Performance of tungsten in a fusion environment
503 views · Published 19 December 2016 · 15:24 · Indexed 14 November 2026
Channel: bhadeshia123 · 2016 · Education
A lecture given by Robert Abernethy of the University of Oxford, Department of Materials, for the 2016 Literature Review Prize of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (London). Tungsten has been proposed for use in the divertor of future fusion devices. In this environment, it will be exposed to high heat fluxes, neutron damage and hydrogen and helium implantation. This review covers previous experimental and modelling work to establish our ability to predict the performance of tungsten in a fusion environment. Surrogates for high-energy neutrons have been used to predict the change in mechanical properties of tungsten, including fission neutron and self-ion exposure. These studies are critically analysed, with a focus on the difference in results from neutron and ion studies. Further studies to improve our ability to predict the performance of tungsten are proposed as a critical part of the path towards a working fusion reactor. The Materials Literature Review Prize of IOM3 aims to encourage the preparation of definitive, critical reviews of the literature by students as an essential part of study for a higher degree in the materials field, and subsequently make the best of these available to a wider readership. The prize is administered by the Editorial Board of MST (the journal Materials Science and Technology). Open to any postgraduate student studying in the UK or internationally, the prize carries a cash award, in line with other IOM3 prizes for papers. A winning entry and two runner-up prizes are awarded each year, and all entries are considered for publication in the journal subject to acceptance following peer-review. http://www.iom3.org/news/2016/jul/05/materials-literature-review-prize-winner-announced
