National Ignition Facility experiment puts researchers at threshold of fusion ignition

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory  August 18, 2021 On Aug. 8, 2021, an experiment at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL’s) National Ignition Facility (NIF) made a significant step toward ignition, achieving an yield of more than 1.3 megajoules. This advancement puts researchers at the threshold of fusion ignition, an important goal of the NIF, and opens access to a new experimental regime. The experiment was enabled by focusing laser light onto a target that produces a hot-spot the diameter of a human hair, generating more than 10 quadrillion watts of fusion power for 100 trillionths of a second. While a full […]

A layered approach to safety

MIT News  June 11, 2020 In the wake of an earthquake-triggered tsunami sparked a global race for solutions to improve nuclear safety and develop accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) to avert future reactor breakdowns. In Fukushima, there were hydrogen explosions because of interactions between the conventional zirconium-based fuel cladding and high temperature steam produced when the safety system failed, and coolant water heated up. Researchers at MIT packed CVD-fabricated, cylindrically shaped fuel particles into a bundle that fits into a typical fuel rod and replace the conventional zirconium fuel rod cladding with silicon carbide composite to slow down hydrogen generation. This would […]

Construction starts on first Zhangzhou unit

World Nuclear News  October 17, 2019 In mid-2017, China Nuclear Industry No24 Construction Company won the contract for the nuclear island civil engineering. The first phase of the Zhangzhou nuclear power plant has carried out a number of design improvements and optimisations based on the reference power plant, further improving the safety and economy of the unit. Zhangzhou 1 is the fifth Hualong One unit that it is building, and serial construction of the reactor design has officially started…read more.

In 2019, China and Russia will start using floating nuclear reactors for oil and gas rigs and military bases

Next Big Future  August 24, 2018 The ACPR100 and ACPR50S, are both with passive cooling for decay heat and 60-year design life. Both have standard type fuel assemblies and fuel enriched to less than 5% with burnable poison giving 30-month refueling. The ACPR100 is an integral PWR, 450 MWt, 140 MWe, having 69 fuel assemblies. It is designed as a module in larger plant and would be installed underground. The applications for these are similar to those for the ACP100. The offshore ACPR50S is 200 MWt, 60 MWe with 37 fuel assemblies and four external steam generators. It is designed […]