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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. B. Campbell (TRW)/L. J. Perkins, D. T. Blackfield
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 8 | Number 1 | July 1985 | Pages 674-679
Plasma Engineering | Proceedings of the Sixth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (San Francisco, California, March 3-7, 1985) | doi.org/10.13182/FST85-A40118
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
We describe and present results obtained from the optimization package of the Tandem Mirror Reactor Systems Code. We have found it to be very useful in searching through multidimensional parameter space, and have applied it here to study the effect of choke coil field strength and net electric power on cost of electricity (COE) and mass utilization factor (MUF) for MINIMARS type reactors. We have found that a broad optimum occurs at Bchoke = 26 T for both COE and MUF. The COE economy of scale approaches saturation at quite low powers, around 600 MW(e). The saturation is mainly due to longer construction times for large plants, and the associated time related costs. The MUF economy of scale does not saturate, at least for powers up to 2400 MW(e).