Four workshops in alternate concepts in controlled fusion. Part C. CTR using the p-/sup 11/B reaction
Clean and efficient energy production by fusion is possible in principle by using any one of a variety of so called advanced fusion fuels. Among these choices, the nuclear reaction of protium (p) and boron-11 (B/sup 11/) offers the benefits of a large reaction cross section, no neutron production, and no tritium production or consumption. Compared with deuterium-tritium (D--T) fusion systems, these characteristics offer significant engineering and operational potential. Use of the p-B/sup 11/ fuel cycle requires high temperature and very effective plasma confinement. Based on new confinement results in magnetic multipole configurations, our recalculation of the p-B/sup 11/ energy balance for selected operating conditions shows the possibility for significant energy production. Radiation losses are reduced to an acceptable level by two means: one, operation at an ion temperature of 300 keV and an electron temperature of 150 keV, and two, reducing the magnetic field in the bulk of the plasma to a small value by use of the multipole configuration. The multipole configuration is available to the neutron-free p-B/sup 11/ cycle but not the D-T cycle because it employs internal cryogenic conductors. Energy conversion is proposed by means of radiative transfer to the walls of the reactor. Critical issues include uncertainties in the p-B/sup 11/ cross section, the achievable level of field free region and the confinement scaling to reaction temperatures, effects of helium ash, and the level of neutron production by parasitic reactions.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, Calif. (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 5318823
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-ER-429-SR(Pt.C); TRN: 78-001343
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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THERMONUCLEAR IGNITION
ENERGY BALANCE
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
MULTIPOLAR CONFIGURATIONS
ALPHA PARTICLES
BORON 11 TARGET
BREMSSTRAHLUNG
ELECTRON TEMPERATURE
ION TEMPERATURE
PROTON BEAMS
SCALING LAWS
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
X RADIATION
BEAMS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CLOSED CONFIGURATIONS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
IONIZING RADIATIONS
MAGNETIC FIELD CONFIGURATIONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEON BEAMS
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
PARTICLE BEAMS
RADIATIONS
TARGETS
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