The Case and Development Path for Fusion Propulsion

Cassibry, Jason; Cortez, Ross; Stanić, Miloš; Seidler, W.; Adams, Robert B.; Statham, Geoff; Fabisinski, Leo

doi:10.2514/6.2012-4114

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…In contrast, a working nuclear fusion core producing thrust through direct exhaust of hot plasma, could readily generate up to *1000 km/s exhaust velocities, corresponding to *10 keV/amu [8], several hundred times higher exhaust velocities than today's high power chemical and nuclear thermal rocket engines. Lesser exhaust velocities could in principle be obtained as needed, through the co-expansion of additional cold propellant, to increase the propellant mass and optimize the exhaust velocity for individual mission requirements [9].…”

Section: Fusion's Unique Applicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There are many pre-conceptual point designs for fusion rocket cores, ranging from generic fusion rocket systems studies [11,12], to levitated dipoles [13], to mirror machines [14], to field reversed configurations [15], and magnetized target fusion [8,16]. Even ST tokamaks [17] and laser fusion sources [18] have been suggested (although present incarnations aren't reactors, and even so, are much too massive).…”

Section: Fusion's Unique Applicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Most prior works [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] considering the need for fusion rocket engines have focused on manned exploration of the solar system, the large distances involved, and in particular, for the need to get people to Mars [19] or Jupiter [20] quickly enough so that health risks for crews are minimized during long duration missions. However as numerous events have shown, from the Cretaceous-tertiary extinction to the recent meteorite explosion over Chelyabinsk, the solar system can be a dangerous place.…”

Section: Why Does Our Civilization Need Faster Spacecraft? Planetary mentioning

confidence: 99%

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A New Vision for Fusion Energy Research: Fusion Rocket Engines for Planetary Defense

et al. 2015

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We argue that it is essential for the fusion energy program to identify an imagination-capturing critical mission by developing a unique product which could command the marketplace. We lay out the logic that this product is a fusion rocket engine, to enable a rapid response capable of deflecting an incoming comet, to prevent its impact on the planet Earth, in defense of our population, infrastructure, and civilization. As a side benefit, deep space solar system exploration, with greater speed and orders-of-magnitude greater payload mass would also be possible.The US Department of Energy's magnetic fusion research program, based in its Office of Science, focuses on plasma and fusion science [1] to support the long term goal of environmentally friendly, socially acceptable, and economically viable electricity production from fusion reactors [2]. For several decades the US magnetic fusion program has had to deal with a lack of urgency towards and inconsistent funding for this ambitious goal. In many American circles, fusion isn't even at the table [3] when it comes to discussing future energy production. Is there another, more urgent, unique, and even more important application for fusion? Fusion's Unique ApplicationAs an on-board power source and thruster for fast propulsion in space [4], a fusion reactor would provide unparalleled performance (high specific impulse and high specific power) for a spacecraft. To begin this discussion, we need some rocket terminology. Specific impulse is defined as I sp ¼ v e =g, where g is the usual Earth's gravitational acceleration constant and v e is the rocket propellant's exhaust velocity. The rocket equation, M f /M o = exp (-DV/v e ), allows us to relate the final mass M f of the rocket divided by its initial mass M o , to the change in velocity DV that it is capable of achieving. The rocket requires a power source with an output power P = aM s , where we define a to be the specific power (W/kg), and M s as the mass of the power supply (including the power conditioning, structures, and any waste heat radiators).Today's best chemical rockets produce propellant exhaust velocities (v e ) up to 4.5 km/s. Fission (nuclear thermal) rocket engines [5] could roughly double that, to about 8.5 km/s (\ eV/amu temperature equivalent), constrained by material limits [6]. Electrically driven thrusters [7] are already quite efficient and have higher propellant exhaust velocities (corresponding to *5 eV/ amu) but are usually limited in power resulting in low thrust, and are driven by limited electrical power/energy sources (photovoltaic or radioisotope). Development of high power, high thrust plasma thrusters has not been a

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Section: Fusion's Unique Applicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Fusion's Unique Applicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Why Does Our Civilization Need Faster Spacecraft? Planetary mentioning

confidence: 99%

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A New Vision for Fusion Energy Research: Fusion Rocket Engines for Planetary Defense

et al. 2015

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“…However, both fissionand fusion-based propulsion schemes, are well understood and realizable at power levels, while at the same time the mass of fuel, propellant, structure, and shielding severely limit their space flight capabilities. A survey of rocket-engine performance for solar system missions beyond the Moon-Earth system has compared chemical and nuclear fission and fusion power sources [11]. One conclusion reached is that chemical rockets have reached their practical limits, epitomized by long-duration, low-payload-mass missions.…”

Section: The Thrustermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, in both cases, the rocket relies on nuclear fission to generate propulsion. The nuclear fission propulsion is limited by thermal inefficiencies and that fusion could provide more and better mission options because of its higher power conversion efficiency and higher energy-content fuel [11].…”

Section: The Thrustermentioning

confidence: 99%

Achieving the required mobility in the solar system through direct fusion drive

Genta

Kezerashvili

2020

Acta Astronautica

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To develop a spacefaring civilization, humankind must develop technologies which enable safe, affordable and repeatable mobility through the solar system. One such technology is nuclear fusion propulsion which is at present under study mostly as a breakthrough toward the first interstellar probes. The aim of the present paper is to show that fusion drive is even more important in human planetary exploration and constitutes the natural solution to the problem of exploring and colonizing the solar system. Nomenclature

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Fusion and Space

Zhil'tsov¹,

Kulygin²

2018

PAST-TF

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Земля -колыбель человечества, но нельзя вечно оставаться в колыбели» К.Э. ЦиолковскийОбсуждается новое направление в разработке плазменных ракетных двигателей, основанное на результатах многолетних исследований по термоядерному синтезу и физике горячей плазмы, реализующее схему с магнитной термоизоляцией плазменного потока и безэлектродными, высокочастотными методами введения энергии в плазму. Схема значительно превосходит по своим возможностям и перспективам развития традиционные схемы электрореактивных ракетных двигателей.Ключевые слова: плазменный ракетный двигатель, ионный двигатель, холловский двигатель, безэлектродный плазменный ракетный двигатель, термоядерная ракета, эффективность.The new direction in the development of plasma rocket engines based on the results of years of research for fusion and physics of hot plasma, which is implementing the scheme with magnetic insulation of the plasma flow and the electrodeless, high-frequency methods of introducing energy into the plasma is discussed. The scheme is much superior in its capabilities and prospects of development of the traditional scheme of electric rocket engines. AUTHORSZhil'tsov V.A. NRC "Kurchatov Institute", pl. Akademika Kurchatova 1, 123182 Moscow, Russia Kulygin V.M. NRC "Kurchatov Institute", pl. Akademika

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The Case and Development Path for Fusion Propulsion

Cited by 6 publications

References 10 publications

A New Vision for Fusion Energy Research: Fusion Rocket Engines for Planetary Defense

A New Vision for Fusion Energy Research: Fusion Rocket Engines for Planetary Defense

Achieving the required mobility in the solar system through direct fusion drive

Fusion and Space

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