Post by Matthieu Dagousset
Nuclear Engineer at Hadron Energy Inc.
Our research paper is out in Nuclear Fusion, published by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the numbers speak for themselves! š We ran PHITS Monte Carlo simulations to study irradiation damage in a laser fusion test chamber, comparing a bare steel wall against one protected by a thin flowing lead-lithium (PbLi) layer. The short version: that thin liquid metal layer is remarkably effective. It absorbs over 100Ć more energy than the solid wall and cuts displacement damage (DPA) by up to 10,000Ć depending on the material. It also shifts the activation profile toward tritium-dominated activity, significantly reducing short-lived gamma emitters like Mn-56 and Co-58 compared to a bare steel wall. We looked at D-T conditions across several candidate materials (F82H, SS316L, tungsten, ODS FeCrAl), giving us a rigorous baseline for first-wall design in compact fusion devices. In practical terms, this points toward liquid metal protection as a path to far more durable first walls in laser fusion systems. This work was done during my time at EX-Fusion Inc., in collaboration with UC Berkeley Department of Nuclear Engineering. Thanks to co-authors Alexander Fikri and Peter Hosemann, and especially to Max Monange for making this happen. š Full paper: https://lnkd.in/gB_nfj8r #NuclearFusion #FusionEnergy #Neutronics #MonteCarlo #FirstWall #Plasma #LaserFusion #NuclearEngineering
