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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.
G. Paquignon, D. Brisset, B. Cathala, V. Lamaison, D. Chatain, P. Bonnay, E. Bouleau, J. P. Perin
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 45 | Number 2 | March 2004 | Pages 282-285
Technical Paper | Target Fabrication | doi.org/10.13182/FST04-A462
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Laser Megajoule cryotarget positioner will be used to set the cryogenic targets at the center of the experimental vacuum chamber. It will consist of a 6-meter carbon boom at the end of which a target will be held by a cryogenic grip at 20 K. In the French concept, the targets will be transferred at 20 K to the cryotarget positioner using another cryostat. Some of the specifications are very ambitious. Indeed, the targets must be positioned with a high accuracy (+/-5 m), the temperature must be controlled with a very good stability and the cryostat must have a 5 day autonomy. To reach these requirements, some technical solutions have been considered. To validate these choices, a scale one prototype has been studied and built at the Low Temperature Laboratory (SBT) of CEA/Grenoble (France). We present here the first results obtained with this prototype.