Proposal for a novel type of small scale aneutronic fusion reactor

Abstract

The aim of this work is to propose a novel scheme for a small scale aneutronic fusion reactor. This new reactor type makes use of the advantages of combining laser driven plasma acceleration and electrostatic confinement fusion. An intense laser beam is used to create a lithium-proton plasma with high density, which is then collimated and focused into the centre of the fusion reaction chamber. The basic concept presented here is based on the 7 Li-proton fusion reaction. However, the physical and technological fundamentals may generally as well be applied to 11 B-proton fusion. The former fusion reaction path offers higher energy yields while the latter has larger fusion cross sections. Within this paper a technological realisation of such a fusion device, which allows a steady state operation with highly energetic, well collimated ion beam, is presented. It will be demonstrated that the energetic break even can be reached with this device by using a combination of already existing technologies.

Extreme laser pulses for possible development of boron fusion power reactors for clean and lasting energy

“…One step towards a more compact device was considered by extending the IEC device [18] with an improvement of the ion beam generation by extreme laser pulses [34]. Initially, the IEC following Hirsch used an injection of externally generated beams of ions with energies fitting good fusion reaction cross sections before working without extra ion injection and working only with the ions generated by dark ionization in the background gas due to the 50 Volts between the grid and the wall of the IEC.…”

Numerical studies of a layered lithium-boron target for laser-driven aneutronic fusion reactions

“…10 11 alpha particles per pulse). In recent years a new type of small-scale fusion reactor was proposed [22] along with a possible new target design [23]. The target suggested consists of alternating layers of lithium and boron with the aim of maximizing the number of fusion reactions.…”

“…It was found that the optimal shape for a solid-state proton source is a slab geometry. This paper expands on the ideas from [22,23], focusing on the optimization of the layered target. A target with three layers and four proton beams with different energy distributions are considered.…”