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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.
Gerald Kamelander, Xavier Litaudon, Didier Moreau, Irina Voitsekhovitch
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 39 | Number 2 | March 2001 | Pages 119-126
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST01-A157
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The results are presented of investigations on advanced scenarios for plasmas of next-generation tokamaks by means of a 1 1/2-dimensional transport code. The role of thermonuclear alpha particles and helium ash is analyzed by a two-group model and by introducing experimentally validated mixed Bohm/gyroBohm models on the assumption that the diffusion of helium ash can be treated like the diffusion of bulk plasma ions. Recycling of helium ash is modeled by introducing a wall source. Results are presented of parameter studies presenting the equilibrium helium fraction as a function of the recycling factor. It is shown that for a given scenario, the fraction of effective helium confinement time and energy confinement time is a time-dependent quantity and not a constant, as was assumed in earlier research.