Putting next generation fusion materials on the fast track

让下一代聚变材料走上快车道

基本信息

批准号：
EP/E035868/1
负责人：
John Wilson
金额：
$ 94.77万
依托单位：
Heriot-Watt University
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Research Grant
财政年份：
2007
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2007 至无数据
项目状态：
已结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FE035868%2F1
关键词：
Putting next generation fusion materials

项目摘要

Enormous numbers of energetic neutrons are released when helium is produced by the fusion of deuterium and tritium at high temperatures, as in our Sun. This promises to solve the World's long-term energy needs if a controlled version can be carried out on Earth. JET at Culham has been one of the leading experimental reactors for magnetically confined fusion using gaseous plasmas, and has been an important step towards designing the international thermonuclear experimental reactor, ITER. UK fusion technology is now on the fast track and will demand a new generation of materials for commercial reactor construction. The selection of materials for ITER has been based on those available some years ago, but there are trade-offs in deciding whether to use high temperature metals that are resistant to plasma erosion but liable to be damaged by radiation and also contaminate the pure plasma, or to use light elements that are toxic (beryllium) or more easily eroded and may absorb significant amounts of tritium fuel (graphite). We want to establish a materials capability for the next generation, and in particular to exploit our capability in diamond films as a route to designer carbons as plasma-facing wall materials. This proposal intends to coat carbon tiles with diamond on a large scale, in order to lower the erosion rates, dust formation, and tritium absorption, by using the unique properties of diamond, namely high temperature stability, radiation resistance, high atomic density and unsurpassed chemical stability in the presence of hydrogen plasmas. This solution enables the preferred use of low atomic number plasma-facing materials. Computational modelling of carbon structures will complement the experimental programme in optimising the chemical and physical structure of a composite functional material exposed to radiation. If successful, this approach would enable reactors to operate for longer periods before component replacements and without compromising the tritium inventory.

当在我们的太阳下，在高温下氘和tri的融合产生氦气时，会释放大量的能量中子。如果可以在地球上执行受控版本，这有望解决世界的长期能源需求。在Culham处的JET一直是使用气体等离子体进行磁性融合的领先实验反应器之一，并且是设计国际热核实验反应器ITER的重要一步。英国融合技术现在正处于快速轨道上，将需要新一代的商业反应堆构造材料。迭代材料的选择是基于几年前可用的，但是在决定是否使用对等离子体侵蚀具有耐药性但可能会受到辐射损害并污染纯等离子体的高温金属有折衷或使用有毒的光元素（铍）或更容易侵蚀，并可能吸收大量的tritium燃料（石墨）。我们希望为下一代建立材料能力，特别是要利用钻石膜中的能力，作为将碳作为面向等离子体的墙壁材料的途径。该提案打算通过使用钻石的独特性能，即高温稳定性，耐受性，高原子密度和无效的通道，以降低侵蚀速率，灰尘形成和tir虫吸收，以降低侵蚀速率，灰尘形成和tir虫吸收，以降低侵蚀速率，灰尘形成和tri虫吸收在存在氢等离子体的情况下化学稳定性。该解决方案可以优选使用低原子数等离子材料。碳结构的计算建模将补充实验程序，以优化暴露于辐射的复合功能材料的化学和物理结构。如果成功的话，这种方法将使反应堆在置换组件替换之前可以更长的时间运行，而不会损害tri库库存。