TABLE OF CONTENTS Among the various possible nuclear fusion processes, the most promising one for energy production is that between the hydrogen isotopes of deuterium (D) and tritium (T).
The neutron generated has an energy of 14.06 MeV. In order to obtain the fusion of two nuclei, it is necessary to provide them with the energy necessary to overcome the repulsion forces between the nuclei. This energy corresponds to temperatures of 10 8 C millions, where the gases are in a fully ionized state (plasma) (ENEA/DISP 1986). Some think that fusion may also happen in cold conditions if certain peculiar situations are created. In the following, reference will be made, however, to experimental machines and to reactor designs based on hot fusion.
The research programmes on controlled nuclear fusion currently underway in the world aim at demonstrating the scientific feasibility of its use for the generation of electric energy.
The Joint European Torus (JET), which represents the most advanced experiment on fusion at this time, has produced (9 November 1991) for the first time fusion energy equivalent to 2 MW for 2 s using a D T (deuterium tritium) plasma, with 10 15 per cent tritium.
This first experiment with tritium was followed on 9 December 1993 by an experiment with up to 50 per cent tritium at the Plasma Physics Laboratory of Princeton (USA) which produced power of 5 28 MW with the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) machine.
Subsequently (1997) JET has produced more than 15 MW in a transient lasting about 2...
