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August 24–27, 2026
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In transition: Commercializing fusion power
Commercial fusion power is closer than ever. There are now around 30 U.S. fusion companies, several of which claim to be on track to connect to the grid as early as the 2030s.
Tokamak and laser inertial confinement approaches benefit from decades of research at facilities such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and ITER, with alternative concepts including stellarator, magnetic mirror, and Z-pinch confinement also making notable progress as private and government funding for fusion increases.
E. S. Bettis, W. B. Cottrell, E. R. Mann, J. L. Meem, G. D. Whitman
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 2 | Number 6 | November 1957 | Pages 841-853
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE57-A35497
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The ARE was operated successfully in November, 1954, at various power levels up to 2.5 Mw. The maximum steady-state fuel temperature was 1580°F, and there was a differential temperature between the inlet and outlet in the NaF-ZrF4-UF4 fuel of 355°F. The fuel system was in operation for 241 hr before the reactor first became critical and the nuclear operation extended over a period of 221 hr. The final 74 hr of operation were in the megawatt range and resulted in the production of 96-Mwhr of nuclear energy. Effects of various transient conditions on reactor operation were determined.