Fusion Energy: Visions of the Future Dec
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STATUS of FUSION ENERGY Impact & Opportunity for Alberta Volume II
STATUS OF FUSION ENERGY Impact & Opportunity for Alberta Volume II Appendices Prepared by Alberta/Canada Fusion Energy Program March 2014 ALBERTA COUNCIL OF TECHNOLOGIES Gratefully acknowledges the support of: Alberta Energy Stantec Corporation University of Alberta Alberta/Canada Fusion Energy Advisory Committee Gary Albach Nathan Armstrong Brian Baudais Will Bridge Robert Fedosejevs Peter Hackett Chris Holly Jerry Keller Brian Kryska Axel Meisen Rob Pitcairn Klaas Rodenburg John Rose Glenn Stowkowy Martin Truksa Gary Woloshyniuk Perry Kinkaide Allan Offenberger A special thank you is extended to the institutions (identified in this report) that were visited and to the many persons who so graciously hosted our site visits, provided the briefing material presented in this status report and thereby assisted our fusion assessment. Report Authors Allan Offenberger Robert Fedosejevs Klaas Rodenburg Perry Kinkaide Contact: Dr. Perry Kinkaide [email protected] 780-990-5874 Dr. Allan Offenberger [email protected] 780-483-1740 i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Acronyms ………………………………………………………………………….. iii List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………… iv Appendix A: Assessment of Major Global Fusion Technologies 1.0 Context - Global Energy Demand……………………………………………………… 1 1.0.1 Foreward ……………………………………………………………………… 1 1.0.2 Energy Trends………………………………………………………………… 2 1.0.3 Energy From Fusion Reactions……………………………………………… 4 1.1 Major Approaches to Fusion Energy………………………………………………….. 7 1.1.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………. 7 1.1.2 Fusion Reactions & the Fuel Cycle………………………………………….. 8 1.1.3 IFE Approaches to Fusion…………………………………………………… 11 1.1.3.1 Introduction………………………………………………………….. 11 1.1.3.2 Indirect Drive…………………………………………………………14 1.1.3.3 Direct Drive…………………………………………………………. 16 1.1.3.4 Fast Ignition………………………………………………………… 17 1.1.3.5 Shock Ignition………………………………………………………..19 1.1.3.6 IFE Power Reactor Systems……………………………………….20 1.1.3.7 Modeling Codes……………………………………………………. -
Aspects of Advanced Fuel FRC Fusion Reactors
Aspects of Advanced Fuel FRC Fusion Reactors John F Santarius and Gerald L Kulcinski Fusion Technology Institute Engineering Physics Department CT2016 Irvine, California August 22-24, 2016 [email protected]; 608-692-4128 Laundry List of Fusion Reactor Development Issues • Plasma physics of fusion fuel cycles • Engineering issues unique or more ! Cross sections and Maxwellian reactivity important for DT fuel ! Beta and B-field utilization ! Tritium-breeding blanket design ! Plasma fusion power density ! Neutron damage to materials ! Plasma energy and particle confinement ! Radiological hazard (afterheat and waste disposal) ! Neutron production vs Ti for various fuel ion ratios • Safety • Geometry implications for engineering design • Environment ! Power flows • Licensing ! Direct energy conversion ! Magnet configuration • Economics ! Radiation shielding ! Maintenance in a highly radioactive environment • Nuclear non-proliferation ! Coolant piping accessibility • Non‑electric applications • Plasma‑surface interactions • 3He fuel supply JFS 2016 Fusion Technology Institute, University of Wisconsin 2 UW Developed and/or Participated in 40 MFE & 26 IFE Power Plant and Test Facility Studies in Past 46 years MFE-40 IFE-26 JFS 2016 Fusion Technology Institute, University of Wisconsin 3 Total Fusion Reactivities for Key Fusion Fuels Total Energy Production Rate st 1 generation fuels: MaxwellianTotal Reactivities -19 D + T → n (14.07 MeV) + 4He (3.52 MeV) 10 D + D → n (2.45 MeV) + 3He (0.82 MeV) → p (3.02 MeV) + T (1.01 MeV) -20 {50% each -
Conceptual Design Report on JT-60SA ___1. JT-60SA
Conceptual Design Report on JT-60SA ________ 1. JT-60SA Mission and Program 1.1 Introduction Realization of fusion energy requires long-term research and development. A schematic of fusion energy development is shown in Fig. 1.1-1. Fusion energy development is divided into 3 phases before commercialization. The large Tokamak phase achieved equivalent break-even plasmas in JET and JT-60 and significant DT Power productions in TFTR and JET. A programmatic objective of the ITER phase is demonstration of scientific and technical feasibility of fusion energy. A primary objective of the DEMO phase is to demonstrate power (electricity) production in a manner leading to commercialization of fusion energy. The fast track approach to fusion energy is to shorten its development period for fusion energy utilization by adding appropriate programs (BA program) in parallel with ITER. Program elements are advanced tokamak/simulation studies and fusion technology/material development. Fig. 1.1-1 Schematic of fusion energy development To specify program elements needed in parallel with ITER, we have to identify the concept of DEMO. Typical DEMO concepts of Japan and EU are shown in Fig.1.1-2. Although size spans widely, operation mode is unanimously “steady-state”. Ranges of the normalized beta are pretty close each other, βN=3.5 to 4.3 for JA DEMO and 3.4 to 4.5 for EU DEMO. Fig. 1.1-2 Cross section and parameters of JA-EU DEMO studies ave 2 The neutron wall load of DEMO exceeds that of ITER (Pn =0.57MW/m ) by a factor of 3-6. -
Nuclear Fusion
Copyright © 2016 by Gerald Black. Published by The Mars Society with permission NUCLEAR FUSION: THE SOLUTION TO THE ENERGY PROBLEM AND TO ADVANCED SPACE PROPULSION Gerald Black Aerospace Engineer (retired, 40+ year career); email: [email protected] Currently Chair of the Ohio Chapter of the Mars Society Presented at Mars Society Annual Convention, Washington DC, September 22, 2016 ABSTRACT Nuclear fusion has long been viewed as a potential solution to the world’s energy needs. However, the government sponsored megaprojects have been floundering. The two multi-billion- dollar flagship programs, the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor (ITER) and the National Ignition Facility (NIF), have both experienced years of delays and a several-fold increase in costs. The ITER tokamak design is so large and complex that, even if this approach succeeds, there is doubt that it would be economical. After years of testing at full power, the NIF facility is still far short of achieving its goal of fusion ignition. But hope is not lost. Several private companies have come up with smaller and simpler approaches that show promise. This talk highlights the progress made by one such private company, namely LPPFusion (formerly called Lawrenceville Plasma Physics). LPPFusion is developing focus fusion technology based on the dense plasma focus device and hydrogen-boron 11 fuel. This approach, if it works, would produce a fusion power generator small enough to fit in a truck. This device would produce no radioactivity, there would be no possibility of a meltdown or other safety issues, and it would be more economical than any other source of electricity. -
Digital Physics: Science, Technology and Applications
Prof. Kim Molvig April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) DDD-T--TT FusionFusion D +T → α + n +17.6 MeV 3.5MeV 14.1MeV • What is GOOD about this reaction? – Highest specific energy of ALL nuclear reactions – Lowest temperature for sizeable reaction rate • What is BAD about this reaction? – NEUTRONS => activation of confining vessel and resultant radioactivity – Neutron energy must be thermally converted (inefficiently) to electricity – Deuterium must be separated from seawater – Tritium must be bred April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) ConsiderConsider AnotherAnother NuclearNuclear ReactionReaction p+11B → 3α + 8.7 MeV • What is GOOD about this reaction? – Aneutronic (No neutrons => no radioactivity!) – Direct electrical conversion of output energy (reactants all charged particles) – Fuels ubiquitous in nature • What is BAD about this reaction? – High Temperatures required (why?) – Difficulty of confinement (technology immature relative to Tokamaks) April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) DTDT FusionFusion –– VisualVisualVisual PicturePicture Figure by MIT OCW. April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) EnergeticsEnergetics ofofof FusionFusion e2 V ≅ ≅ 400 KeV Coul R + R V D T QM “tunneling” required . Ekin r Empirical fit to data 2 −VNuc ≅ −50 MeV −2 A1 = 45.95, A2 = 50200, A3 =1.368×10 , A4 =1.076, A5 = 409 Coefficients for DT (E in KeV, σ in barns) April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) TunnelingTunneling FusionFusion CrossCross SectionSection andand ReactivityReactivity Gamow factor . Compare to DT . April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) ReactivityReactivity forfor DTDT FuelFuel 8 ] 6 c e s / 3 m c 6 1 - 0 4 1 x [ ) ν σ ( 2 0 0 50 100 150 200 T1 (KeV) April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) Figure by MIT OCW. -
Simultaneous Ultra-Fast Imaging and Neutron Emission from a Compact Dense Plasma Focus Fusion Device
instruments Article Simultaneous Ultra-Fast Imaging and Neutron Emission from a Compact Dense Plasma Focus Fusion Device Nathan Majernik, Seth Pree, Yusuke Sakai, Brian Naranjo, Seth Putterman and James Rosenzweig * ID Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; [email protected] (N.M.); [email protected] (S.P.); [email protected] (Y.S.); [email protected] (B.N.); [email protected] (S.P.) * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +310-206-4541 Received: 12 February 2018; Accepted: 5 April 2018; Published: 11 April 2018 Abstract: Recently, there has been intense interest in small dense plasma focus (DPF) devices for use as pulsed neutron and X-ray sources. Although DPFs have been studied for decades and scaling laws for neutron yield versus system discharge current and energy have been established (Milanese, M. et al., Eur. Phys. J. D 2003, 27, 77–81), there are notable deviations at low energies due to contributions from both thermonuclear and beam-target interactions (Schmidt, A. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 2012, 109, 1–4). For low energy DPFs (100 s of Joules), other empirical scaling laws have been found (Bures, B.L. et al., Phys. Plasmas 2012, 112702, 1–9). Although theoretical mechanisms to explain this change have been proposed, the cause of this reduced efficiency is not well understood. A new apparatus with advanced diagnostic capabilities allows us to probe this regime, including variants in which a piston gas is employed. Several complementary diagnostics of the pinch dynamics and resulting X-ray neutron production are employed to understand the underlying mechanisms involved. -
A European Success Story the Joint European Torus
EFDA JET JETJETJET LEAD ING DEVICE FOR FUSION STUDIES HOLDER OF THE WORLD RECORD OF FUSION POWER PRODUCTION EXPERIMENTS STRONGLY FOCUSSED ON THE PREPARATION FOR ITER EXPERIMENTAL DEVICE USED UNDER THE EUROPEAN FUSION DEVELOPEMENT AGREEMENT THE JOINT EUROPEAN TORUS A EUROPEAN SUCCESS STORY EFDA Fusion: the Energy of the Sun If the temperature of a gas is raised above 10,000 °C virtually all of the atoms become ionised and electrons separate from their nuclei. The result is a complete mix of electrons and ions with the sum of all charges being very close to zero as only small charge imbalance is allowed. Thus, the ionised gas remains almost neutral throughout. This constitutes a fourth state of matter called plasma, with a wide range of unique features. D Deuterium 3He Helium 3 The sun, and similar stars, are sphe- Fusion D T Tritium res of plasma composed mainly of Li Lithium hydrogen. The high temperature, 4He Helium 4 3He Energy U Uranium around 15 million °C, is necessary released for the pressure of the plasma to in Fusion T balance the inward gravitational for- ces. Under these conditions it is pos- Li Fission sible for hydrogen nuclei to fuse together and release energy. Nuclear binding energy In a terrestrial system the aim is to 4He U produce the ‘easiest’ fusion reaction Energy released using deuterium and tritium. Even in fission then the rate of fusion reactions becomes large enough only at high JG97.362/4c Atomic mass particle energy. Therefore, when the Dn required nuclear reactions result from the thermal motions of the nuclei, so-called thermonuclear fusion, it is necessary to achieve u • extremely high temperatures, of at least 100 million °C. -
Retarding Field Analyzer (RFA) for Use on EAST
Magnetic Confinement Fusion C. Xiao and STOR-M team Plasma Physics Laboratory University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Canada \ Outline Magnetic Confinement scheme Progress in the world Tokamak Research at the University of Saskatchewan 2 CNS-2019 Fusion Session, June 24, 2019 Magnetic Confinement Scheme 3 CNS-2019 Fusion Session, June 24, 2019 Charged particle motion in straight magnetic field A charged particle circulates around the magnetic field lines (e.g., produced in a solenoid) Cross-field motion is restricted within Larmor radius 푚푣 푟 = 퐿 푞퐵 Motion along the field lines is still free End loss to the chamber wall Chamber Wall 4 CNS-2019 Fusion Session, June 24, 2019 Toriodal geometry is the solution However, plasma in simple toroidal field drifts to outboard on the wall 5 CNS-2019 Fusion Session, June 24, 2019 Tokamak Bend solenoid to form closed magnetic field lines circular field line without ends no end-loss. Transformer action produces a huge current in the chamber Generate poloidal field Heats the plasma Tokamak: abbreviation of Russian words for toroidal magnetic chamber 6 CNS-2019 Fusion Session, June 24, 2019 Stellarator • The magnetic field are generated by complicated external coils • No plasma current, no disruptions • Engineering is challenge 7 CNS-2019 Fusion Session, June 24, 2019 Wendelstein 7-X, Greifswald, Germany • Completed in October 2015 • Superconducting coils • High density and high temperature have been achieved 8 CNS-2019 Fusion Session, June 24, 2019 Reversed Field Pinch • Toroidal field reverses direction at the edge • The magnetic field are generated by current in plasma • Toroidal filed and poloidal field are of similar strength. -
Fusion & High Energy Density Plasma Science
Fusion & High Energy Density Plasma Science Opportunities using Pulsed Power Daniel Sinars, Sandia National Laboratories Fusion Power Associates Dec. 4-5, 2018 Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC., a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA-0003525. Sandia is the home of Z, the world’s largest pulsed power facility, and its adjacent multi-kJ Z-Beamlet and Z-PW lasers Pulsed power development area Z Periscope ZBL/ZPW Chama ZPW ZBL Chamber Jemez Chamber Chaco Pecos Target Chamber Chaco Chaco Probe Chambers Laser Beam Using two HED facilities, we have demonstrated the scaling of magneto-inertial fusion over factors of 1000x in energy 3 Our fusion yields have been increasing as expected with increased fuel preheating and magnetization Progress since 1st MagLIF in 2014 Demonstrated platform on Omega • Improved laser energy coupling • Improved magnetic field from ~0.3 kJ to 1.4 kJ strength from 9 T to 27 T • Demonstrated 6x improvement • Achieved record MIF yields on in fusion performance, reaching Omega of 5x109 DD in 2018 2.5 kJ DT-equivalent in 2018 4 We believe that Z is capable of producing a fusion yield of ~100 kJ DT-equivalent with MagLIF, though doing it with DT would exceed our safety thresholds for both T inventory & yield Preheat Energy = 6 kJ into 1.87 mg/cc DT § 2D simulations indicate a 22+ MA and 25+ T with 22.6 MA 6 kJ of preheat could produce ~100 kJ 21.1 MA § Presently, we cannot produce these inputs 17.4 MA S. -
Formation of Hot, Stable, Long-Lived Field-Reversed Configuration Plasmas on the C-2W Device
IOP Nuclear Fusion International Atomic Energy Agency Nuclear Fusion Nucl. Fusion Nucl. Fusion 59 (2019) 112009 (16pp) https://doi.org/10.1088/1741-4326/ab0be9 59 Formation of hot, stable, long-lived 2019 field-reversed configuration plasmas © 2019 IAEA, Vienna on the C-2W device NUFUAU H. Gota1 , M.W. Binderbauer1 , T. Tajima1, S. Putvinski1, M. Tuszewski1, 1 1 1 1 112009 B.H. Deng , S.A. Dettrick , D.K. Gupta , S. Korepanov , R.M. Magee1 , T. Roche1 , J.A. Romero1 , A. Smirnov1, V. Sokolov1, Y. Song1, L.C. Steinhauer1 , M.C. Thompson1 , E. Trask1 , A.D. Van H. Gota et al Drie1, X. Yang1, P. Yushmanov1, K. Zhai1 , I. Allfrey1, R. Andow1, E. Barraza1, M. Beall1 , N.G. Bolte1 , E. Bomgardner1, F. Ceccherini1, A. Chirumamilla1, R. Clary1, T. DeHaas1, J.D. Douglass1, A.M. DuBois1 , A. Dunaevsky1, D. Fallah1, P. Feng1, C. Finucane1, D.P. Fulton1, L. Galeotti1, K. Galvin1, E.M. Granstedt1 , M.E. Griswold1, U. Guerrero1, S. Gupta1, Printed in the UK K. Hubbard1, I. Isakov1, J.S. Kinley1, A. Korepanov1, S. Krause1, C.K. Lau1 , H. Leinweber1, J. Leuenberger1, D. Lieurance1, M. Madrid1, NF D. Madura1, T. Matsumoto1, V. Matvienko1, M. Meekins1, R. Mendoza1, R. Michel1, Y. Mok1, M. Morehouse1, M. Nations1 , A. Necas1, 1 1 1 1 1 10.1088/1741-4326/ab0be9 M. Onofri , D. Osin , A. Ottaviano , E. Parke , T.M. Schindler , J.H. Schroeder1, L. Sevier1, D. Sheftman1 , A. Sibley1, M. Signorelli1, R.J. Smith1 , M. Slepchenkov1, G. Snitchler1, J.B. Titus1, J. Ufnal1, Paper T. Valentine1, W. Waggoner1, J.K. Walters1, C. -
Energy Analysis for the Connection of the Nuclear Reactor DEMO to the European Electrical Grid
energies Article Energy Analysis for the Connection of the Nuclear Reactor DEMO to the European Electrical Grid Sergio Ciattaglia 1, Maria Carmen Falvo 2,* , Alessandro Lampasi 3 and Matteo Proietti Cosimi 2 1 EUROfusion Consortium, 85748 Garching, Germany; [email protected] 2 DIAEE—Department of Astronautics, Energy and Electrical Engineering, University of Rome Sapienza, 00184 Rome, Italy; [email protected] 3 ENEA Frascati, 00044 Frascati, Rome, Italy; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] Received: 31 March 2020; Accepted: 22 April 2020; Published: 1 May 2020 Abstract: Towards the middle of the current century, the DEMOnstration power plant, DEMO, will start operating as the first nuclear fusion reactor capable of supplying its own loads and of providing electrical power to the European electrical grid. The presence of such a unique and peculiar facility in the European transmission system involves many issues that have to be faced in the project phase. This work represents the first study linking the operation of the nuclear fusion power plant DEMO to the actual requirements for its correct functioning as a facility connected to the power systems. In order to build this link, the present work reports the analysis of the requirements that this unconventional power-generating facility should fulfill for the proper connection and operation in the European electrical grid. Through this analysis, the study reaches its main objectives, which are the definition of the limitations of the current design choices in terms of power-generating capability and the preliminary evaluation of advantages and disadvantages that the possible configurations for the connection of the facility to the European electrical grid can have. -
NIAC 2011 Phase I Tarditti Aneutronic Fusion Spacecraft Architecture Final Report
NASA-NIAC 2001 PHASE I RESEARCH GRANT on “Aneutronic Fusion Spacecraft Architecture” Final Research Activity Report (SEPTEMBER 2012) P.I.: Alfonso G. Tarditi1 Collaborators: John H. Scott2, George H. Miley3 1Dept. of Physics, University of Houston – Clear Lake, Houston, TX 2NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 3University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL Executive Summary - Motivation This study was developed because the recognized need of defining of a new spacecraft architecture suitable for aneutronic fusion and featuring game-changing space travel capabilities. The core of this architecture is the definition of a new kind of fusion-based space propulsion system. This research is not about exploring a new fusion energy concept, it actually assumes the availability of an aneutronic fusion energy reactor. The focus is on providing the best (most efficient) utilization of fusion energy for propulsion purposes. The rationale is that without a proper architecture design even the utilization of a fusion reactor as a prime energy source for spacecraft propulsion is not going to provide the required performances for achieving a substantial change of current space travel capabilities. - Highlights of Research Results This NIAC Phase I study provided led to several findings that provide the foundation for further research leading to a higher TRL: first a quantitative analysis of the intrinsic limitations of a propulsion system that utilizes aneutronic fusion products directly as the exhaust jet for achieving propulsion was carried on. Then, as a natural continuation, a new beam conditioning process for the fusion products was devised to produce an exhaust jet with the required characteristics (both thrust and specific impulse) for the optimal propulsion performances (in essence, an energy-to-thrust direct conversion).