Heavy-ion linear induction accelerators as drivers for inertial fusion power plants

Journal Article · Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1988 · Nucl. Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5306297

Hovingh, J; Brady, V O; Faltens, A; Keefe, D; Lee, E P

A linear induction accelerator that produces a beam of energetic heavy ions (T approx. = 10 GeV, A approx. = 200 am..mu..) is a prime candidate as a driver for an inertial fusion power plant. Some early perceptions were that heavy-ion driven fusion would not be cost-competitive with other power sources because of the high cost of the accelerators. However, improved understanding of the physics of heavy-ion transport and acceleration (supported by experimental results), combined with advances in accelerator technology, have resulted in accelerator design costs -- 50% of previous estimates. As a result, heavy-ion driven fusion power plants conceptual fusion power plants. A brief formulation of transport and acceleration physics is presented here, along with a description of the induction Linac cost optimization code LIACEP. Cost trends are presented and discussed, along with specific cost estimates for several accelerator designs matched to specific inertial fusion target yields. Finally, a cost-effective strategy using heavy-ion induction Linacs in a development scenario for inertial fusion is presented.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Lawrence Livermore National Lab., Livermore, CA 94550 (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 5306297
• Journal Information: Nucl. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 13:2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
HEAVY IONS
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
HILACS
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
DESIGN
L CODES
ACCELERATION
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
COST ESTIMATION
FUSION YIELD
THERMONUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
TRANSPORT
ACCELERATORS
CHARGED PARTICLES
COMPUTER CODES
CONFINEMENT
HEAVY ION ACCELERATORS
IONS
LINEAR ACCELERATORS
NUCLEAR REACTION YIELD
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
POWER PLANTS
YIELDS
430100* - Particle Accelerators- Design
Development
& Operation
700208 - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Inertial Confinement Technology
990220 - Computers
Computerized Models
& Computer Programs- (1987-1989)