ORNL team builds portable diagnostic for fusion experiments from off-the-shelf items
The techniques Theodore Biewer and his colleagues are using to measure whether plasma has the right conditions to create fusion have been around awhile.
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Fusion
Design of the W7-X fusion device enables it to overcome obstacles, scientists find
Advanced design of the world’s largest and most powerful stellarator demonstrates the ability to moderate heat loss from the plasma that fuels fusion reactions.
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Climbing the Staircase to Fusion
Recent experiments in the DIII-D tokamak demonstrate that more turbulence at the edge of the plasma can result in it being hotter.
Read moreDIII-D Researchers Use Machine Learning to Steer Fusion Plasmas Near Operational Limits
Researchers at the DIII-D National Fusion Facility recently achieved a scientific first when they used machine learning calculations to automatically prevent fusion plasma disruptions in real time, while simultaneously optimizing the plasma for peak performance. The new experiments are the first of what they expect to be a wave of research in which machine learning–augmented controls could broaden the understanding of fusion plasmas. The work may help deliver reliable, peak-performance operation of future fusion reactors.
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Unraveling how Tungsten Armor Erodes in Tokamak Walls
Scientists developed a new model to describe how large, periodic bursts of plasma known as edge localized modes (ELMs) erode parts of tokamak walls. Tokamaks are devices used to study the process of fusion.
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Accelerating the Development of Nuclear Fusion
Researchers from TAE Technologies used the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility to support their fusion research. The company is working to develop the world’s first fusion device that can generate electricity and is commercially viable.
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Batten down the hatches: Preventing heat leaks to help create a star on Earth
PPPL physicists have identified a method by which instabilities can be tamed and heat can be prevented from leaking from fusion plasma, giving scientists a better grasp on how to optimize conditions for fusion in devices known as tokamaks.
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Blowing bubbles: PPPL scientist confirms novel way to launch and drive current in fusion plasmas
PPPL physicist Fatima Ebrahimi has used high-resolution computer simulations to confirm the practicality of the CHI start-up technique. The simulations show that CHI could produce electric current continuously in larger, more powerful tokamaks than exist today to produce stable fusion plasmas.
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3D-Printed Plastics With High Performance Electrical Circuits
Rutgers engineers have embedded high performance electrical circuits inside 3D-printed plastics, which could lead to smaller and versatile drones and better-performing small satellites, biomedical implants and smart structures. They used pulses of high-energy light to fuse tiny silver wires, resulting in circuits that conduct 10 times more electricity than the state of the art, according to a study in the journal Additive Manufacturing. By increasing conductivity 10-fold, the engineers can reduce energy use, extend the life of devices and increase their performance.
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International honors for PPPL post-doctoral fellows helping to bring a star to earth
Profile of PPPL’s Chris Smiet and Rupak Mukherjee and the post-doctoral honors they have won.
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Staircase to the stars: Turbulence in fusion plasmas may not be all bad
Surprise discovery shows that turbulence at the edge of the plasma may facilitate production of fusion energy.
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Public-private INFUSE projects to speed fusion development housed at PPPL
A look at four INFUSE projects to speed the development of fusion energy that PPPL is working on.
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