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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. C. Carroll, G. H. Miley
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 10 | Number 3 | November 1986 | Pages 770-775
Impurity Control | Proceedings of the Seveth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (Reno, Nevada, June 15–19, 1986) | doi.org/10.13182/FST86-A24833
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A primarily analytical thermal analysis model is presented which allows for calculation of temperatures in fusion reactor first walls. The model utilizes input from plasma physics calculations coupling a 2-1/2 dimensional geometric analysis with a 1-dimensional heat conduction treatment to determine temperature profiles over the surface of and within the first wall. The results are primarily applicable to the steady-state operation of magnetic confinement devices such as tokamaks. Effects of wall geometry, toroidal curvature, and wall corrugation are considered in computing local power loadings from bremsstrahlung, cyclotron radiation, charged particles, and neutrons. Temperature solutions based on these loadings are developed by expanding into a MacLaurin series and utilizing the principle of superposition. A sequential calculation scheme is employed in lieu of traditional matrix methods in determining temperature distributions in composite walls. The model and corresponding solution methods are applied to three illustrative fusion reactor designs. Significant gains in accuracy are indicated over thermal analysis methods previously used.