The Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory is the lead partner on five research collaborations with private fusion companies in the 2024 cohort of the Innovation Network for FUSion Energy, or INFUSE, program. These collaborative projects are intended to resolve technical hurdles and develop enabling technologies to accelerate fusion energy research in the private sector.
The INFUSE program, established in 2019, promotes public-private research partnerships with the fusion industrial community and leverages the unique capabilities and world-class expertise of DOE’s national laboratories and U.S. universities to address barriers in advancing fusion energy technology. The partner laboratories or universities are awarded between $100,000 and $500,000 for one- or two-year projects, with at least a 20% cost share required from the private company.
This year, $4.6 million in funding was awarded to 17 projects, with ORNL leading more collaborations than any other public research institution.
“ORNL’s breadth of capabilities in fusion plasma science, fusion materials, enabling technology and fusion fuel cycle position us to be a strong partner to the fusion industry,” said Troy Carter, director of the lab’s Fusion Energy Division. “I’m thrilled to see this opportunity from the INFUSE program to work with our partners to advance the science and technology needed to enable commercial fusion energy.”
ORNL’s five research collaborations are:
- Development of advanced, oxidation-resistant vanadium alloys for fusion blanket applications led by Tim Graening from the Materials Science and Technology Division at ORNL, with Tokamak Energy, Inc.
Vanadium alloys are promising candidates for liquid lithium breeder blanket structures because of their compatibility with lithium and superior mechanical properties at high temperatures, but they are susceptible to oxidation and embrittlement when exposed to elements like oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. This project will use thermodynamic modeling to optimize the processing of vanadium alloys with different chromium content, then evaluate the microstructure, oxidation, weld strength and properties of the alloys at high temperatures. If successful, this collaboration could develop an advanced vanadium base alloy that can better resist oxidation and open new design options for breeder blankets.
This Oak Ridge National Laboratory news article "ORNL leads five public-private INFUSE projects to advance fusion technologies" was originally found on https://www.ornl.gov/news