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Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
R. W. Moir, J. H. Hammer, C. W. Hartman, R. L. Leber, B. G. Logan, R. W. Petzoldt, M. Tabak, M. T. Tobin, R. L. Bieri, M. A. Hoffman
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 21 | Number 3 | May 1992 | Pages 1492-1500
Inertial Fusion Reactor Studies | doi.org/10.13182/FST92-A29931
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
The Compact Torus Accelerator (CTA), under development at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, offers the promise of a low-cost, high-efficiency, high-energy, high-power-density driver for ICF and MICE (Magnetically Insulated ICE) type fusion systems. A CTA with 100 MJ driver capacitor bank energy is predicted to deliver ∼30 MJ CT kinetic energy to a 1 cm2 target in several nanoseconds for a power density of ∼1016 watts/cm2. The estimated cost of delivered energy is ∼3$/Joule, or $100M for 30 MJ. This driver appears to be cost-effective and, in this regard, is virtually alone among IFE drivers. We discuss indirect-drive ICF with a DT fusion energy gain Q = 70 for a total yield of 2 GJ. The CT can be guided to the target inside a several-meter-long disposable cone made of frozen Li2BeF4, the same material as the coolant. We have designed a power plant including CT injection, target emplacement, containment, energy recovery, and tritium breeding. The cost of electricity is predicted to be 4.8 ¢/kWh, which is competitive with future coal and nuclear costs.
