Power plants everywhere generate electricity by converting mechanical power such as the rotation of a turbine into electrical power. In a coal-fired steam station, the combustion of coal turns water into steam and the steam in turn drives turbine generators to produce electricity. Power plants today rely either on fossil fuels, nuclear fission, or renewable sources like hydro. The tokamak is an experimental machine designed to harness the energy of fusion. Inside a tokamak, the energy produced through the fusion of atoms is absorbed as heat in the walls of the vessel. Just like a conventional power plant, a fusion power plant will use this heat to produce steam and then electricity by way of turbines and generators. (Scroll down for more about the tokamak.) We're not there yet, however. The operation of ITER will allow the ITER Members to test long-pulse operation and the many required technologies at reactor scale, but the machine won't be equipped to produce electricity. More here.
