Major efforts are underway to develop fusion energy for use in electric power production in the furture. While fusion reactor concepts are being developed, appropriate attention must be given to problems relvant to the utility requirements which are likely to be encountered in the commercialization phase. In this paper the expected fusion plant availability is assessed in detail due to the impo...

Providing a historical overview of 50 years of fusion research, a review of the fundamentals and concepts of fusion and research efforts towards the implementation of a steady state tokamak reactor is presented. In 1990, a steady-state tokamak reactor (SSTR) best utilizing the bootstrap current was developed. Since then, significant efforts have been made in major tokamaks, including JT-60U, ex...

Executive Summary Princeton Satellite Systems and the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (a Federally-Funded Research and Development Center) are collaborating on a breakthrough concept, the Direct Fusion Drive (DFD), a D – 3 He fueled fusion-powered rocket engine. The design is based on the Princeton Field-Reversed Configuration Reactor (PFRC) concept for a compact, clean, steady-state fusion...

A new strategic energy plan decided by the Japanese Cabinet in 2014 strongly supports the steady promotion of nuclear fusion development activities, including the ITER project and the Broader Approach activities from the long-term viewpoint. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in Japan formulated the Third Phase Basic Program so as to promote an experimental fusion reactor project. In 2005 AEC has r...

28 I n practical terms, the project’s goal is to construct and operate a tokamak experiment which can confine a deuterium-tritium plasma in which the α-particle heating dominates all other forms of plasma heating. Formally, the primary mission of the ITER project is to demonstrate sustainment of a DT plasma producing ~500 MW of fusion power for durations of 300 500 s with a ratio of fusion outp...

ITER is a fusion experimental reactor to show scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy. It is designed to produce fusion power of 500MW for 300-500 seconds with fusion energy gain Q at least 10 (Q ≥10) [1], [2]. ITER should show scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy as one step to DEMO, which produces electricity by fusion energy. Although design of DEMO wil...