Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is set to take a leading role in the next leap forward for fusion energy technologies. Through a new program called the Fusion Innovation Research Engine, or FIRE Collaboratives, ORNL is spearheading two of the program's latest research collaborations and partnering on another two. The efforts are part of a $128 million funding initiative, shared across seven teams to build an innovation ecosystem for fusion energy science and technology, a recent announcement by the Department of Energy reported.
The SWIFT-PFCs project, led by ORNL, aims to fill a crucial gap in fusion technologies by accelerating the development of plasma-facing materials. "This project is focused on creating well-vetted fusion material systems on an accelerated timescale," Zeke Unterberg, principal investigator at ORNL, told ORNL News. The new experiment, dubbed the Helium and Salt Technology Experiment, or HASTE, has the ambition to rapidly advance fusion blanket research and development by imitating the high-pressure and temperature conditions present in fusion reactors.
To support the industry's demand for advanced fusion materials, ORNL is also deeply involved in a complementary project known as IMPACT. This initiative is looking at materials that must be resistant to radiation, maintain strength at extremely high temperatures, and withstand helium-induced embrittlement. ORNL's Ying Yang is heading up this effort, concentrating on the development of advanced vanadium alloys and Castable Nanostructured Alloys. Both of these materials show promise in terms of their mechanical properties under the extreme conditions expected in a functional fusion reactor.
Additionally, ORNL will contribute its expertise to the FIRE collaborative focused on liquid metal technologies. These materials, particularly liquid lithium, are considered promising plasma-facing candidates for reactors, but there are still significant scientific and engineering questions to answer. ORNL's role will be to design the Fully Integrated Liquid Metal breeding/cooling System, or FILMS, which will unite major components like the liquid metal first wall and divertor into a continuous system—a task imperative to achieve the challenging but necessary advancements in liquid metal technology. Sergey Smolentsev, principal investigator from ORNL, emphasizes the importance of addressing the complexities introduced by strong magnetic fields and the need to accurately control metal flows and heat transfer in their system design.
The fourth and final ORNL-partnered effort is the MiRACL project, aiming to mitigate risks from abrupt confinement loss in fusion facilities. ORNL's team, led by Yashika Ghai, will utilize cutting-edge simulation tools and machine learning methods to help inform safer and more resilient fusion facility designs. This project is critical because disruptions in a fusion reactor can lead to severe damage, posing significant risks for future commercial operations. By quantifying these risks, the fusion community can work towards creating facilities that not only are powerful but are also secure against unpredictable energy releases.
The full list of FIRE collaboratives and partner institutions, along with further details, can be found on the DOE Office of Science website, with UT-Battelle managing ORNL for the Department's research initiatives.
