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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.
G.L. Kulcinski, G.A. Emmert, J.P. Blanchard, L.A. El-Guebaly, H.Y. Khater, C.W. Maynard, E.A. Mogahed, J.F. Santarius, M.E. Sawan, I.N. Sviatoslavsky, L.J. Wittenberg
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 19 | Number 3 | May 1991 | Pages 791-801
Advanced Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/FST91-A29441
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The design of a 1000 MWe D-He3 tokamak fusion power plant, Apollo-L3, is presented. The reactor operates in the first plasma stability regime and relies on both direct and thermal conversion of the thermonuclear energy to electricity. The synchrotron energy is converted directly to electricity via rectennas at 80% efficiency and the thermal energy is converted through an organic coolant at 44% efficiency. It is designed with a low neutron wall loading (0.1 MW/m2) which allow a permanent first wall to be used. The overall net efficiency is 47%. A low level of induced radioactivity and the low afterheat in the reactor allows the low activation ferritic steel waste to be treated as Class A and the system to be considered as a Level 1 (Inherently Safe) device. The cost of electricity (COE) is 69 mills/kWh making it competitive with recent advanced DT reactor designs.