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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.
George Patrick Laschea
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 4 | Number 2 | September 1983 | Pages 866-871
Inertial Confinement Fusion | doi.org/10.13182/FST83-A22969
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A high-power-density laser fusion reactor concept is investigated in which directed kinetic energy imparted to a large mass of liquid lithium—in which the fusion target is centrally located—is maximized. In turn, this kinetic energy is converted directly to electricity with, potentially, very high efficiency by work, done against a pulsed magnetic field applied exterior to the lithium. Because the concept maximizes the blanket thickness per unit volume of lithium, neutron-induced radioactivities in the reaction chamber wall can be many orders of magnitude less than is typical of D-T fusion reactor concepts.