bechtelPPPL

U.S. Department of Energy. //Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory an Overview//. Princeton, NJ: U.S. Department of Energy, March 2011.  **  Where does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his credentials? ** The author of this work is the division of the government responsible for the energy concerns of our country, the United States Department of Energy, (US DOE). There are many other pieces of work composed by this group covering various different energy sources. The credentials of this department are very good, because it is a large collaboration of scientists working together. This really is one of the best sources of information for fusion research, which is why it has been used multiple times. **  What is the main topic or argument of the text? ** This text gives an overview of what the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is. The PPPL is a collaborative national center for plasma and fusion science. Princeton University manages PPPL under contract with the US DOE. This document also gives a brief introduction to what fusion energy is, what its challenges are, and how PPPL’s research contributions have had an effect. More specifically, it details the funding and employment rate, history, and research projects of the laboratory. **  Describe at least three ways that the main topic or argument is fleshed out. ** The main topic of this piece can be fleshed out a few different ways. One can get an idea of what items will be discussed by reading the section titles and can get an even better idea of what is being covered by reading the first sentence of each paragraph. Another quick way to flesh out information is to look at the images and tables throughout the document and their accompanying captions. **  What three quotes capture the critical import of the text? ** “FY2010 Funding: $88.3 million (Includes $9 million of ITER funds expected from ORNI).” “Magnetic fusion research at Princeton began in 1951 under the code name Project Matterhorn… (by) Lyman Spitzer, Jr., professor of Astronomy at Princeton University…(who) conceived of a plasma being confined in a figure-eight-shaped tube…(called) “the stellarator”… In 1958, magnetic fusion research was declassified… (and) the name of the project was changed to the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in 1961.” “As an energy source, fusion has many advantages including: · Worldwide long-term availability of low-cost fuel. · No chemical combustion products and therefore no contribution to acid rain or global warming. · No possibility of a runaway reaction. · Material and by-products unsuitable for weapons production (low risk of nuclear proliferation). · <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Radiological hazards thousands of times less than from fission (short lived radioactive waste). · <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">(Steady energy source requiring small land use and no significant energy storage, which can be located where needed.) · <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Estimated cost of electricity comparable to other long-term energy options.” <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">“The National Spherical Torus Experiment produced its first plasma two months ahead of schedule and operated with its full design plasma current (1 million amperes) nine months ahead of schedule. It has since surpassed its design value and attained a 1.4 million ampere plasma current.” ** <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"> Explain how the argument and evidence in the text supports your research focus. ** <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The evidence in this text supports my research focus because the PPPL is one of the leading laboratories for plasma fusion research. This is of critical importance if fusion is to become a viable energy source in the future. Because of the work done by this lab and others fusion presents a huge potential for a sustainable source of energy in the near future. This group is also involved in the two projects I will be providing a further analysis of (ITER and NSTX).
 * <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Full citation. **