View source for Alternative fusion devices

Economically viable energy production based on [[nuclear fusion]] in a [[magnetic confinement]] device 
has not been demonstrated yet.
The mainstream [[tokamak]], [[stellarator]], [[spheromak]] and [[Reversed Field Pinch]] designs may achieve energy production by fusion in the future, but it remains to be seen whether these designs will lead to economically viable and attractive power plants, as fusion reactors based on these designs will almost certainly need to be very large.

Given this situation, there is considerable interest in developing alternative designs. 
Their common goal is to achieve fusion power generation at lower cost by exploiting the hypothetical improved plasma confinement properties of a different magnetic field configuration (or other design features), which would allow a reduced size of the power plant.
<ref>D. Clery, ''Fusion's restless pioneers'', [[doi:10.1126/science.345.6195.370|Science '''345''', 6195 (2014) 370]]</ref>
<ref>M.M. Waldrop, ''Plasma physics: The fusion upstarts'', [http://www.nature.com/news/plasma-physics-the-fusion-upstarts-1.15592 Nature '''511''', 7510 (2014)]</ref>
Currently, none of the alternative designs have achieved these potential benefits.

== Alternative designs and associated companies ==

* [http://www.psfc.mit.edu/ldx/ Levitated Dipole Experiment]
* Compact Spherical [[Tokamak]] - [http://www.tokamakenergy.co.uk/ Tokamak energy Ltd.]
* Colliding beam reactor - [[:wikipedia:Tri Alpha Energy, Inc.|Tri Alpha Energy]]<ref>L. Grossman, ''Inside the Quest for Fusion, Clean Energy’s Holy Grail'', [http://time.com/4082939/inside-the-quest-for-fusion-clean-energys-holy-grail/ Time, Oct. 22, 2015]</ref>
* [[:wikipedia:Polywell|Polywell]] - EMC2 company
* Magnetized target reactor - [http://www.generalfusion.com/ General Fusion]
* Dense Plasma Focus - [http://lawrencevilleplasmaphysics.com/ LPP Fusion] 
* [http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/compact-fusion.html Compact Fusion] - Lockheed Martin (Skunkworks)<ref>D. Clery, ''Updated: Are old secrets behind Lockheed's new fusion machine?'', [http://news.sciencemag.org/physics/2014/10/updated-are-old-secrets-behind-lockheeds-new-fusion-machine Science, 17 October 2014]</ref>
* [[Single-Pointed Magnetic Confinement]]

== See also ==

* [[Fusor]]

== References ==
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