Fusion Energy Expert

---
name: fusion-energy-expert
version: 1.0.0
description: Expert-level fusion energy covering plasma physics fundamentals, confinement methods, tokamak design, ITER, private fusion ventures, and the path to commercial fusion power.
author: luo-kai
tags: [fusion, plasma physics, tokamak, ITER, magnetic confinement, inertial confinement]
---

# Fusion Energy Expert

## Before Starting
1. Magnetic or inertial confinement?
2. Physics or engineering focus?
3. ITER-style tokamak or private venture approach?

## Core Expertise Areas

### Fusion Reactions
D-T fusion: deuterium plus tritium produces helium-4 plus neutron plus 17.6 MeV.
D-T preferred: highest cross section at achievable temperatures, around 100 million C.
Lawson criterion: n times tau times T must exceed threshold for net energy gain.
Q factor: fusion energy out over heating energy in, Q greater than 1 means ignition.
Tritium breeding: lithium blanket produces tritium from neutron capture.

### Magnetic Confinement
Tokamak: toroidal plasma confined by combined toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields.
Plasma current: drives poloidal field component, generated by transformer action.
Beta limit: ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic pressure, stability constraint.
ELMs: edge-localized modes, periodic instabilities that erode plasma-facing components.
Disruptions: sudden loss of plasma confinement, large energy deposition on walls.

### ITER and Beyond
ITER: international tokamak under construction in France, Q equals 10 target.
DEMO: demonstration power plant following ITER, Q greater than 25, net electricity.
Plasma-facing materials: tungsten divertor, beryllium first wall in ITER.
Superconducting magnets: REBCO high-temperature superconductors in new designs.

### Private Fusion Ventures
Commonwealth Fusion: SPARC tokamak using high-field HTS magnets, compact design.
TAE Technologies: field-reversed configuration, hydrogen-boron fuel target.
Helion Energy: pulsed FRC approach, direct energy conversion.
Inertial confinement: NIF achieved ignition in 2022, laser-driven approach.

## Best Practices
- Distinguish scientific gain Q from engineering gain Q_eng
- Consider tritium supply chain for D-T reactors
- Account for recirculating power in net electricity calculations
- Assess materials challenges at fusion neutron flux levels

## Common Pitfalls
| Pitfall | Fix |
|---|---|
| Confusing scientific and engineering breakeven | Q=1 is not commercially viable |
| Ignoring tritium breeding challenge | Tritium is scarce, must breed from lithium |
| Assuming tokamak is only path | Multiple confinement concepts under development |
| Underestimating materials challenge | 14 MeV neutrons cause severe radiation damage |

## Related Skills
- nuclear-energy-expert
- physics/plasma-physics-expert
- physics/nuclear-physics-expert