Economic potential of inertial fusion
Abstract
Beyond the achievement of scientific feasibility, the key question for fusion energy is: does it have the economic potential to be significantly cheaper than fission and coal energy. If fusion has this high economic potential then there are compelling commercial and geopolitical incentives to accelerate the pace of the fusion program in the near term, and to install a global fusion energy system in the long term. Without this high economic potential, fusion's success depends on the failure of all alternatives, and there is no real incentive to accelerate the program. If my conjectures on the economic potential of inertial fusion are approximately correct, then inertial fusion energy's ultimate costs may be only half to two-thirds those of advanced fission and coal energy systems. Relative cost escalation is not assumed and could increase this advantage. Both magnetic and inertial approaches to fusion potentially have a two-fold economic advantage which derives from two fundamental properties: negligible fuel costs and high quality energy which makes possible more efficient generation of electricity. The wining approach to fusion may excel in three areas: electrical generating efficiency, minimum material costs, and adaptability to manufacture in automated factories. The winning approach must also rate highly inmore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 6869982
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-90758; CONF-840476-2
ON: DE84012739
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Resource Type:
- Conference
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Fusion Power Associates annual meeting and symposium on fusion power development --the next decade, Livermore, CA, USA, 2 Apr 1984; Other Information: Portions are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS; ECONOMICS; COST; ECONOMIC ANALYSIS; INERTIAL CONFINEMENT; SAFETY; CONFINEMENT; PLASMA CONFINEMENT; 700208* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Inertial Confinement Technology
Citation Formats
Nuckolls, J H. Economic potential of inertial fusion. United States: N. p., 1984.
Web.
Nuckolls, J H. Economic potential of inertial fusion. United States.
Nuckolls, J H. 1984.
"Economic potential of inertial fusion". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/6869982.
@article{osti_6869982,
title = {Economic potential of inertial fusion},
author = {Nuckolls, J H},
abstractNote = {Beyond the achievement of scientific feasibility, the key question for fusion energy is: does it have the economic potential to be significantly cheaper than fission and coal energy. If fusion has this high economic potential then there are compelling commercial and geopolitical incentives to accelerate the pace of the fusion program in the near term, and to install a global fusion energy system in the long term. Without this high economic potential, fusion's success depends on the failure of all alternatives, and there is no real incentive to accelerate the program. If my conjectures on the economic potential of inertial fusion are approximately correct, then inertial fusion energy's ultimate costs may be only half to two-thirds those of advanced fission and coal energy systems. Relative cost escalation is not assumed and could increase this advantage. Both magnetic and inertial approaches to fusion potentially have a two-fold economic advantage which derives from two fundamental properties: negligible fuel costs and high quality energy which makes possible more efficient generation of electricity. The wining approach to fusion may excel in three areas: electrical generating efficiency, minimum material costs, and adaptability to manufacture in automated factories. The winning approach must also rate highly in environmental potential, safety, availability factor, lifetime, small 0 and M costs, and no possibility of utility-disabling accidents.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/6869982},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1984},
month = {Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1984}
}