{"id":15372,"date":"2020-01-29T09:02:22","date_gmt":"2020-01-29T09:02:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.compositestoday.com\/?p=15372"},"modified":"2020-01-29T09:02:27","modified_gmt":"2020-01-29T09:02:27","slug":"amrc-3d-woven-composite-nuclear-reactor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.compositestoday.com\/2020\/01\/amrc-3d-woven-composite-nuclear-reactor\/","title":{"rendered":"AMRC Developing 3D Woven Composite for Nuclear Reactor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The 3D Woven composite component is being developed at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in collaboration with the UK’s Atomic Energy Authority as part of their effort to accelerate zero-carbon fusion energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authority is involved in developing the next generation of magnetic confinement reactor called a tokamak at their site in Culham, Oxfordshire. Research is focussed on preparing for the international tokamak experiment at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) in Saint-Paul-l\u00e8s-Durance in southern France and for the following machine that will demonstrate the generation of power from fusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fusion occurs when two types of hydrogen atoms, tritium and deuterium, collide at enormously high speeds to create helium and release a high energy neutron. Once released, the neutron interacts with a much cooler breeder blanket to absorb the energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The breeder blanket must capture the energy of the neutrons to generate power, but also prevent the neutrons escaping and \u2018breed\u2019 more tritium through reactions with lithium contained in the blanket. Each blanket module typically measures ~1 x 1.5m and currently weighs up to 4.6 tonnes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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