Hybrid Fusion: The Only Viable Development Path for Tokamaks?

Manheimer, Wallace M.

doi:10.1007/s10894-008-9156-z

Cited by 17 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…We have coined the term ''Conservative Design Rules'' (CDRs) to describe this set of constraints, and in Ref. [8] we discussed in detail the limits that these rules, taken collectively, impose on fusion power output. We emphasize that the Conservative Design Rules are not controversial.…”

Section: Conservative Design Rules (Cdr's) For Tokamaksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We emphasize that the Conservative Design Rules are not controversial. The paper [8] has been in the literature 5 years; its conclusions have not been challenged. The author has discussed the CDRs in seminars at MIT, University of Maryland, NRL, and APS headquarters, again without challenge.…”

Section: Conservative Design Rules (Cdr's) For Tokamaksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For circular cross section with minor plasma radius a (more complicated geometries are analyzed in [8]), we take parabolic profiles…”

Section: Conservative Design Rules (Cdr's) For Tokamaksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are two options for breeders: fast-neutron fission reactors or fusion reactors. Fission breeding has a head start, but fusion breeding, advocated by this author for 15 years now is by far the more attractive option [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. Fusion breeding is a much easier technology than pure fusion as an energy source; it could be commercialized by mid-century.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fusion Breeding for Mid-Century Sustainable Power

Manheimer

2014

J Fusion Energ

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This article is an editorial, which makes the case that fusion breeding (that is using fusion neutrons to breed nuclear fuel for use in conventional nuclear reactors) is the best objective for the fusion program. To make the case, it reviews a great deal of plasma physics and fusion data. Fusion breeding could potentially play a key role in delivering large-scale sustainable carbon-free commercial power by mid-century. There is almost no chance that pure fusion can do that. The leading magnetic fusion concept, the tokamak, is subject to well-known constraints, which we have called conservative design rules, and review in this paper. These constraints will very likely prevent tokamaks from ever delivering economical pure fusion. Inertial fusion, in pure fusion mode, may ultimately be able to deliver commercial power, but the failure to date of the leading inertial fusion experiment, the National Ignition Campaign, shows that there are still large gaps in our understanding of laser fusion. Fusion breeding, based on either magnetic fusion or inertial fusion, greatly relaxes the requirements on the fusion reactor. It is also a much better fit to today's and tomorrow's nuclear infrastructure than is its competitor, fission breeding. This article also shows that the proposed fusion and fission infrastructure, 'The Energy Park', reviewed here, is sustainable, economically and environmentally sound, and poses little or no proliferation risk.

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Section: Conservative Design Rules (Cdr's) For Tokamaksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conservative Design Rules (Cdr's) For Tokamaksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For circular cross section with minor plasma radius a (more complicated geometries are analyzed in [8]), we take parabolic profiles…”

Section: Conservative Design Rules (Cdr's) For Tokamaksmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fusion Breeding for Mid-Century Sustainable Power

Manheimer

2014

J Fusion Energ

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“…The viability of this technology is under debate [39,40], as while these generators have been tested since the 1950's [41,42], a fully functional reactor, that being one that can sustain an economically viable amount of energy production, has never been successfully built. High confinement mode plasma (H-Mode) plasma is the most stable type of plasma [43,44], while it has been achieved, it cannot be sustained for more than a few minutes at most in tokamak fusion devices [45].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Tokamak fusion device parameters affecting the efficiency of Tokamak operation

El-zmeter

Schmiga²,

Boyd-Weetman³

et al. 2017

PAMR

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Nuclear Power has been available as a relatively clean and reliable energy source for several decades. While tokamak engines have been in existence almost as long as successful fission-powered nuclear generators, they have not yet reached operational success for energy generation. This meta study collates key fusion device parameters and determines ideas on the applicability of fusion devices for energy. This paper supports the argument that toroidal tokamaks are not limited by volume whereas spherical designs have a potential volume limit, spherical tokamaks use a lower magnetic field current than toroidal tokamaks. Further scientific and engineering progress is required before tokamak devices can be a viable technology to be used for energy generation.

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Fusion–Fission Hybrid Reactors

Moir¹,

Manheimer

2013

Magnetic Fusion Technology

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Hybrid Fusion: The Only Viable Development Path for Tokamaks?

Cited by 17 publications

References 41 publications

Fusion Breeding for Mid-Century Sustainable Power

Fusion Breeding for Mid-Century Sustainable Power

Analysis of Tokamak fusion device parameters affecting the efficiency of Tokamak operation

Fusion–Fission Hybrid Reactors

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