Can an Underdog Pulsed Power FNSF Compete with the Steady State Version?

A fusion nuclear science facility (FNSF) is an important component on the path to a fusion reactor. It must establish the materials and component data base needed for a power reactor in a fully integrated facility that can be directly extrapolated to a reactor. The FNSF is not required to produce net electricity, but it must be considerably smaller (i.e. less expensive) than a full power producing reactor. Serious studies by the USA FNSF team based on conservative physics and engineering principles resulted in a detailed design for a steady state device operating over month long pulses. The cost and technological complication of the current drive system has motivated us to reexamine the desirability of a no-current-drive, short pulse (e.g. 1 hour) FNSF. Recent development of (a) high field, high temperature REBCO superconducting tapes, (b) advanced blanket design, (c) demountable joints in the TF coil for ease of component replacement, and (d) 3-D advanced manufacturing techniques open the possibility for a technologically attractive pulsed design. High field in particular should allow a smaller bore OH transformer to be used, leading to relative improvements in pulsed systems. Results of a high level comparative analysis between a pulsed and steady state FNSF will be presented.