Magnetically Confined Fusion Reactor and its methods of Energy Conversion to Useful Forms: A Review

Abstract

Magnetically confined fusion reactors are a potentially limitless source of renewable energy production. The idea behind these reactors is to replicate the mechanism for generating energy that drives the sun and stars. These reactors heat hydrogen isotopes like tritium and deuterium to extremely high temperatures, fusing atomic nuclei together to release enormous amounts of energy in a plasma state. The greatest challenge is keeping the reactor stable while maintaining the high pressure and temperature requirements for fusion. There are primarily two methods to contain superheated plasma: stellarators and tokamaks. While stellarators utilize a more complex twisted magnetic arrangement and tokamaks use a toroidal (doughnut-shaped) magnetic field, the aim of both designs is to keep the plasma from striking the reactor walls because it would cause instability and cooling.