The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is leading a project to develop nuclear “fusion blanket” technologies to produce sun-like power on Earth for future reactors, funded by the US Department of Energy’s $107 million FIRE program. The fusion blankets capture energy, create fuel, and protect reactor magnets. INL will test these materials in fission reactors, accelerating progress for fusion energy with help from national labs and private companies like General Atomics and Tokamak Energy. They write:
Source: INL (Rendering of a part of the fusion blanket)
A cutting-edge project to test “fusion blanket” technologies is taking shape, with the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) leading the charge to create a critical component of a fusion reactor.
This work is part of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) $107 million funding award to six research centers called Fusion Innovative Research Engine (FIRE) collaboratives. INL will lead one of the centers and contribute research for two others.
The collaboratives aim to develop an operational fuel cycle within a decade and innovate solutions for commercial fusion plants to secure a resilient, reliable source of energy. […]
Fusion, on the other hand, combines two of the smallest atoms. It requires special hydrogen atoms called deuterium (which has one neutron) and tritium (which has two neutrons). Fusing them together generates a tremendous amount of energy, the same reaction that occurs inside the sun.
“A fusion blanket is the nuclear part of a fusion reactor,” said Chase Taylor, INL senior scientist who is leading irradiation testing in the collaborative. Its job is to capture the energy and particles produced during the fusion reaction. Fusion blankets play three important roles: They create new fuel for the reactor, convert fusion power into heat for generating electricity and protect the reactor’s powerful magnets. […]
Several privately funded fusion companies have completed early critical-path science and technology milestones in the Milestone-Based Fusion Development Program which awards contracts to private companies for fusion plant design efforts. This program and FIRE are administered by DOE’s Fusion Energy Sciences within the Office of Science.
“Fusion energy has the potential to solidify America’s leadership in the global energy landscape,” said Calderoni. “By advancing fusion technologies, we are reinforcing our nation’s energy independence and dominance in innovative energy solutions.”
