Fusion Breeding for Sustainable, Mid Century, Carbon Free Power

POSTER

Abstract

If ITER achieves Q$\sim$10, it is still very far from useful fusion. The fusion power, and the driver power will allow only a small amount of power to be delivered, $\alt$50MW for an ITER scale tokamak. It is unlikely, considering ``conservative design rules'' that tokamaks can ever be economical pure fusion power producers [1]. Considering the status of other magnetic fusion concepts, it is also very unlikely that any alternate concept will either. Laser fusion does not seem to be constrained by any conservative design rules, but considering the failure of NIF to achhieve ignition, at this point it has many more obstacles to overcome than magnetic fusion. One way out of this dilemma is to use an ITER size tokamak, or a NIF size laser, as a fuel breeder for searate nuclear reactors. Hence ITER and NIF become ends in themselves, instead of steps to who knows what DEMO decades later. Such a tokamak can easily live within the consrtaints of conservative design rules. This has led the author to propose ``The Energy Park''; a sustainable, carbon free, economical, and environmently viable power source without prolifertion risk. It is one fusion breeder fuels 5 conventional nuclear reactors, and one fast neutron reactor burns the actinide wastes.\\[4pt] [1] W. Manheimer, J. Fus. Energy, June, 210

Authors

  • Wallace Manheimer

    Retired