Great Country Academician

After listening to Xu Chuan's words, everyone began to think.

For the first wall material in the controllable nuclear fusion reactor chamber, whether it is in China, the United States, or the European Union, the main materials considered are metals and alloys.

The first wall is the inner wall of the equipment that needs to directly face the thermal radiation of the nuclear reactor and the high-temperature particle wind.

At the same time, in order to use the nuclear fusion reaction to generate electricity, it is necessary to convert the thermal radiation and ion wind generated by nuclear fusion into electrical energy. This equipment that converts thermal radiation and particle wind into electrical energy must also have a first wall. Protect.

In addition to the impact of various high-energy particles such as neutron beam radiation and deuterium, tritium and helium, the first wall material has to withstand high temperatures.

Although the high-temperature deuterium-tritium plasma in the reactor chamber is confined by a magnetic field and is not in contact with the first wall material, what the first wall material faces is still a high temperature of thousands of degrees.

Not every material can withstand this level of high temperature. Compared with other materials, the properties of metal materials are undoubtedly more suitable.

This is also the main reason why the mainstream of the first wall material is metal and alloy materials.

But now the person in front of them told them that instead of looking for a resistant material among metal materials, they might as well look at other materials.

This involuntarily made everyone ponder.

After thinking about it for a while, Xing Xuexing, a materials professor at Shuimu University, raised his head and asked, "If you leave out metal, there are not many materials to choose from."

"A few months ago, I participated in an international materials exchange meeting in Europe. At the meeting, I talked with someone about the material of the first wall of controllable nuclear fusion. It seems that Europe is studying the use of ceramic materials as the first wall. Feasibility of one-wall materials."

"And there are some research institutions in the world who are more optimistic about the use of nano-ceramic materials. This is a new route. Maybe we can try it too?"

Xu Chuan shook his head and said, "Ceramics probably won't work either."

"Although the high temperature resistance and neutron radiation resistance of ceramic materials are not bad, they can be used. However, the thermal conductivity of ceramics is too poor. If the heat accumulated on the first wall cannot be taken away from the reactor, there will eventually be an explosion. questionable."

"How about graphene or carbon nanomaterials?" On the side, Zhao Guanggui asked after thinking for a while: "If you consider the heat resistance, carbon materials can reach more than 3500 degrees in an oxygen-free environment, surpassing the vast majority. Some metal materials."

"At the same time, some carbon materials have good thermal conductivity, such as graphene, which has excellent thermal conductivity and is conducive to the export of surface heat."

"I have checked the relevant literature, and the use of carbon fiber instead of alloy materials such as tungsten and molybdenum is a technical route that is equally promising as nano-ceramics in the field of international controllable fusion."

"Even some research institutes are already trying to use carbon nanomaterials to replace some metal materials as the inner wall structure of the first wall."

Xu Chuan thought for a while and replied, "Carbon materials can be considered."

"You are right. Some carbon materials can withstand high temperatures of more than 3,000 degrees without contact with air and oxidants. In terms of high temperature resistance, carbon materials can match the melting point of tungsten, which meets the needs of the first wall material. "

"However, if applied to a controllable nuclear fusion reactor, carbon materials also have a fatal shortcoming at high temperatures."

Hearing this, other people looked over one after another.

Xu Chuan smiled, and continued: "Don't forget that the fuel for DT's controlled nuclear fusion is mainly deuterium and tritium, both of which are isotopes of hydrogen and have the chemical properties of hydrogen."

"Once the high-temperature plasma of these two substances hits the carbon material, it is easily absorbed by the carbon. In addition to the adsorption effect, there is also a chemical effect that turns the carbon into organic matter."

"It will not only change the properties of the material, but also affect the performance of the first wall. It will also consume nuclear fusion fuel and reduce the efficiency of nuclear fusion, especially for the absorption of expensive and radioactive tritium elements. Hope to see."

"After all, there is not enough tritium in the first place, so it is scarce. If it is absorbed by the first wall material, we will be in big trouble."

"However, carbon nanomaterials can indeed be considered. Apart from this fatal shortcoming, carbon nanomaterials are actually very suitable in theory."

After a pause, Xu Chuan raised his head to look at Zhao Guanggui, and said with a smile, "As for how to solve this shortcoming, I will leave it to you, Professor Zhao."

"Follow up, Professor Zhao, you should lead a group to study it. This may be a feasible way."

Hearing this, Zhao Guanggui was stunned for a moment, then his face brightened and he became excited: "I will do my best!"

It is a great opportunity to independently lead a project team in a super project like controllable nuclear fusion.

With this experience, no matter where you go to work in the future, you will always be rushed to ask for it.

And to do research here, you don't have to worry about research funding.

With this boss in front of him, funding is not a problem.

Of course, this does not mean that he can squander the funds at will, and he has no way to put the funds in his pocket, but at least, in terms of research trial and error, exploring new routes, etc., he does not have to worry about the funds being lost due to long-term lack of results. interruption.

In academics, most of them still talk about feelings and dreams.

Who doesn't want to publish a few top SCI journals? Who doesn't want to make a research result that will be famous in history?

Xu Chuan didn't pay much attention to these, smiled, and encouraged: "Come on. Even if you can't explore this road, I hope you can find something useful in carbon nanomaterials."

On the side, Zhao Hongzhi asked curiously: "Academician Xu, apart from nano-ceramics and carbon nano-materials, what is your choice?"

Hearing this, other people also looked over one after another, wondering what Xu Chuan's choice was.

After all, after the boss rejected metal materials, nano-ceramics and carbon nano-materials, there is little choice left for the first-wall materials.

Xu Chuan smiled and said: "To be honest, I don't have any choice of suitable material route, but I can find a way to solve other radiations except neutron radiation."

"????"

In the laboratory, many people had question marks on their faces, but soon, someone responded.

Xing Xuexing, a professor of materials at Shuimu University, asked with interest: "Is it the 'nuclear beta radiation energy accumulation and conversion of electrical energy' technology that Academician Xu used for nuclear waste power generation two years ago?"

Before joining the Qixia Controllable Nuclear Fusion Project, he had done some understanding of this extremely young boss in front of him.

Aside from his theoretical achievements in mathematics, physics and astronomy, this big guy's achievements in the field of materials science can also be said to be the pinnacle in China.

Others may not feel much, after all, in terms of theory, the Nobel Prize, Fields Medal, seven millennium problems and other titles are too big.

But as a person in the field of nuclear energy materials, how could he have no feeling for the technology that can solve nuclear waste?

Nuclear waste is the world's top problem. Ever since nuclear energy was used, nuclear radiation has become an extremely big problem for all countries.

If it weren't for the miracle created by the person in front of him two years ago, I am afraid that Huaguo is still troubled by more and more nuclear waste.

Of course, he only knows that there is such a technology that can solve the radiation problem, but he doesn't know exactly how it works.

After all, this is the core of the 'Nuclear Energy Beta Radiation Energy Concentration and Conversion Electric Energy Mechanism' technology, which is strictly confidential.

Hearing Professor Xing Xuexing's words, Xu Chuan nodded lightly with a smile, and said, "That's right. In the 'Nuclear Beta Radiation Energy Concentration and Conversion Electric Energy Mechanism' technology, there is a technology specially used to construct materials, called 'atomic cycle' .”

"The hazards of various radiations lie in their super-strong ionization ability, which can destroy the grain boundaries and structures of traditional materials, and lead to embrittlement, weakening and loss of properties of materials.

"But if there is a material whose grain boundary structure repair speed can keep up with the ionization ability of nuclear radiation? Does that mean it can perfectly intercept all kinds of radiation?"

"'Atomic Cycle Technology' was established based on this theory."

"The materials constructed by this technology can quickly complete self-healing after being damaged by radiation and the grain boundaries are ionized, and recondense into a stable grain boundary structure."

"I think that if a suitable material is found and constructed by this technology, it should be able to act as the first wall material to face various radiation and high-energy particles of high-temperature plasma."

When he returned to China three years ago, he thought about how to go on the road of controllable nuclear fusion.

The first project he took over after returning to China, on the one hand, did solve the problem of nuclear waste, on the other hand, it might not be paving the way for controllable nuclear fusion.

The two technologies of 'atomic cycle' and 'radiation crystal structure' are theoretically no problem at all when used in the first wall of a controllable nuclear fusion reactor chamber.

Xing Xuexing thought about it with interest, and said: "I have learned about nuclear waste before, and theoretically speaking, materials that can deal with the problem of high-concentration nuclear waste radiation should be no problem to be applied to the first wall. "

"Of course, the selection of materials synthesized by the technology you mentioned needs to be considered. At least in terms of temperature, particle impact resistance, etc., attention needs to be paid."

After a pause, Xing Xuexing then asked curiously: "The impact of radiation and high-energy particles can be absorbed, but what about neutron beams and neutron irradiation?"

"It is important to know that the most difficult problem facing the first wall material is neutron radiation. The neutron radiation carrying strong energy can destroy the structure of all materials, and even cause a cavity structure, resulting in the overall swelling and brittleness of the first wall material. issues such as transformation.”

"I think, your technology shouldn't be able to absorb neutrons, right? At least large-scale absorption is impossible."

"After all, neutrons are still useful in controllable nuclear fusion. If they are absorbed, tritium self-sustainment cannot be completed."

"So what do you do with neutrons?"

PS: There is another chapter in the evening, ask for a monthly ticket