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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.
Mofreh R. Zaghloul
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 44 | Number 2 | September 2003 | Pages 338-343
Technical Paper | Fusion Energy - Chamber Technology | doi.org/10.13182/FST03-A357
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A model for the ionization equilibrium of weakly non-ideal Flibe plasma is presented in terms of a set of coupled nonlinear Saha equations supplemented by electro-neutrality and conservation of nuclei. Non-ideality effects have been taken into account in terms of lowering of the ionization potentials and truncated partition functions. A simple formulation and solution strategy of the Saha equations for the single element case has been extended to apply for the case of plasma mixtures and has been used to calculate the composition of partially ionized Flibe plasma over a wide range of temperatures and densities. A criterion for the validity of the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium is presented and applied to the result. Effects of non-ideality corrections and approximating the partition function to the statistical weight of the ground state have been quantified and presented.