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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.
Don Steiner, R. C. Block, B. K. Malaviya
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 7 | Number 1 | January 1985 | Pages 66-77
Technical Paper | Fusion Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/FST85-A24519
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A novel concept is proposed for combining the blanket and coil functions of a fusion reactor into a single component. This concept, designated the “integrated-blanket-coil” (IBC) concept, is applied to the poloidal field and blanket systems of a tokamak reactor. An examination of resistive power losses in the IBC suggests that these losses can be limited to ≤10% of the fusion thermal power. By assuming a sandwich construction for the IBC walls, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)-induced pressure drops and associated pressure stresses are shown to be modest and well below design limits. For the stainless steel reference case examined, the MHD-induced pressure drop was estimated to be ∼⅓ MPa and the associated primary membrane stress was estimated to be ∼47 MPa. The preliminary analyses indicate that the IBC concept offers promise as a means for making fusion reactors more compact by combining blanket and coil functions in a single component.