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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.
Ethan Coffey, Tim Bigelow, Ira Griffith, Greg Hanson, Arnold Lumsdaine, Claire Luttrell, David Rasmussen, Chuck Schaich, Bill Wolframe
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 68 | Number 2 | September 2015 | Pages 383-387
Technical Paper | Proceedings of TOFE-2014 | doi.org/10.13182/FST14-962
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Finite element analysis calculations are performed to determine the temperature profile in sections of the ITER Electron Cyclotron Heating (ECH) transmission line waveguide. Each aluminum, corrugated waveguide transmission line will transmit up to 1.5 MW of electromagnetic radiation over roughly 200 meters from a 170 GHz gyrotron to heat the plasma in the tokamak. The “ridged tube” waveguide has integral water cooling traces which are lined with copper tubing. Each transmission line includes miter bends which may be actively cooled and waveguide couplings, where the waveguide cannot be actively cooled due to coupling hardware. The amount of cooling water available is limited, so determining the required amount of water in the cooling lines is essential. Finite element computational analyses are performed to determine the effect of the heat load and water cooling on the temperature profile of the waveguide in various steady-state cases.