frontier of radiation controls
In commercial nuclear power, there has always been a deliberate tension between the regulator and the utility owner. The regulator fundamentally exists to protect the worker, and the utility, to make a profit. It is a win-win balance.
From the U.S. nuclear industry has emerged a brilliantly successful occupational nuclear safety record—largely the result of an ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) process that has driven exposure rates down to what only a decade ago would have been considered unthinkable. In the U.S. nuclear industry, the system has accomplished an excellent, nearly seamless process that succeeds to the benefit of both employee and utility owner.
J. Chin, T. Ohkawa
Nuclear Technology | Volume 32 | Number 2 | February 1977 | Pages 115-124
Technical Paper | Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/NT77-A31717
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The feasibility of in situ regeneration of a deuterium-tritium (D-T) fusion reactor first wall is explored. Chemical and physical vapor deposition processes are considered for applying low-Z materials and metals. Trial deposits of carbon, SiC, Si3N4, and (Si, Al)N were prepared by one or both of these fabrication techniques. Material properties such as chemical composition, impurity concentration, morphology, and crystal structure thought to be important in first wall performance were found to be controllable by the vapor deposition process conditions. Chemical composition of the gas mixtures, substrate temperature, and deposition pressures were parameters that influenced material properties in all vapor deposition processes. These parameters may be expected to be controllable in a D-T fusion reactor chamber. Temperature can be adjusted within the plasma zone by a glow discharge. The chemical composition of the reactant gases can be controllable by an auxiliary gas supply and exhaust systems. Gas pressure control within the reactor is a required feature of any fusion reactor system. In situ regeneration of the fusion first wall by vapor deposition processes thus appears feasible.