The TOKAMAK System

In 1934, the first experimental fusion reactions were accomplished. This was a significant advance at the time. A 12-year-old who successfully conducted a fusion experiment at home in 2018 gained the Guinness World Records as the youngest individual to do so. Fusion reactions are not particularly difficult to produce today. Unfortunately, these studies only yield bursts that last a few hundredths of a second, and it is still exceedingly difficult to achieve and maintain these fusion events over an extended length of time. Fusion cannot evolve into an economically viable energy source until a consistent and dependable method of creating it is found. In this chapter, we will try to bring the reader up to date on where TOKAMAK technology stands and where we are going to achieve the break-even utilizing magnetic confinement fusion using this particular device as a fusion reactor.