One of the biggest obstacles to magnetic-confinement fusion is the need for materials that can withstand the tough treatment they’ll receive from the fusing plasma. In particular, deuterium-tritium fusion makes an intense flux of high-energy neutrons, which collide with the nuclei of atoms in the metal walls and cladding, causing tiny spots of melting. The metal then recrystallizes but is weakened, with atoms shifted from their initial positions. In the cladding of a typical fusion reactor, each atom might be displaced about 100 times over the reactor’s lifetime.
That’s not the plasma that melts anything but neutron bombardment.
I’m aware (I read the article, including the part I quoted you), but regardless of the source of the melting, there is a melting issue of the containment vessel that needs to be engineered away.
Yes, and you won’t get me to argue here. I’m too experienced a smart-Alec to contradict another smart-Alec :)
Well I’ll take smart alec over being called pedantic any day.
Having said that, sincerely wasn’t looking for the argument, just a matter of going back to my original point, that you corrected and educated me on.
I knew there was some kind of melting issue, when I had made my original comment. I had just assumed it was the plasma, but it ended up not being that, as you noted.
My follow-up link comment was just to say “Hey look there is a valid reason for melting to happen, I wasn’t imagining it”.
Read the below from this article…
Removed by mod
I’m aware (I read the article, including the part I quoted you), but regardless of the source of the melting, there is a melting issue of the containment vessel that needs to be engineered away.
Removed by mod
Well I’ll take smart alec over being called pedantic any day.
Having said that, sincerely wasn’t looking for the argument, just a matter of going back to my original point, that you corrected and educated me on.
I knew there was some kind of melting issue, when I had made my original comment. I had just assumed it was the plasma, but it ended up not being that, as you noted.
My follow-up link comment was just to say “Hey look there is a valid reason for melting to happen, I wasn’t imagining it”.
All’s good on my end.