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Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
H. Ogawa, T. Ogawa, K. Tsuzuki, H. Kawashima, S. Kasai, Y. Kashiwa, K. Hasegawa, S. Suzuki, T. Shibata, Y. Miura, Y. Kusama, H. Kimura, N. Fukumoto, M. Nagata, T. Uyama, S. Yatsu, H. Niimi
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 49 | Number 2 | February 2006 | Pages 209-224
Technical Paper | JFT-2M Tokamak | doi.org/10.13182/FST06-A1096
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A compact toroid (CT) injector is considered to comprise one of the advanced refueling methods for the fusion reactor. In JFT-2M, it was demonstrated for the first time that a CT injected into a neutral beam-heated plasma penetrated deeply into the plasma and caused a rapid increase in the electron density. We also observed interesting motions such as shift and reflection of the injected CT plasma as well as magnetic fluctuations induced just after CT injection. A power spectrum analysis suggested that this fluctuation was related to magnetic reconnection between the CT plasmoid and the toroidal field. We also modified the shape of the CT injector electrodes to improve CT injection efficiency. As a result, the CT parameters were superior to those of previous experiments, and the operational window became broader. Finally, it has been successfully demonstrated that a CT could be transported smoothly through curved drift tubes, which is one of the key technologies to avoid adverse effects of the toroidal field and to extend flexibility of the design and layout of the CT injector to access larger devices.