Tritium-Assisted D-D Based Fusion-Breeders

A preliminary assessment of the prospects of tritium assisted D-D based fusion-breeders (FB) is performed. For this purpose, the D-T STARFIRE and the Cat-D WILDCAT tokamak designs are converted into FB's. Two tritium sources are considered for T-assistance - the FB blanket (using L_i or ³He) and the client fission reactors. The TCD modes of operation, in which the ³He exhausted from the plasma is converted in the blanket into T which is fed back to the plasma, are found most promising of all D-D based FB's. Their profitability is somewhat lower than that of the D-T FB's, but they offer ∼50% higher support ratio and simpler blanket designs. T-assistance from client reactors might significantly improve the economics of FB's.