Economic comparison of MHD equilibrium options for advanced steady state tokamak power plants

Progress in theory and in tokamak experiments leads to questions of the optimal development path for commercial tokamak power plants. The economic prospects of future designs are compared for several tokamak operating modes: (high poloidal beta) first stability, second stability and reverse shear. Using a simplified economic model and selecting uniform engineering performance parameters, this comparison emphasizes the different physics characteristics - stability and noninductive current drive - of the various equilibria. The reverse shear mode of operation is shown to offer the lowest cost of electricity for future power plants.