Pulsed nuclear fusion reactor
This invention relates to a nuclear fusion power plant for producing useful electrical energy by nuclear combustion of deuterium and lithium to helium. A large concentric plate capacitor is discharged rapidly through a mass of molten lid1-xtx (O<1) that is situated at its center. Before this discharge, a conducting path had been thermally preformed between the electrodes by an ac current pulse. The high-temperature, highpressure plasma is confined by the lid liquid in a narrow channel. Neutrons are generated, partly by thermonuclear fusion, partly by suprathermal collisions which result from the wellknown sausage instability. Short n-6li-d-t chain reactions, enhanced by the beryllium content of the electrodes, are also present. The escaping neutrons are absorbed by the surrounding liquid where they breed t, which is then chemically bound, and produce heat. The heat, radiation and mechanical shock are absorbed in the liquid which flows through a heat exchanger in order to energize the associated turbogenerator power plant. After each pulse, the discharge channel vanishes and is homogenized in the liquid. This reactor cannot become supercritical, and does not produce radioactive waste.
- Assignee:
- IFI; EDB-82-068796
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4182650
- Application Number:
- TRN: 82-006490
- OSTI ID:
- 5540236
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 3 Dec 1973; Other Information: PAT-APPL-421052
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
ELECTRIC POWER
FUSION HEAT
BERYLLIUM
CAPTURE
ELECTRODES
FUSION REACTIONS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HELIUM
LITHIUM DEUTERIDES
NEUTRON REACTIONS
PULSES
TRITIUM
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BARYON REACTIONS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DEUTERIDES
DEUTERIUM COMPOUNDS
ELEMENTS
ENTHALPY
FLUIDS
GASES
HADRON REACTIONS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM HYDRIDES
METALS
NONMETALS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEON REACTIONS
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POWER
POWER PLANTS
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE GASES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION HEAT
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
700200* - Fusion Energy- Fusion Power Plant Technology
700206 - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Environmental Aspects
700203 - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Power Supplies
Energy Storage