Electricity Technologies #Alternatives to Mainstream Fusion

Alternatives to Mainstream Fusion

The chances of mainstream fusion ever leading to large scale commercial power plants is low. This page explores the alternative technologies.

Compact Tokamaks

The big problem for mainstream fusion is the enormous size required for a power plant. New projects propose compact toroidal devices with high temperature superconducting magnets which allow higher magnetic fields and so higher plasma density.

Stellarators

Stellarators are perhaps the most promising alternative fusion devices to mainstream fusion tokamaks with the possibility for steady state operation and no danger from damage from plasma loss in disruptions.

Inertial Confinement Fusion

The inertial confinement fusion technology has competed with the mainstream methods since the beginning of nuclear fusion research. The method temporarily confines the fusing plasma with the inertia of a surrounding material. In the past laser implosion has been used but other methods are now being developed.

Aneutronic Fusion

The emission of neutrons is an intrinsic disadvantage for mainstream fusion with Deuterium-Tritium fuel. Some projects propose to avoid this by the use of "aneutronic fuel" like proton-Boron11 and Deuterium-Helium3.

Mechanical Plasma Compression