A Primary Energy Conversion System and Design Analysis of a Tokamak Experimental Fusion Reactor

Major efforts are underway to define the objectives of a Tokamak Experimental Fusion Reactor (TEFR). A tokamak is a toroidal chamber that uses a strong toroidal magnetic field to contain high temperature plasma within the torus. Charged particles cannot easily move across strong magnetic fields, and if the fields are closed into nested surface, then deuterium and tritium ions trapped in this way and colliding with sufficient energy to overcome their repulsive Coulomb potential, will fuse and liberate energy. The ultimate goal of this study is to establish the scientific and engineering basis for a detailed reactor design. This paper will concentrate on the TEFR primary energy conversion system (PECS). The PECS includes all the components that lie between the plasma and the toroidal field coil. 