Comparison of Options for a Pilot Plant Fusion Nuclear Mission
Authors: T. Brown, A.E. Costley, R.J. Goldsston, L.El-Guebaly, C. Kessel, G.H. Neilson, S. Malang, J.E. Menard, S. Prager, L. Waganer, P. Titus, and M. Zarnstorff
Abstract:
A fusion pilot plant study was initiated to clarify the development needs in moving from ITER to a
first of a kind fusion power plant, following a path similar to the approach adopted for the commercialization of fission.
The pilot plant mission encompassed component test and fusion nuclear science missions plus the requirement to
produce net electricity with high availability in a device designed to be prototypical of the commercial device.
Three magnetic configuration options were developed around this mission: the advanced tokamak (AT),
spherical tokamak (ST) and compact stellarator (CS). With the completion of the study and separate
documentation of each design option a question can now be posed; how do the different designs compare with each
other as candidates for meeting the pilot plant mission? In a pro/con format this paper will examine the key
arguments for and against the AT, ST and CS magnetic configurations. Key topics addressed include: plasma
parameters, device configurations, size and weight comparisons, diagnostic issues, maintenance schemes,
availability influences and possible test cell arrangement schemes.
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Submitted to: ANS Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy/Nashville, TN (August 27-31, 2012
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Download PPPL-4799 (pdf 1.113 MB 7 pp)
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