Areas of expertise
The PSFC has deep expertise in:
- Plasma science
- Cryogenics
- Magnets (see High-temperature superconducting magnets, or MHD generators)
- High-power radio waves (see Ion cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) heating and Gyrotron, as well as backward wave oscillators)
- Particle accelerators (e.g. Cyclotron proton source) and detectors
- Nuclear materials (e.g. Understanding materials degradation in a nuclear fission reactor)
Past or present applications
Fusion energy
Accelerators & detectors
Plasma science
- Microwave-based sensors for soot detection, diesel vehicle filters, and environmental monitoring
- Improved sensors for the detection of explosives and chemical warfare agents
- Microwave torch plasma for continuous emissions that monitor stack exhaust pollution
- Millimeter-wave diagnostics for glass melters, including nuclear waste vitrification
- Plasma arc melters to convert waste into inert materials and organic waste into clean fuel
- Plasma-based chemical reactors for fuel reformation to reduce NOx emissions and improve fuel efficiency
- High power millimeter-wave sources to geothermal energy (see Quaise Energy)
- High power millimeter-wave sources deep borehole storage of nuclear waste