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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.
Alan L. Hoffman
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 27 | Number 3 | April 1995 | Pages 91-96
Overview Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST95-A11947051
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Field-Reversed Configurations (FRC) have an ideal geometry for a reactor, combining high beta toroidal confinement, with a linear external geometry. Present small diameter FRCs are thought to be stabilized by kinetic effects, but recent experiments in the Large s Experiment (LSX) have demonstrated stability well into the MHD regime. Present empirical transport coefficients are already sufficient for a small pulsed reactor, but small steady state reactors will require about an order of magnitude reduction in plasma diffusivity.