Oxford Sigma’s Chief Technology Officer, Dr Thomas Davis, has authored a peer-reviewed paper titled “The need for codes and standards in nuclear fusion energy” in the special collection, “The emergence of Private Fusion Enterprises” in the Journal of Fusion Energy. The article is available open access here.
Oxford Sigma is contributing to the publication of the upcoming American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)’s Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) Section III Division 4 “Fusion Energy Devices”, which will be published in July 2023, that provides a development pathway for codes and standards in fusion energy. The peer-reviewed paper by Dr Davis provides a rationale for this need to develop new methods for tomorrow’s fusion power stations in line with ASME BPVC codes and standards [1].
A nuclear fusion power station will be constructed out of materials that will be used to develop components that will perform multiple functions. These functions could be structural, magnetic, thermal, nuclear, fuel production, optical, or radiation shielding. If the failure of any (or multiple) of these functions leads to a safety concern to the environment, workers, or members of the public, then a national regulator will impose assessments to determine that adequate mitigation schemes are in place to either reduce or remove the hazard. The purpose of codes and standards is to establish national or international criteria based on state-of-the-art knowledge, experience, and experimental feedback from facilities to ensure structural integrity is maintained.
[1] T. Davis, “The need for codes and standards in nuclear fusion energy”, Journal of Fusion Energy, 42, 13, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10894-023-00350-2
About Oxford Sigma
Oxford Sigma tackles energy security and climate change by accelerating the commercialisation of fusion energy. Oxford Sigma’s mission is to deliver materials technology, materials solutions, and fusion design services in order to accelerate the commercialisation of fusion energy. Oxford Sigma is internationally recognised as a key fusion materials and technological leader within the market. The company operates in the United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Canada, and Japan.
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