‘This capability is essential as we push forward’

Researchers at the University of Michigan tested a new type of steel designed to withstand the radiation of a fusion reactor while trapping helium particles to prevent swelling.

Fusion is the process of combining two atoms to produce virtually limitless energy; however, there are many engineering challenges in designing these complex devices, as a report by Interesting Engineering explained.

While the super-heated plasma contained within a fusion reactor’s magnetic field needs to reach over 180 million degrees Fahrenheit — hotter than the surface of the sun — the surrounding components need to handle up to 1,112 degrees.

In addition, they need to be resistant to both radiation damage and helium production, which can cause the materials to swell and warp, according to the report.

This led the researchers to develop a new type of reduced activation ferritic/martensitic (RAFM) steel alloy with billions of nanoscale particles of titanium carbide, designed to absorb radiation and trap any helium produced during the fusion reaction.

To test its resilience, the researchers employed a dual ion beam approach: an iron ion beam was used to induce radiation damage, while a helium ion beam was used to simulate fusion energy conditions.

“The level of control and detail in these experiments brings us significantly closer to simulating in-reactor conditions,” said T.M. Kelsy Green, a doctoral graduate of nuclear engineering and radiological sciences at U-M, and lead author of three related studies.

“This capability is essential as we push forward in discovering and optimizing materials to enable the future deployment of nuclear fusion power.”

Although they had success in trapping some helium as bubbles on the surface of the metal, the remainder formed inside the steel, resulting in a 2% expansion at the highest radiation levels, a U-M report explained.

These experiments have yielded significant data that will be helpful in their research; however, further material development and ion beam testing are still needed.

Scientists at the UK Atomic Energy Authority have also reported progress in developing fusion-grade steel, with testing still underway.

Successfully achieving fusion reactions could help meet the exponential growth in energy demand and achieve net-zero emission goals by 2050, the World Economic Forum noted.

It offers the potential to solve both issues, and MIT’s market analysis suggests fusion energy could overtake coal, which supplies 34% of global electricity, as the world’s dominant energy resource.

Fusion is safe, produces zero carbon emissions, and can run 24/7 by using hydrogen isotopes found in seawater as fuel. That supply could sustain fusion energy for billions of years.

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