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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.
K. H. Finken, D. Reiter, T. Denner, K. H. Dippel, J. Hobirk, G. Mank, H. Kever, G. H. Wolf, N. Noda, A. Miyahara, T. Shoji, K. N. Sato, K. Akaishi, J. A. Boedo, J. N. Brooks, R. W. Conn, W. J. Corbett, R. P. Doerner, D. Goebel, D. S. Gray, D. L. Hillis, J. Hogan, R. T. McGrath, M. Matsunaga, R. Moyer, R. E. Nygren, J. Watkins
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 47 | Number 2 | February 2005 | Pages 126-137
Technical Paper | TEXTOR: Plasma-Wall Interactions | doi.org/10.13182/FST05-A694
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Advanced Limiter Test (ALT) project is the focus of a fruitful and intense International Energy Agreement collaboration on TEXTOR. The pump limiter is a mechanical boundary that is laid out for taking the full heat load of TEXTOR, namely 8 MW (assuming 2 MW radiated power) for 10 s, and provides a pumping efficiency of at least 5% of the working gas. This layout is adopted from the requirements of a fusion reactor: It is mandatory to remove both the full power that is convected to the limiter or divertor and the helium ash that is generated in the fusion process. In order to obtain pumping for all gases, the ALT-II is equipped with turbomolecular pumps. A short description of ALT-II is given, and the power and particle fluxes to the limiter surface and into the exhaust scoops are discussed. Requirements of the helium removal rate for a reactor and relevant measurements are discussed, and particle removal and the power distribution to the limiters are treated. Related topics of the ALT-II program were hydrogen recycling and the measurement of turbulence-induced anomalous particle transport in the plasma edge.