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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.
M. Ono et al.
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 63 | Number 1 | May 2013 | Pages 21-28
doi.org/10.13182/FST13-A16868
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Developing a reactor compatible divertor and managing the associated plasma material interaction (PMI) has been identified as a high priority research area for magnetic confinement fusion. Accordingly on NSTXU, the PMI research has received a strong emphasis. With ~15 MW of auxiliary heating power, NSTX-U will be able to test the PMI physics with the peak projected divertor plasma facing component (PFC) heat loads of up to 40-60 MW/m2. To support the PMI research, a comprehensive set of PMI diagnostic tools are being implemented. The snow-flake configuration can produce exceptionally high divertor flux expansion of up to ~50. Combined with the radiative divertor concept, the snowflake configuration has reduced the divertor heat flux by up to an order of magnitude in NSTX. Another area of active PMI investigation is the effect of divertor lithium coating (both in solid and liquid phases). The overall NSTX lithium PFC coating results suggest exciting opportunities for future magnetic confinement research including significant electron energy confinement improvements, H-mode power threshold reduction, the control of Edge Localized Modes (ELMs), and high heat flux handling. To support the NSTX-U/PPPL PMI research, there are also a number of associated PMI facilities implemented at PPPL/Princeton University including the Liquid Lithium R&D facility, Lithium Tokamak Experiment, and Laboratories for Materials Characterization and Surface Chemistry.
