A comparison of mainline and alternate approaches to fusion energy and their application to commercial power production

The Fusion energy is seen as one of the brightest lights on a very dim energy horizon. There are many different confinement concepts that may lead to a successful fusion power plant, but are the most promising concepts the ones being actively investigated? This study is a comparison of the two mainline approaches to magnetic fusion energy, the tokamak and tandem mirror, with a dozen alternate confinement concepts. basis for the comparison is a study by the Department of Ener-gy entitled "An Evaluation of Alternate Magnetic Fusion Concepts 1977." This study evaluated eleven different alternate concepts in the specific areas of confidence in physics, confidence in technology, and reactor desirability. Each area had a quantitative set of criteria used for evaluation. study subjects the mainline concepts to these same evaluation criteria. The STARFIRE reactor design and the MARS reactor design are used as a basis for comparing the mainline tokamak and tandem mirror concepts to the alternate concepts evaluated in the DOE study.

The results show that although the physics is better understood for the mainline concepts, the mainline concepts do not make attractive commercial reactors when compared to the alternate concepts. The mainline concepts rank near or at the top of the physics category, near the average for technology requirements, and near or at the bottom for reactor desirability.