A Sprinkle Of Boron Improves Fusion Reactor Efficiency

Breakthrough in Fusion Reactor: Preventing Tungsten Interference

In an effort to improve the tokamak fusion reactor known as ITER, researchers have discovered a way to prevent rogue tungsten atoms from breaking off the walls and interfering with the plasma. This breakthrough marks another significant step toward fusion’s success.

As nuclear fusion science progresses, addressing smaller issues can have a big impact. One of the challenges scientists face with fusion reactors involves tungsten. Researchers are increasingly exploring the element as a material to line the inside of plasma fusion reactors, such as tokamaks and stellarators, because it can withstand the extreme temperatures generated within them.

However, when the superheated plasma inside these reactors collides with tungsten-lined walls, some of the metal’s atoms detach and join the plasma. This has the undesirable effect of cooling the plasma, making fusion reactions less likely.

Boron Powder: The Solution to Tungsten Detachment

Now, after conducting tests on three tungsten-lined tokamaks and using computer modeling, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory have come up with an innovative solution. They discovered that injecting boron powder into the reactor protects the tungsten walls from the plasma’s effects, allowing them to retain all of their atoms.

Joseph Snipes, Princeton’s deputy head for Tokamak Experimental Science, explained that they sprinkle boron powder into the tokamak plasma, similar to using a salt shaker. The powder ionizes at the plasma’s edge and deposits on the inner walls and exhaust region of the tokamak. “Once coated with a thin layer of boron, the tungsten will stop entering the plasma and radiating away the plasma’s energy.”

Snipes and his team discovered that applying boron from a single location effectively coats all the walls. They are currently developing a boron injection system that could be implemented in ITER’s reactor-scale tokamak.

ITER: The Future of Nuclear Fusion

ITER, which stands for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, is located in southern France and will be the world’s largest nuclear fusion plant once operational. The system was originally scheduled to begin operations in 2025, but that timeline has been extended by about 10 years.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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