IEC-^3He Breeder for D-^3He Satellite Systems.

Details IEC-^3He Breeder for D-^3He Satellite Systems. IEC-^3He Breeder for D-^3He Satellite Systems.

Nov 1996

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1996aps..dpp..2p24c&link_type=abstract

American Physical Society, Division of Plasma Physics Meeting, November 10-15, 1996, abstract #2P.24

Physics

Plasma Physics

Scientific paper

D-^3He fusion minimizes neutrons and maximizes charged fusion products, enabling increased energy recovery efficiency by direct conversion. However, scarce ^3He terrestrial resources have deterred R&D on this alternative. Here, we explore ^3He production through Inertial Electrostatic Confinement^1 (IEC) D-breeders, which supply ^3He to FRC D-^3He satellite reactors.^2 Favorable features for the IEC breeder include simplicity, low cost, easy extraction of fusion products, and compatibility with direct conversion. The breeder-satellite system energy balance is analyzed taking the net energy gain of the overall system, Q_N, as the figure of merit. Breeding is applicable for systems where the satellite Q-value, Q_S, > the breeder Q-value, Q_B. For improved performance, i.e., for high Q_N, QS >= QB >> 1 is needed; however, lower QB values (typical of the IEC) are permissible and still offer sufficient Q_N. An economic study determined breeding produces ^3He at a cost comparable to lunar ^3He, already shown to lead to competitive power.^3 The cost of electricity (COE) for the breeder-satellite complex was compared with the ARTEMIS COE,^4 using lunar ^3He fuel: assuming one satellite (1000 MWe)/breeder (170 MWe), the ratio of the breeding system COE to the lunar mining base COE is ~ 1.2. However, economic breeding is driven by large IEC breeder powers, i.e., increased ^3He breeding rates. Thus, the COE ratio approaches unity with two or three satellites/breeder, requiring increased breeder size and power (340 MWe for 2 satellites, 510 MWe for 3 satellites). Such systems potentially provide a ``bridge'' to a future lunar ^3He economy. 1. G.H. Miley et al., Dense Z-pinches, AIP Conf. 299, AIP Press, 675-689 (1994). 2. G.H. Miley, Nucl. Instrum. Methods, A271, 197-202 (1988). 3. L.J. Wittenberg et al., Fusion Technol., 10, 167-178 (1986). 4. H. Momota et al., Fusion Technol., 21, 2307-2323 (1992).

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