Considerations in the design of electron-beam-induced fusion reactor systems
Abstract
A power balance analysis applied to a conceptual electron-beam fusion power plant indicates that energy gains of between 5 and 16 are required from the fuel pellet for economic feasibility. To deliver an average power of 100 MW(e), the reactor must operate at a pulse rate of approximately 35 Hz, assuming an electron-beam energy of 1 MJ per pulse. The use of a fusion-fission hybrid reactor substantially relaxes the pellet gain requirement, and allows breakeven plant operation at near unit pellet gain. Calculations show that X rays and ions will comprise an important part of the total energy release. The X-ray radiation has an approximately 350-eV blackbody spectrum. The energy of ions from the gold shell surrounding the deuterium-tritium fuel lies between 100 and 500 keV. Wet walls of lithium or tin over niobium are not desirable, due to spallation or other stress wave damage, engineering complexity, and excessive materials usage and cost. A solid wall protected by a graphite cloth shield offers the maximum protection to the surrounding blanket structure.
- Publication:
-
Nuclear Technology
- Pub Date:
- June 1976
- DOI:
- 10.13182/NT76-A31606
- Bibcode:
- 1976NucTe..29..415V
- Keywords:
-
- Electron Beams;
- Fusion Reactors;
- Nuclear Electric Power Generation;
- Reactor Design;
- Design Analysis;
- Energy Spectra;
- Fuel Capsules;
- High Temperature Plasmas;
- Power Gain;
- Relativistic Particles;
- Nuclear and High-Energy Physics