Fusion reactor control

The system engineering of tokamak fusion reactors can be performed by selectively applying scientific and engineering effort. A description system configuration can best satisfy the operational need for energy by mankind according to his measures of effectiveness, which include operational parameters such as reliability, availability, maintainability, environmental impact, cost and health and safety. Such a description system configuration can integrate the efforts of all engineering disciplines and specialties and thereby integrate the related technical parameters by assuring compatibility of all physical, functional, and technical program interfaces in a manner which optimizes the total system definition and design. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) has the need to feedback control both the fusion output power and the driven plasma current, while avoiding the possibility of damage to divertor plates. This paper estimates the response speeds for transfer functions that could be used in analyzing these two needs, expressed as ratios, kinetic temperature and plasma density increases, each per an injected fuel density rate increment, and is configuration independent