Systems Approaches to Nuclear Fusion Reactors

This book presents an overall review of the design, operation and results of key fusion experiments, and analyses the characteristics and robustness of the various interlinked systems, demonstrating how optimum performance is achieved. A systems approach to nuclear fusion provides methods of design and evaluation of the construction of fusion devices and associated experiments and operating procedures. The main focus is on the Tokamak approach, including DIII-D, TCV, JET, WEST, and the fusion reactor prototype ITER under construction. Almost all tokamak and DEMO designs are also examined. Stellarator, Mirror and Laser inertial experiments are analysed in detail from a systems point of view.

The book examines the approach to the engineering and physics design and optimisation for each machine, and provides an analysis of how these systems performed and the outstanding plasma physics results achieved, providing a basis for future machines to follow. The reader will gain both a historical and fully up-to-date perspective on the current status of nuclear fusion research from both engineering and a physics point of view, and also understand the tools and approaches needed to design and operate successful experiments and reactor-relevant machines. The systems approaches provide a unifi
ed view of these experiments and a means of evaluating and improving on them.

This book is aimed at both practicing researchers and also graduate students in physics and engineering, including those specializing in nuclear fusion and in other areas where large and integrated experimental equipment is used. Complex mathematics are fully referenced but avoided here, so also general readers interested in nuclear fusion will find this book an accessible summary of the current state of nuclear fusion, and systems analysts will obtain valuable insights.