The challenge of fusion energy - to realize the promise
- General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
Fusion energy has the promise of providing mankind a long-term, environmentally acceptable, large-scale energy production technology. The demonstration of the technical realization of this technology, and its application to electricity production throughout the world, offers one of the best opportunities for the third world to attain the standard of living associated with the present economically-developed countries without generating environmental pollutants and causing adverse long-term climate changes. However, this research effort is different from anything that has been conducted in the past. Firstly, fusion research requires the development of new science drawing upon various physics fields; secondly, the scientific efforts are paralleled by the development of new technologies that will be necessary to realize fusion as an energy system of the future. The degree of integration and parallel development between science and technology is not unique. However, marrying science and technology over multiple generations of researchers and funding organizations is unique. This is further complicated by the world embracing international collaboration as a fundamental tenant for continuing to make progress in fusion energy research while reducing the cost of ever increasingly larger and more expensive research facilities. I will discuss the challenge of sustaining political and financial support for the continued development of fusion as a science and as an applied research program. For us to successfully reach our goals, we will need to maintain this national and international political support over several scientific and technical generations of skilled workers and over a number of generations of governments and political ideologies. Without addressing the reality of the latter, we cannot realize the promise of fusion.
- OSTI ID:
- 549183
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950264-; TRN: 95:006094-0072
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting and science innovation exposition, Atlanta, GA (United States), 16-21 Feb 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of 1995 AAAS annual meeting and science innovation exposition: Unity in diversity; Strauss, M.S. [ed.]; Heasley, C.; PB: 337 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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