Prioritization of nuclear fusion methods for strategic nuclear fusion energy policy making in Iran

Higher worldwide research activities in the fields of nuclear fusion energy indicate the importance of developing such technology in Iran as well. On the other hand, the ambiguity regarding the justification and priority of investing in each of the methods of nuclear fusion is a universal challenge that is altimatlly common among nuclear fusion experts Iran too. The present research is aiming at presenting a coherent investigation that can be based on analytical and comparative analysis to achieve a rational prioritization among different methods of nuclear fusion. In this article, different nuclear fusion options are prioritized, using the experts’opinions through Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP); free from any personal judgments and influences. Furthermore, through Delphi method, 19 quality criteria related to different methods of nuclear fusion were classified based on mathematical logic, and based on the degree of importance and screenings, 13 criteria were finally selected. Then, using hierarchical analysis method and also through Expert Choice software, pairwise comparisons between criteria were performed to determine their coefficient of importance. In addition, pairwise comparisons were made between each of the criteria for each of the fusion methods. Finally, the strategic practical prioritization of three different nuclear fusion methods was quantitatively achieved as 0.415, 0.379, and 0.207, respectivly; for Iran.