Hydrogen isotopes interaction with ferritic-martensitic steel Ek-181-Rusfer (review of results obtained)

Ferritic-martensitic steel with rapid decay of activity EK-181 (Rusfer-EK-181, Fe – 12 Cr – 2 W – V – Ta – B) was developed in Russia (A.A. Bochvar Institute) as a structural material for use in the active zones of fast neutron reactors, as well as in thermonuclear and hybrid reactors. The team of authors has been studying various aspects of hydrogen interaction with Rusfer steel for a number of years, primarily retention, diffusion, and the effect of various damages on capture. The paper summarizes the results of the research performed by the authors.

Microalgae: The Multifaceted Biomass of the 21st Century

Microalgae are unicellular, eukaryotic organisms which possess unique qualities of replication, producing biomass as a precursor for biofuels, nutraceuticals, biofertilizer, and fine chemicals including hydrocarbons. Microalgae access nitrates and phosphates in wastewater from municipalities, industries, and agricultural processes to grow. Wastewater is, therefore, culture media for microalgae, and provides the needed nutrients, micronutrients, inorganic and organic pollutants to produce microalgae biomass. Suitable strains of microalgae cultivated under mesophilic conditions in wastewater with optimized hydrodynamics, hydraulic retention time (HRT), luminous intensity, and other co-factors produce biomass of high specific growth rate, high productivity, and with high density. The hydrodynamics are determined using a range of bioreactors from raceway ponds, photobioreactors to hybrid reactors. Carbon dioxide is used in the photosynthetic process, which offers different growth stimuli in the daytime and the night-time as the microalgae cultivation technique is navigated between autotrophy, heterotrophy, and mixotrophy resulting in microalgal lipids of different compositions.

Simple FFH pilot experiment model based on DTT-like machine

The global need for energy in the world is constantly increasing. Critical fission reactors have proved great efficiency in the energy production, but the fear of nuclear wastes and accidents due to an uncontrolled chain reaction makes these unpleasant to public. More safe fusion reactors, on the opposite, have low efficiency. Hybrid reactors capable of using the advantages of both are studied, but not yet developed. In this paper, a simple fusion–fission pilot experiment model has been developed. A Tokamak with the same characteristics of DTT (Divertor Tokamak Test facility) has been considered as a reference machine for the fusion component. The fusion system has been coupled with a relatively simple low-power fission blanket configured into three different modes by using different fuels and materials. This model could be useful in order to investigate the properties of the fusion–fission hybrid coupling from a neutronic point of view.

ARE THE HYBRID NUCLEAR REACTORS THE ANSWER FOR THE FUTURE ENERGY NEEDS?

Now the chances to get the energy released by the transformation of nuclei (fusion and fission) are significantly larger than they were 10 or 20 years ago due to the development of the hybrid nuclear reactors. They can provide energy with abundant resource, safe, and clean at reasonable cost. The research in nuclear fusion shows that several of the present day plasma devises (both stationary and pulse) have the potential to become the background of a hybrid (fusion-fission) industrial facility for energy production. They will burn the high-level radioactive waste, thus closing the nuclear cycle and will hinder the spread of hazardous materials. A breakthrough in nuclear power is expected in the near future, whichever of the three technologies - fast neutron reactors, accelerators driven systems or fusion-fission hybrid reactors will prove to be the most technologically or economically viable base for hybrid reactors.