Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 94 Part 2.djvu/262

 94 STAT. 1540

PUBLIC LAW 96-386—OCT. 7, 1980 (1) to promote an orderly transition from the current research and development program through commercial development; (2) to establish a national goal of demonstrating the engineering feasibility of magnetic fusion by the early 1990 s; (3) to achieve at the earliest practicable time, but not later than the year 1990, operation of a magnetic fusion engineering device based on the best available confinement concept; (4) to establish as a national goal the operation of a magnetic fusion demonstration plant at the turn of the twenty-first century; (5) to foster cooperation in magnetic fusion research and development among government, universities, industry, and national laboratories; (6) to promote the broad participation of domestic industry in the national magnetic fusion program; (7) to continue international cooperation in magnetic fusion research for the benefit of all nations; (8) to promote greater public understanding of magnetic fusion; and (9) to maintain the United States as the world leader in magnetic fusion. DEFINITIONS

42 USC 9302.

SEC. 3. For the purposes of this Act— (1) "fusion" means a process whereby two light nuclei, such as deuterium and tritium, collide at high velocity, forming a compound nucleus, which subsequently separates into constituents which are different from the original colliding nuclei, and which carry away the accompanying energy release; (2) "magnetic fusion" means the use of magnetic fields to confine a very hot, fully ionized gas of light nuclei, so that the fusion process can occur; (3) "energy system" means a facility designed to utilize energy released in the magnetic fusion process for the generation of electricity and the production of hydrogen or other fuels; (4) "fusion engineering device" means a magnetic fusion facility which achieves at least a burning plasma and serves to test components for engineering purposes; (5) "demonstration plant" means a prototype energy system which is of sufficient size to provide safety, environmental reliability, availability, and ready engineering extrapolation of all components to commercial size but which system need not be economically competitive with then alternative energy sources; and (6) "Secretary" means Secretary of Energy. PROGRAM ACTIVITIES

42 USC 9303.

Plasma confinement researc.

SEC. 4. (a) The Secretary shall initiate activities or accelerate existing activities in research areas in which the lack of knowledge limits magnetic fusion energy systems in order to ensure the achievement of the purposes of this Act. O^XD The Secretary shall maintain an aggressive plasma confinement research program on the current lead concept to provide a full measure of support for the design, construction, and operation of the fusion engineering devices.

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