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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.
Glenn Sager, G. H. Miley, I. Maya
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 8 | Number 1 | July 1985 | Pages 1795-1800
Power Conversion, Instrumentation, and Control | Proceedings of the Sixth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (San Francisco, California, March 3-7, 1985) | doi.org/10.13182/FST85-A40021
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Optimal control theory is applied to determine feedback control for thermal stability of a driven, subingnition tokamak controlled by fuel injection and additional heating. It was found that the simplifications of the plasma burn dynamics and the control figure of merit required for the synthesis of optimal feedback laws were valid. Control laws were determined which allowed thermal stability in plasmas subject to 10% offset in temperature. The minimum ignition margin (defined as the difference between ignition temperature and the subignition operating point) was found to be 0.95 keV, corresponding to steady state heating requirements of less than 2% of fusion power.