Plasma Physics Seminar ( Phys 769)

Dr. Ron Stambaugh, General Atomics

Fusion Development Facility: Mission and Overview

Fusion Development Facility: Mission and Overview A Fusion Development Facility (FDF) is proposed to make possible a fusion demonstration power plant (DEMO) as the next step after ITER. To make possible a DEMO of the ARIES-AT type, the mission of the FDF should be to carry forward Advanced Tokamak physics and enable development of fusion energy applications. FDF should demonstrate advanced physics operation of a tokamak in steady-state with burn, producing 100-250 MW fusion power with modest energy gain (Q<5) in a modest sized device. Full noninductive, high bootstrap operation will enable continuous operation for periods up to two weeks. FDF must further develop all elements of AT physics for an advanced performance DEMO. With neutron flux at the outboard midplane of 1-2 MW/m2 and a goal of a duty factor of 0.3, FDF can produce fluences of 3-6 MW-yr/m2 in ten years of operation. FDF will have a goal of producing its own tritium and building a supply to start up DEMO. The development of blankets suitable for tritium, electricity, and hydrogen production will be done in port modules. FDF, ITER, IFMIF, and other AT devices will provide the basis for a fusion DEMO power plant of the ARIES-AT type.

Dr. Vincent Chan, General Atomics

Physics-Based Performance Projections for Fusion Development Facility

Physics-Based Performance Projections for Fusion Development Facility, The Fusion Development Facility (FDF) is a fusion application development facility based on advanced tokamak physics with copper magnets and tritium breeding capability. Theory based stability and transport studies are used to validate the performance projections from a system study based on simplified models. Ideal global and edge stability limits established by further optimization of high performance equilibria obtained in existing experiments indicate that the FDF power density and neutron flux requirements can be met with strong shaping and feedback control. Transport analysis using physics-based transport model with an edge condition consistent with the pedestal stability limit indicate the FDF confinement requirement can also be achieved. Interesting opportunities for study of alpha physics and challenges on first walls will be discussed.

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