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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.
I.R. Clarkson, T.E. Luzzi
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 8 | Number 1 | July 1985 | Pages 375-380
Electrical and Nuclear Component Design | Proceedings of the Sixth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (San Francisco, California, March 3-7, 1985) | doi.org/10.13182/FST85-A40073
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Charged particles escaping from the central cell are trapped on collectors in the end cell of a tandem mirror machine. Part of the energy is removed directly as electrical energy - direct conversion; the remainder is converted into heat on the collector plates and is removed by the collector coolant. To keep cost to a minimum, materials were used that are easy to fabricate and require that coolant temperatures be kept low; therefore, no useful heat was made available from the direct converter. Included are the results of studies of plasma shaping for the direct converter, and the effects of sputtering.