New developments in magnetic confinement fusion research
Abstract
Nuclear energy is released when the nuclei of light elements are fused together to form heavier ones. There are several fusion reactions which require different conditions that can be tapped for possible power generation. The reaction which has been considered particularly attractive is that between the nuclei of deuterium (the hydrogen isotope having one neutron and one proton in the nucleus) and tritium (the isotope with one proton and two neutrons). This deuterium/tritium (D/I) fuel cycle has the lowest threshold energy (or the lowest ignition temperature ~ 4 x 107°C) in a reactor, and releases the most energy. To extract useful energy from the fusion reaction, two basic requirements must be met:
1. The fuel must be heated to a very high temperature to reach the desired particle energies. For the D/T cycle, the temperature is about 108 K.
2. To enable reactions to yield a net gain in energy, the particles must be confined for a sufficiently long time. The energy released can then be used to assist in sustaining the required high temperature.
