Resolution of Fission and Fusion Technology Integration Issues: An Upgraded Design Concept for the Subcritical Advanced Burner Reactor

A Strategic Opportunity for Magnetic Fusion Energy Development

“…construction of a 3000 MWth Industrial Hybrid plant driven by 500 MW of D-T fusion power by 2040. These Industrial Hybrid parameters are essentially identical with those of SABR [6], which could also function as a Subcritical Advanced Breeder Reactor [13] (SABrR). China has even more recently announced [14] plans for a fission-fusion hybrid transmutation reactor to be built by 2030.…”

“…There has been a substantial technical investigation [5,6,9] of fission-fusion transmutation reactors based on tokamak and sodium-cooled fast reactor technologies. The reason that these technologies were chosen is that they are the most highly developed fusion and fission transmutation technologies, about which we know enough to make a realistic assessment of something that could be built in the next 25-30 years.…”

“…The reason that these technologies were chosen is that they are the most highly developed fusion and fission transmutation technologies, about which we know enough to make a realistic assessment of something that could be built in the next 25-30 years. The Subcritical Advanced Burner Reactor (SABR) [5,6] is based on ITER [2] fusion technology and physics, so in a sense ITER will be the prototype. EBR-II and its associated pyro-processing system were the prototype for the fission system [3,7] (GE will sell you a PRISM reactor [8] based on this technology).…”

“…EBR-II and its associated pyro-processing system were the prototype for the fission system [3,7] (GE will sell you a PRISM reactor [8] based on this technology). It has been shown that the ITER [2] tokamak magnetic and plasma support technology configuration, with a slightly smaller plasma operating with somewhat lesser performance parameters but with higher availability, could provide an adequate D-T fusion neutron source for a 3000 MWth annular fast burner reactor surrounding the plasma [5,6].…”

“…The nuclear fission development program to support a SABR would likewise be identical to the program needed to support Advanced (critical) Burner Reactor development. However, the integration of the fission and fusion technologies in the same device would undoubtedly require additional R&D [6].…”