Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 27, 2025

A 100 KW Class Applied-field Magnetoplasmadynamic Thruster
Published on: December 22, 2018
An overview of shared technical challenges for magnetic and inertial fusion power plant development
1UK Atomic Energy Authority, Culham Science Center, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 3DB, UK.
Abstract:
Fusion energy is an area of active development and innovation worldwide, with many design concepts studied, each exhibiting a range of technical challenges. A significant portion of technical challenges will be unique for a given design concept; however, there are several overarching challenges that any design must address to some degree. These include tritium handling and the tritium cycle; materials and their survivability in the high-energy neutron environment of D-T fusion; neutronics and the validation of nuclear data; remote handling and maintenance activities; and integrated holistic approaches to fusion plant design. This paper provides an overview of these aspects for magnetic and inertial fusion approaches with a view to highlighting commonality and the benefits of shared knowledge that this may bring. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)'.
Related Concept Videos
Nuclear Fusion
A helium nucleus has a mass that is 0.7% less than that of four hydrogen nuclei; this lost mass is converted into energy during the fusion. This reaction produces about...
Nuclear Power
Nuclear Fuels
Nuclear fuel consists of a fissile isotope, such as uranium-235, which must be present in sufficient quantity to provide a...
Energy In A Magnetic Field
Take an ideal inductor with zero resistance. Although it's practically impossible, assume that the coil's resistance is so small that it is practically negligible. The loss of the field's energy to dissipate thermal energy (or heat) is thus...
Magnetic Fields
A magnetic field is defined by the force that a charged particle experiences...
Magnetic Force Between Two Parallel Currents
The force exerted by the magnetic field due to the first conductor over a finite length of the second conductor is given as the product of the current in the second conductor and the vector product of the length vector along the current element and the field due to the first conductor. According to the...
Potential Due to a Magnetized Object
The vector...

