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SUMMARY:Compact Fusion: Two Developments That May Open a Route to Faster\,
  Cheaper Pilot Plants and Reactors
DTSTART:20150428T103000
DTEND:20150428T113000
DTSTAMP:20260407T175824Z
UID:6491e3fce163788f0f2f2cfd20e5c81005923a155ccbea381ac82790
CATEGORIES:Conferences - Seminars
DESCRIPTION:Dr. A.E. Costley & Dr. A. Sykes\, Tokamak Energy Ltd\, Culham 
 Science Center\, Abingdon\, UK\nTwo recent developments may open a faster 
 route to fusion power based on relatively small devices. A re-examination 
 of the ITER confinement data-bases has shown that for steady state tokamak
 s the fusion gain\, Qfus\, depends only weakly on device size implying tha
 t\, at least from a physics perspective\, a high fusion performance can be
  obtained in relatively small devices. This study has also shown that if t
 he scaling of the energy confinement time is independent of beta\, as demo
 nstrated in individual device experiments\, then the fusion power needed f
 or high Qfus is considerably reduced\, typically by factors of three to fo
 ur. Smaller devices have less space for shielding\, especially on the high
  field side\, but if the magnets can be made using high-temperature superc
 onductors (HTS) then less space is needed. HTS magnets can in principle be
  more compact as the HTS can carry higher currents under stronger magnetic
  fields than low temperature superconductors\; and\, as cooling is more ef
 ficient at higher temperatures\, less shielding is required to limit neutr
 on heating of the magnet. A second development addresses this aspect. A sp
 herical tokamak utilizing magnets made with high temperature superconducto
 rs has been constructed and is in operation – pulses of 24 hrs duration 
 have been demonstrated – thereby demonstrating that such conductors can 
 be used for tokamak construction. Taken together these developments potent
 ially open a faster route to conditions when burning plasma physics effect
 s (Qfus > 5) can be explored experimentally\, and/or relevant technologies
  can be developed and demonstrated in relatively small devices\, thereby r
 educing the time for the full realisation of fusion power. The details of 
 both developments are presented in this talk and how they may work in comb
 ination is described.
LOCATION:PPB 019
STATUS:CONFIRMED
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