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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.
L. Bühler
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 27 | Number 1 | January 1995 | Pages 3-24
Technical Paper | Blanket Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST95-A30346
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Magnetohydrodynamic flows play an important role in the design of liquid-metal fusion reactor blankets. The interaction of the plasma-confining strong magnetic field and the electrically conducting coolant and breeding material may cause high pressure drop and unusual flow structures compared with hydrodynamic flows. In strong magnetic fields, duct flows exhibit a core where viscous effects are unimportant, while all flow variables are matched to the boundary conditions within extremely thin layers. In the inertialess inductionless limit, the governing equations can be reduced to a set of coupled two-dimensional equations for pressure and potential through analytical integration in the core and the layers. The use of curvilinear boundary-fitted coordinates leads to a unique numerical procedure for flow calculations in arbitrary geometries. The wide range of possible applications is demonstrated by some examples.