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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.
W. L. Baker, J. H. Degnan, J. D. Beason, G. Bird, C. N. Boyer, J. S. Buff, S. K. Coffey, J. F. Davis III, M. H. Frese, J. D. Graham, K. E. Hackett, D. J. Hall, J. L. Holmes, E. A. Lopez, R. E. Peterkin, Jr., D. W. Price, N. F. Roderick, S. W. Seiler, P. J. Turchi
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 27 | Number 2 | March 1995 | Pages 124-131
Experimental Device | Special Section: Pulsed High-Density Systems | doi.org/10.13182/FST95-A30369
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Vacuum inductive-store, plasma flow switch-driven implosion experiments have been performed using the Shiva Star capacitor bank (1300 µf, 3 nH, 120 kV, 9.4 MJ). A coaxial plasma gun arrangement is employed to store magnetic energy in the vacuum volume upstream of a dynamic discharge during the 3- to 4-µs rise of current from the capacitor bank. Motion of the discharge off the end of the inner conductor of the gun releases this energy to implode a coaxial cylindrical foil. The implosion loads are 5-cm-radius, 2-cm-long, 200 to 400 µg/cm2 cylinders of aluminum or aluminized Formvar. With 5 MJ stored initially in the capacitor bank, more than 9 MA are delivered to the implosion load with a rise time of ∼200 ns. The subsequent implosion results in a radiation output of 0.95 MJ at a power exceeding 5 TW (assuming isotropic emission). Experimental results and related two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic simulations are discussed.