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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.
Brad J. Merrill
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 37 | Number 3 | May 2000 | Pages 231-246
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST00-A137
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
An unmitigated quench of a toroidal field (TF) magnet has been proposed as an extremely unlikely event for International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Engineering Design Activity safety analysis. While the frequency of such an event is highly improbable (<1 × 10-6/yr), the public safety consequences of this event must be explored because the TF magnets are located midway between the two primary confinement barriers of the ITER design. These confinement barriers are the vacuum vessel (VV) and the cryostat. An unmitigated quench has the potential for producing melting of the magnet. If molten material from the magnet were to impinge on the walls of the VV and cryostat, these walls could fail, resulting in a pathway for release of radioactive material to the environment from the VV. A model has been developed at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory called MAGARC to investigate the consequences of this accident. This model is described in detail, and results from this model used in ITER safety analysis are presented.