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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.
Gerald Kamelander, Geert Weimann, Luca Garzotti, Xavier Litaudon, Didier Moreau, Bernard Pégourié
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 45 | Number 4 | June 2004 | Pages 558-566
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/FST04-A530
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The paper reports on simulation of pellet-fueled plasmas in a fusion reactor. The simulations have been performed by means of the ASTRA transport code. We have studied physical modeling of pellet injection as well as the numerical conditions to resolve pellet injection correctly. As a first step the essential mechanisms for density control have been studied based on simplified assumptions with a generic source of additional heating. The experience gained has been used to simulate advanced scenarios including internal transport barriers. It has been confirmed that it is possible to drive the plasma of a next-generation tokamak into a high-Q regime and to maintain it in a steady-state regime. Nevertheless, the pellet injection parameters required are rather demanding and imply a significant technological improvement of pellet injectors. Those investigations represent an improvement of simulations done earlier with a control of the central density at constant profile.