ENERGY FROM NUCLEAR-FUSION

Nuclear fusion research is conducted for the long-term objective of de veloping a power plant generating energy from the fusion of atomic nuc lei. In order for the fusion fire to be ignited the fuel, a hydrogen p lasma, must be confined in magnetic fields and heated to high temperat ures - a design principle resulting in good safety characteristics and environmental compatibility. As the source materials required for the fusion process are available in almost unlimited quantities and are d istributed all over the world, nuclear fusion could make a sizeable co ntribution towards future energy supplies. Since its beginnings in the early fifties, fusion research has approached its ambitious goal in p ainstaking, detailed work. Sometimes unnoticed by the public, these ac tivities have made considerable progress especially in the past few ye ars. Such formerly critical problems as plasma heating, thermal insula tion, prevention of plasma impurities, and energy extraction can now b e considered nearly solved. It has been possible in the meantime to ge nerate fusion powers of several megawatt. The results obtained so far allow a rest reactor to be planned which, for the first time, is to pr oduce a self-sustaining plasma with powers in the gigawatt range.