Magnetic Confinement Fusion-Technology: Fusion core

Fusion power offers the prospect of an almost inexhaustible source of energy for future generations. The design and R&D of future fusion reactor concepts is expected to benefit largely from the experience gained in the design, construction and operation of ITER. However, harnessing fusion energy and deploying reliable magnetic confinement fusion power plants relies on our ability to overcome the design challenges and address the remaining readiness gaps and development needs for key fusion technologies that are essential for reliable and efficient operation of a fusion reactor. This chapter provides a brief account of the current status of the design and development of the fusion core systems, such as the vacuum vessel, the superconducting magnets, the divertor and the remote maintenance. Other important systems, such as the breeding blanket, are not discussed here but in accompanying chapters of this encyclopedia.