Abstract
Nuclear fusion is the power of the sun and all shining stars in the universe. Controlled nuclear fusion toward ultimate energy sources for human beings has been developed intensively worldwide for this half a century. A fusion power plant is free from concern of exhaustion of fuels and production of CO2. Therefore it has a very attractive potential to be an eternal fundamental energy source and will contribute to resolving problems of climate change. On the other hand, unresolved issues in physics and engineering still remain. It will take another several decades to realize a fusion power plant by integration of advanced science and engineering such as control of high-temperature plasma exceeding 100 million °C and breeding technology of tritium by generated neutrons. The research and development has just entered the phase of engineering demonstration to extract 500 MW of thermal energy from fusion reaction in the 2020s. The demonstration of electric power generation is targeted in the 2040s.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Atzeni S, Meyer-Ter-Vehn J (2004) The physics of inertial fusion. Clarendon, Oxford
Aymar R (2001) Summary of the ITER final design report. ITER document G A0 FDR 4 01-06-28 R 0.2, Garching ITER joint work site, 9 July 2001
Bell M et al (1995) Overview of DT results from TFTR. Nucl Fusion 35:1429–1436
Bethe H, Peierls R (1935) Quantum theory of the diplon. Proc R Soc Lond A 148:146–156
Bosch HS et al (2010) Construction of wendelstein 7-X engineering a steady-state stellarator. IEEE Trans Plasma Sci 38:265–273
Braams CM, Stott PE (2002) Nuclear fusion: half a century of magnetic confinement fusion research. IOP, London
Chen FF (2011) An indispensable truth, how fusion power can save the planet. Springer, London
Dinklage A et al (2007) Physics model assessment of energy confinement time scaling in stellarators. Nucl Fusion 47:1265–1273
Eliezer S, Eliezer Y (2001) The fourth state of matter: an introduction to plasma science. IOP, London
Garin P et al (2009) Main baseline of IFMIF/EVEDA project. Fusion Eng Des 84:259–264
Giancarli L et al (2006) Breeding blanket modules testing in ITER: an international program on the way to DEMO. Fusion Eng Des 81:393–405
Gibson A (1998) Deuterium-tritium plasmas in the Joint European Torus (JET): behavior and implications. Phys Plasmas 5:1839–1846
Green BJ (2003) ITER: burning plasma physics experiment. Plasma Phys Cont Fusion 45:687–706
Hawryluk RJ et al (1998) Fusion plasma experiments on TFTR: a 20 year retrospective. Phys Plasmas 5:1577–1589
Ikeda K (2010) ITER on the road to fusion energy. Nucl Fusion 50:014002
Ikeda K et al (2007) ITER progress in the ITER physics basis. Nucl Fusion 47(E01):S1–S414
Imagawa S et al (2010) Overview of LHD superconducting magnet system and its 10-year operation. Fusion Sci Technol 58:560–570
Ishida S et al (1999) JT-60U high performance regime. Nucl Fusion 39:1211–1226
Ishida S et al (2010) Status and prospect of the JT-60SA project. Fusion Eng Des 85:2070–2079
ITER Physics Basis Editors (1999) ITER Physics Basis. Nucl Fusion 39:2137–2638
Jacquinot J (2010) Fifty years in fusion and the way forward. Nucl Fusion 50:014001
Kato T et al (2001) First test results for the ITER central solenoid model coil. Fusion Eng Des 56–57:59–70
Katoh Y et al (2007) Current status and critical issues for development of SiC composites for fusion applications. J Nucl Mater 367–370:659–671
Kaye and Laby Online (2005) Tables of physical & chemical constants, 16th edn. 2.1.4 Hygrometry version 1.0. Available at http://www.kayelaby.npl.co.uk/
Kikuchi M (2011) Frontiers in fusion research. Springer, London
Koizumi N et al (2005) Development of advanced Nb3Al superconductors for a fusion demo plant. Nucl Fusion 45:431–438
Komori A et al (2010) Goal and achievements of large helical device project. Fusion Sci Technol 58:1–11
Lawson JD (1957) Some criteria for a power producing thermonuclear reactor. Proc Phys Soc Sect B 70:6–10
Lie J, Zhang J, Duan X (2010) Magnetic fusion development for global warming suppression. Nucl Fusion 50:014005
Martone M (ed) (1996) IFMIF-international fusion materials irradiation facility conceptual design activity, final report. ENEA frascati report, RT/ERG/FUS/96/11
Masionnier D et al (2005) A conceptual study of commercial fusion power plants, final report of the European fusion power plant conceptual study (PPCS). European fusion development agreement, EFDA(05)-27/4.10. Available at http://www.efda.org/eu_fusion_programme/downloads/scientific_and_technical_publications/PPCS_overall_report_final.pdf
McCraken G, Stott P (2005) Fusion: the energy of the universe. Elsevier Academic, London
Meade D (2010) 50 years of fusion research. Nucl Fusion 50:014004
Mima K (2010) Inertial fusion development: the path to global warming suppression. Nucl Fusion 50:014006
Mitchell N et al (2010) Status of the ITER magnets. Fusion Eng Des 84:113–121
Muroga T et al (2002) Vanadium alloys – overview and recent results. J Nucl Mater 307–311:547–554
Norgett MJ et al (1975) A proposed method of calculating displacement dose rates. Nucl Eng Des 33:50–54
Ohyama N et al (2009) Overview of JT-60U results towards the establishment of advanced tokamak operation. Nucl Fusion 49:104007
Pamera J, Solano ER (2001) From JET to ITER: preparing the next step in fusion research. EFDA-JET-PR(01)16, EFDA, Culham Science Centre, Abington
Report of Japan Atomic Energy Commission in 2005. Japanese. Available at http://www.aec.go.jp/jicst/NC/senmon/kakuyugo2/siryo/kettei/houkoku051026/index.htm
Ross L (2010) Superconductivity: its role, its success and its setbacks in the large hadron collider of CERN. Supercond Sci Technol 23:034001
Sakharov AD, Leontovitch MA (eds) (1961) Plasma physics and the problem of controlled thermonuclear reactions, vol 1. Pergamon, London, p 21
Spitzer L Jr et al (1954) Problems of the stellarator as a useful power source, NYO-6047; PM-S-14, Princeton University, N.J. Project Matterhorn
Stacey WM (2010) Fusion: an introduction to the physics and technology of magnetic confinement fusion. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim
Team JET (1992) Fusion energy production from deuterium-tritium plasma in the JET tokamak. Nucl Fusion 32:187–203
Uo K (1961) The confinement of plasma by the heliotron magnetic field. J Phys Soc Jpn 16:1380–1395
Webster AJ (2003) Fusion: power for the future. Phys Educ 38:135–142
Wesson J (2004) Tokamaks, The international series of monographs on physics. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Yamada H et al (2009) 10 years of engineering and physics achievements by the large helical device project. Fusion Eng Des 84:186–193
Zinkle SJ (2005) Fusion material science: overview of challenges and recent progress. Phys Plasmas 12:058101
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Yamada, H. (2015). Fusion Energy. In: Chen, WY., Suzuki, T., Lackner, M. (eds) Handbook of Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6431-0_31-2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6431-0_31-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6431-0
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Chemistry and Mat. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics
Publish with us
Chapter history
-
Latest
Nuclear Fusion- Published:
- 02 April 2021
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6431-0_31-3
-
Original
Fusion Energy- Published:
- 02 April 2015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6431-0_31-2