Fusion experiments are operated to gain knowledge that will allow fusion energy to become an electricity producing technology. The current generation of fusion experiments, such as the DIII-D and Alcator C-MOD experiments, and the formerly operated Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor, do not operate as much each year as typical electricity generating power plants. The main reasons for the reduced operational availability are budget limitations to purchase electrical power to operate the experiments, downtime for device reconfiguration or alterations to perform new experiments, and downtime for repairs to the experiments. There has been speculation in some fusion power plant design studies about the plant operational availability that can be reached by mature plants. This paper shows the trends in growth of operational availability experienced in mature energy production technologies and selected types of experimental power plants to illustrate the growth pattern that fusion power plants will likely follow.
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