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Fusion is the power that drives the stars.
For several decades, the U.S. and other countries have worked together
to harness this power for energy production on earth.
Fusion has the advantages of:
- An essentially unlimited fuel supply
- NO greenhouse (global warming) gas emissions
- Enhanced safety through the use of reduced activation materials.
The reaction that releases the greatest
power combines the heavy isotopes of hydrogen to form helium. In order
to use this power, it is necessary to develop advanced technology that
can efficiently convert this power to a useful form, such as
electricity, and
that can survive in the harsh fusion environment.
The Argonne Fusion Power Program personnel
play a key role in the U.S. for the development of that advanced technology,
and this development should lead to attractive fusion power plants in the 21st century. The main areas of the program are:
- Advanced Limiter/divertor Plasma-facing Components (ALPS)
- Advanced Power Extraction (APEX) Studies
- Fusion Power Plant System Studies
- Materials Research
- Plasma Edge and Surface Interactions Studies
In addition, the Fusion Power Program is part of the
Virtual Laboratory for Technology (VLT).
The purpose of the VLT is to link together all the institutions in the U.S.
which are involved in fusion technology development.
The Argonne Fusion Power Program is under the
Computational Physics and Hydrodynamics Section
of the Energy Technology Division.
Section Manager:
Dr. Ahmed Hassanein
phone: (630) 252-5889
fax: (630) 252-3250
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