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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.
R. J. Colchin
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 29 | Number 3 | May 1996 | Pages 365-371
Technical Paper | Magnet System | doi.org/10.13182/FST96-A30722
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
START, a low-aspect-ratio tokamak located at Culham Laboratory in England, has a central copper rod that carries the whole of the toroidal field current. A small ohmic heating (OH) solenoid is wound around this central rod. The OH-driven currents in the solenoid are opposed by eddy currents in the copper rod, decreasing the volt-seconds available to drive plasma current. These eddy currents were measured and were modeled by a Laplace-transformed cylindrical heat equation. Slots in the central rod inhibit the eddy currents, increasing the effective poloidal resistance of the rod.