New technique pinpoints material corrosion in molten salt systems in real time
A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers has developed a new technique that allows them, for the first time, to see how materials corrode directly within a high-temperature flowing molten salt system.
Researchers can use the technique to acquire crucial data that can inform the design of sustainable energy systems, including next-generation nuclear reactors, thermal energy storage, and concentrated solar power plants. The team detailed its method in a paper published April 10, 2024, in the journal Nature Communications.
Understanding lattice defects can help keep fuel cool
In nuclear fuel, there’s a heat-related sweet spot that not only ensures the reactor operates safely, but also that it generates as much energy as it can.
“Heat transport is critical for both reactor efficiency and safety. It determines how fast the thermal energy generated from nuclear reaction can be harvested to generate electricity,” says Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics Assistant Professor Yongfeng Zhang. “In addition, if heat is not transported out efficiently, the temperature inside of the fuel can get too high and potentially cause safety issues.”
Among nation’s elite, Duarte eyes machine learning to improve nuclear safety
Juliana Pacheco Duarte, an assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics at UW-Madison, has received a U.S. Department of Energy distinguished early career program award.
Juliana Pacheco Duarte
Juliana Pacheco Duarte
Duarte is one of only five faculty in the United States to receive the award in 2023. The program invests in the innovative research and education programs of outstanding early-career university faculty poised to pave new lines of inquiry and advance mission-critical research directions in nuclear energy. Duarte’s award is for $625,000 over five years.
Accelerating nuclear materials discovery through AI is key in achieving climate goals
Adrien Couet, a professor of nuclear engineering and engineering physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is creating a platform to speed up development of materials for advanced fission and fusion reactors.
The project has received $3 million in support from Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative.
Developing new structural materials that can withstand the extreme environments in advanced nuclear fission and fusion reactors is a very time-consuming and costly process. “To deploy these nuclear energy technologies on a timeline conducive to reaching our climate goals for carbon-free energy, it’s critical to discover, develop and license new materials at an unprecedented pace,” Couet says. “This is our grand challenge.”
How modifying magnetic fields can tame turbulence in fusion devices
In magnetic confinement fusion devices, an unruly plasma is a big obstacle to harnessing fusion as a clean energy source.
This turbulence in the plasma, which isn’t fully understood, causes heat and particles to flow out of the plasma and prevents the ionized gas from reaching the extremely hot temperatures necessary for fusion reactions to occur.
Now, using numerical simulations, University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have uncovered ways to reduce turbulence in the Helically Symmetric eXperiment, or HSX, at UW-Madison by modifying the three-dimensional magnetic field geometry.
“Wonder” material gulps down hydrogen, spits it out, and protects fusion reactor walls
University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have used cold spray coating technology to produce a revolutionary workhorse material that can withstand the harsh conditions in a fusion reactor.
The advance, detailed in a paper published Oct. 5, 2023, in the journal Physica Scripta, could enable more efficient compact fusion reactors that are easier to repair and maintain.