Abstract
Previous fusion reactor studies have focused on the characteristics of fusion reactors in a
mature, commercial market, on full-scale "demonstration reactors" as commercial prototypes, and on
other engineering development facilities. The projected large size and high capital cost of the
development facilities present significant practical impediments to the development of fusion as a
commercial power source. In other technologies, "pilot plants" have been constructed in advance of fullscale
facilities. Such plants have had the characteristics of small size, low capital cost, and a limited set
of objectives, while still having the integrated performance deemed necessary to gain experience with
the operating characteristics of the new technology. A range of possible tokamak fusion pilot plants is
considered, having as the primary objective providing requisite fusion power experience to an electric utility prior to construction of a full-scale demonstration reactor. Two approaches are explored, having
the characteristics of either net electricity production or only the production of high-grade heat. The
effects of choices such as mode of plasma heating and normal versus superconducting coils are also
examined. Since tokamak scaling laws do not seem to permit simply "miniaturizing" the DEMO, fusion
pilot plant designs incorporate only certain essential features of a power plant, while leaving the
development of other features to complementary, specialized facilities.