ABSTRACT
Nuclear fusion holds the promise of providing almost unlimited power for future generations. If the process can be commercialized as envisioned by reactor design studies (Najmabadi et al. 1994), many of the problems associated with central electric power stations could be eliminated. Fusion power plants would not produce the pollution caused by the burning of fossil fuels and would eliminate the concern for meltdown associated with nuclear fission. The amount of radioactive waste material produced by a fusion reactor will be much less than that of a fission reactor since there is essentially no radioactive ash from the fusion reaction. If low activation advanced materials such as silicon carbide composites can be developed for the reactor structural material, the problem of disposal of activated components can also be eliminated.
