ITER nuclear fusion reactor design receives approval
One of the last major technical hurdles has been cleared for the internationally-backed experimental fusion reactor, ITER. The so-called “blanket,” which is used to line the walls of the doughnut-shaped fusion machine, received approval for its design. An article in The Engineer reports that the approval means that ITER can move on to its main manufacturing phase. From the article:
The proposed blanket system that will line the inside of ITER’s doughnut-shaped 500MW tokamak reactor chamber overcomes the major challenge of how to absorb some of the 150 million °C heat that will be generated by the fusion reaction while containing the radiation produced.
ITER’s engineers say the blanket is the last major component to be designed and completion will allow the project to move to the main manufacturing stage, with procurement due to start later this year and eventual assembly of the blanket scheduled to begin in May 2021.
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