ON THE OPERATION CYCLE OF TOKAMAK FUSION-REACTORS

Regimes of tokamak operation more favourable to either inductive or non-inductive current drive are discussed. Steady-state operation, while desirable, appears to be limited to 'advanced' operation regimes. Non-inductive and inductive current drive are shown for 'conventional', high current, and 'advanced', low current, concepts. Thermal energy storage and augmentation systems suitable for pulsed systems are shown, and the issues of stress and thermal cycling are introduced. The advances in physics that may lead to attractive steady-state concepts, are shown also to lead to attractive pulsed concepts-