Ingaphakathi le-nuclear fusion energy reactors esizayo lizoba phakathi kwezindawo ezinonya kakhulu ezake zakhiqizwa eMhlabeni. Yini eqine ngokwanele ukuvikela ingaphakathi le-reactor ehlanganisiwe kusukela ekushiseni okukhiqizwe yi-plasma okufana nezithutha zasemkhathini ezingena kabusha emkhathini woMhlaba?

Abacwaningi be-ORNL basebenzisa i-tungsten yemvelo (ephuzi) kanye ne-tungsten ecebile (iwolintshi) ukuze balandele ukuguguleka, ukuthuthwa kanye nokubekwa kabusha kwe-tungsten. I-Tungsten iyinketho ehamba phambili yokuvikela ingaphakathi ledivayisi yokuhlanganisa.

U-Zeke Unterberg kanye nethimba lakhe eMnyangweni Wezamandla we-Oak Ridge National Laboratory njengamanje basebenza nekhandidethi elihamba phambili: i-tungsten, enendawo ephakeme kakhulu yokuncibilika kanye nomfutho womhwamuko ophansi kakhulu wazo zonke izinsimbi ezisetafuleni le-periodic, kanye namandla aqine kakhulu okunyakazisa— izakhiwo ezenza kube ifaneleka kahle ukuthatha ukuhlukumeza isikhathi eside. Bagxile ekuqondeni ukuthi i-tungsten ingasebenza kanjani ngaphakathi kwe-fusion reactor, idivayisi eshisisa ama-athomu alula kuya kumazinga okushisa ashise kunomongo welanga ukuze ahlangane futhi akhulule amandla. Igesi ye-hydrogen ku-fusion reactor iguqulelwa ku-hydrogen plasma—isimo sodaba esiqukethe igesi ye-ionized ingxenye—ebese ivalelwa endaweni encane yizinkambu ezinamandla kazibuthe noma amalaser.

“Awufuni ukufaka okuthile ku-reactor yakho ethatha izinsuku ezimbalwa kuphela,” kusho u-Unterberg, usosayensi omkhulu wocwaningo e-ORNL's Fusion Energy Division. “Ufuna ukuphila impilo eyanele. Sibeka i-tungsten ezindaweni lapho silindele ukuthi kuzoba nokuqhuma okukhulu kwe-plasma. "

Ngo-2016, i-Unterberg kanye nethimba baqala ukwenza izivivinyo ku-tokamak, i-fusion reactor esebenzisa izinkundla kazibuthe ukuze iqukathe indandatho ye-plasma, e-DIII-D National Fusion Facility, isikhungo sabasebenzisi be-DOE Office of Science eSan Diego. Babefuna ukwazi ukuthi i-tungsten yayingase isetshenziselwe yini ukuhlomisa ikamelo le- tokamak—ukulivikela ekubhujisweni ngokushesha okubangelwa imiphumela ye-plasma—ngaphandle kokungcolisa kakhulu i-plasma ngokwayo. Lokhu kungcola, uma kungalawulwa ngokwanele, ekugcineni kungacisha ukusabela kokuhlanganiswa.

"Sasizama ukuthola ukuthi yiziphi izindawo ekamelweni ezizoba zimbi kakhulu: lapho i-tungsten yayingase ikhiqize ukungcola okungangcolisa i-plasma," kusho u-Unterberg.

Ukuthola lokho, abacwaningi basebenzise i-isotope ethuthukisiwe ye-tungsten, i-W-182, kanye ne-isotope engashintshiwe, ukulandelela ukuguguleka, ukuthuthwa kanye nokubekwa kabusha kwe-tungsten ngaphakathi kwe-divertor. Ukubheka ukunyakaza kwe-tungsten ngaphakathi kwe-divertor-indawo engaphakathi kwegumbi le-vacuum eklanyelwe ukuguqula i-plasma nokungcola-kubanikeze isithombe esicacile sokuthi iguguleka kanjani endaweni engaphakathi kwe-tokamak futhi ixhumana ne-plasma. Isotope ye-tungsten ethuthukisiwe inezakhiwo ezifanayo zomzimba namakhemikhali njenge-tungsten evamile. Ukuhlolwa kwe-DIII-D kusetshenziswe izinsimbi ezincane ezimbozwe nge-isotope ecebile ebekwe eduze, kodwa hhayi, endaweni ephakeme kakhulu yokushisa, indawo emkhunjini ngokuvamile ebizwa ngokuthi i-divertor far-target region. Ngokwehlukana, endaweni yokuphambukisa enokuguquguquka okuphezulu kakhulu, indawo yesiteleka, abacwaningi basebenzise okufakwayo nge-isotopu engalungiswanga. Ingxenye esele yegumbi le-DIII-D ifakwe i-graphite.

Lokhu kusetha kuvumele abacwaningi ukuthi baqoqe amasampula kuma-probe akhethekile afakwe okwesikhashana ekamelweni ukuze kukale ukugeleza kokungcola okuya nokusuka kuzikhali zomkhumbi, okungabanikeza umbono onembe kakhudlwana walapho i-tungsten eputshuke khona isuka ephambukisi iye ekamelweni. kwavela.

"Ukusebenzisa i-isotope ethuthukisiwe kusinike izigxivizo zeminwe eziyingqayizivele," kusho u-Unterberg.

Kwakuwukuhlolwa kokuqala okunjalo okwenziwa kudivayisi yokuhlanganisa. Umgomo owodwa bekuwukunquma izinto ezingcono kakhulu kanye nendawo yalezi zinto zokuvikela igumbi, kuyilapho kugcinwa ukungcola okubangelwa ukusebenzisana kwe-plasma-material okuqukethwe kakhulu kusiphambukisi futhi kungangcolisi i-plasma eyinhloko evalelwe uzibuthe esetshenziselwa ukukhiqiza ukuhlangana.

Inkinga eyodwa ngokwakhiwa nokusebenza kweziphambukisi ukungcoliswa kokungcola ku-plasma okubangelwa izindlela ze-edge-localized, noma ama-ELM. Eminye yale micimbi esheshayo, enamandla amakhulu, efana nokuvutha kwelanga, ingalimaza noma ibhubhise izingxenye zemikhumbi njengamapuleti e-divertor. Ukuvama kwama-ELM, izikhathi ngomzuzwana lezi zehlakalo zenzeka, kuyinkomba yenani lamandla akhishwa ku-plasma eya odongeni. Ama-ELM ama-high-frequency angakhulula amanani aphansi e-plasma ekuqhumeni ngakunye, kodwa uma ama-ELM engavamile, i-plasma namandla akhululwa ekuqhumeni ngakunye kuphezulu, kunethuba elikhulu lokulimala. Ucwaningo lwakamuva lubheke izindlela zokulawula nokwandisa imvamisa yama-ELM, njengokujova i-pellet noma izinkambu kazibuthe ezengeziwe ngama-magnitude amancane kakhulu.

Ithimba lika-Unterberg lithole, njengoba lalilindele, ukuthi ukuba ne-tungsten kude nendawo yesiteleka eguquguqukayo kwandisa kakhulu amathuba okungcola lapho evezwe kuma-ELM efrikhwensi ephansi anokuqukethwe kwamandla aphezulu kanye nokuthintana komhlabathi umcimbi ngamunye. Ukwengeza, ithimba lithole ukuthi lesi sifunda esiphambukisayo esiqondiswe kude sithambekele ekungcoliseni i-SOL nakuba ngokuvamile sinokuguquguquka okuphansi kunephoyinti lesiteleka. Le miphumela ebonakala iphikisa iqinisekiswa yimizamo eqhubekayo yokulingisa i-divertor ngokuhlobene nale phrojekthi kanye nokuhlola okuzayo ku-DIII-D.

Lo msebenzi wawubandakanya ithimba lochwepheshe abavela kulo lonke elaseNyakatho Melika, kuhlanganise nabahlanganyeli abavela ePrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, ORNL, General Atomics, Auburn University, University of California eSan Diego, University of Toronto, iNyuvesi yaseTennessee—Knoxville, kanye neNyuvesi yaseWisconsin-Madison, njengoba inikeze ithuluzi elibalulekile locwaningo lokusebenzisana kwe-plasma-material. Ihhovisi leSayensi le-DOE (Fusion Energy Sciences) linikeze ukwesekwa kwalolu cwaningo.

Ithimba lishicilele ucwaningo ku-inthanethi ekuqaleni kwalo nyaka kujenaliI-Nuclear Fusion.

Ucwaningo lungazuza ngokushesha i-Joint European Torus, noma i-JET, kanye ne-ITER, manje esakhiwayo e-Cadarache, e-France, zombili zisebenzisa izikhali ze-tungsten zokuphambukisa.

"Kodwa sibheka izinto ezingaphezu kwe-ITER ne-JET-sibheka ama-fusion reactors wesikhathi esizayo," kusho u-Unterberg. “Kukuphi okungcono kakhulu ukubeka i-tungsten, futhi kuphi lapho akufanele ubeke i-tungsten? Umgomo wethu omkhulu uwukuhlomisa ama-fusion reactor ethu, lapho efika, ngendlela ehlakaniphile. "

U-Unterberg uthe i-ORNL eyingqayizivele ye-Stable Isotopes Group, eyakha futhi yahlola i-isotope ehlanganisiwe ngaphambi kokuyibeka ngendlela ewusizo ekuhloleni, yenza ucwaningo lwenzeka. Leyo isotopu ibingeke itholakale noma kuphi kodwa ivela esikhungweni seNational Isotope Development Center e-ORNL, esigcina inqwaba yazo zonke izinto ezihlukene ngokwehlukana ngokwehlukana, kusho yena.

"I-ORNL inobuchwepheshe obuyingqayizivele kanye nezifiso ezithile zalolu hlobo locwaningo," kusho u-Unterberg. "Sinefa elide lokuthuthukisa ama-isotopes nokusebenzisa lawo akuzo zonke izinhlobo zocwaningo ezinhlelweni ezahlukahlukene emhlabeni jikelele."

Ngaphezu kwalokho, i-ORNL iphethe i-US ITER.

Okulandelayo, ithimba lizobheka ukuthi ukufaka i-tungsten kuziphambukisi ezimise okuhlukile kungathinta kanjani ukungcoliswa komgogodla. I-divertor geometries ehlukene inganciphisa imiphumela yokusebenzisana kwe-plasma-material ku-plasma ewumongo, baye baveza umbono wabo. Ukwazi ukuma okungcono kakhulu kwe- divertor—ingxenye edingekayo yomshini we-plasma enozibuthe—kungenza ososayensi basondele eduze kwe- plasma reactor esebenzayo.

"Uma thina, njengomphakathi, sithi sifuna amandla enuzi enzeke, futhi sifuna ukudlulela esigabeni esilandelayo," kusho u-Unterberg, "ukuhlanganiswa kungaba yinto engcwele."