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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.
Ken-ichi Hattori, Yoichi Hirano, Yasuyuki Yagi, Toshio Shimada, Kiyoshi Hayase
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 28 | Number 4 | November 1995 | Pages 1619-1633
Technical Paper | Plasma Engineering | doi.org/10.13182/FST95-A30429
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Zero-dimensional power balance is analyzed, and an operation boundary is deduced in a “beam-assisted reversed-field pinch”; the latter utilizes partial poloidal current drive by neutral beams so that transport losses arising from magnetohydrodynamics (MHD)-dynamo, i.e., tearing mode instability are reduced. Changes of power flow and heat conductivity due to a beam driven current are treated by considering an MHD-dynamo-based power balance model that assumes linear dependence of magnetic fluctuation level on the externally driven current. It is shown that a ratio of a beam driven current to a dynamo current must not exceed ∼40% regarding a beta-limit in the next generation of plasma experiments (minor radius/major radius = 0.6m/1.8 m, plasma current = 1 MA, poloidal beta = 0.1). At that point, the energy confinement time is predicted to increase by a multiple or so of that estimated from the MHD dynamo model without a current drive.