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• Code Development
• Radwaste Mananagement
• Transmutation of Fission Waste
• D-3He Fuel Cycle
• Medical Applications
• UW Graduates

The nuclear assessment has traditionally been the strength of the University of Wisconsin (UW) fusion research program. On the national level, the success of our nuclear effort led to the recognition of the UW Fusion Technology Institute (FTI) as the nationwide leader in the nuclear field. Our nuclear group has developed expertise in the neutronics, radiation shielding, activation, and radwaste management areas of research. The numerous publications in these areas reflect our active involvement in 36 MFE and 24 IFE projects. During the past two decades, we have led the nuclear task for the ARIES project, the U.S. shielding activity for ITER, and the nuclear activity for the NSO/FIRE, APEX, IFMIF, and numerous IFE projects. With the U.S. rejoining ITER, we resumed our leading role in the nuclear area, offering a novel approach for the 3-D modeling of ITER and its subsystems.

UW FTI personnel have been designing conceptual MFE and IFE power plants and experimental facilities for over 30 years. We collaborated with research teams at national institutions and international organizations and participated in 60 projects. The majority of the research projects are large national design efforts aimed at developing environmentally attractive conceptual designs for future fusion power plants and experimental test facilities. We have been involved in the development of many fusion concepts and developed expertise in both magnetic and inertial confinement concepts that cover a wide range of design approaches, such as tokamaks, spherical tori, stellarators, tandem mirrors, and laser/heavy-ion/Z-pinch driven inertial fusion. Furthermore, we have been involved in several smaller-scale projects focusing on space, advanced D-3He fuel cycle, proliferation-resistance, and non-electric applications.

Specific areas of research and development at the UW-FTI include:

• Neutronics, shielding, and activation analyses
• CAD/MCNPX interface for 3-D modeling
• State-of-the-art activation code development
• Radwaste management
• Medical applications
• Transmutation of fission waste

UW Ph.D. nuclear technology graduates in neutronics areas occupy key positions in the U.S. Industry, National Laboratories and Universities.