So, what is that blanket made of?
It needs to be a material which:
- can withstand high temperatures and radiation
- does not becomes radioactive itself
- facilitates production of Tritium by breeding
- operates in very high magnetic fields, which means high forces
No such material is known so far.
It is a bit like some engineer from 1700 said: "Well, you could just build a more efficient and compact and light steam engine, and connect it to a machine which has flapping wings, and then you have a transport vehicle which can carry people across the Atlantic ocean at supersonic speed, and at little cost."
It would have had to have been an unusually well informed and far-sighted engineer though, as Savery's engines first worked in 1698 and the first for-sale commercial engine, Newcomen's, wouldn't happen until 1712. And they were incredibly inefficient: 0.01% to 0.1%.
Do you know how far along are we in understanding how to build an effective blanket that can withstand the neutron flux while maintaining its physical integrity?
