ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX)
September 8–11, 2025
Atlanta, GA|Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
Latest Magazine Issues
Jul 2025
Jan 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
August 2025
Nuclear Technology
Fusion Science and Technology
July 2025
Latest News
DOE issues new NEPA rule and procedures—and accelerates DOME reactor testing
Meeting a deadline set in President Trump’s May 23 executive order “Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy,” the DOE on June 30 updated information on its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) rulemaking and implementation procedures and published on its website an interim final rule that rescinds existing regulations alongside new implementing procedures.
Rene J. LeClaire, Jr.
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 14 | Number 2 | September 1988 | Pages 364-380
Technical Paper | Fusion Reactor | doi.org/10.13182/FST88-A20269
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The future of the tokamak approach to controlled thermonuclear fusion depends in part on its potential as a commercial electricity-producing device. This potential is continually being evaluated in the fusion community using parametric, system, and conceptual studies of various approaches to improving tokamak reactor design. The potential of tokamaks using resistive magnets as commercial electricity-producing reactors is explored. Parametric studies have been performed to examine the major trade-offs of the system and to identify the most promising configurations f or a tokamak using resistive magnets. In addition, a number of engineering issues have been examined including magnet design, blanket/first-wall design, and maintenance. The study indicates that attractive design space does exist and presents a conceptual design for the Resistive Magnet Commercial Tokamak Reactor (RCTR). No issue has been identified, including recirculating power, that would make the overall cost of electricity of RCTR significantly different from that of a comparably sized superconducting tokamak. However, RCTR may have reliability and maintenance advantages over commercial superconducting magnet devices.