Fusion: an energy source for synthetic fuels

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5251057

Fillo, J A; Powell, J; Steinberg, M

The decreasing availability of fossil fuels emphasizes the need to develop systems which will produce synthetic fuel to substitute for and supplement the natural supply. An important first step in the synthesis of liquid and gaseous fuels is the production of hydrogen. Thermonuclear fusion offers an inexhaustible source of energy for the production of hydrogen from water. Depending on design, electric generation efficiencies of approx. 40 to 60% and hydrogen production efficiencies by high temperature electrolysis of approx. 50 to 70% are projected for fusion reactors using high temperature blankets. Fusion/coal symbiotic systems appear economically promising for the first generation of commercial fusion synfuels plants. Coal production requirements and the environmental effects of large-scale coal usage would be greatly reduced by a fusion/coal system. In the long term, there could be a gradual transition to an inexhaustible energy system based solely on fusion.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 5251057
• Report Number(s): BNL-27891; CONF-800590-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

060300* -- Fusion Fuels-- By-Products-- (-1987)
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
299003 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Unconventional Sources & Power Generation-- Other-- (-1989)
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
EFFICIENCY
ELECTROLYSIS
FUELS
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
LYSIS
PRODUCTION
SYNTHETIC FUELS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS