The High-Yield Lithium-Injection Fusion-Energy (HYLIFE)-II inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant concept and implications for IFE
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California 94551 (United States)
In the High-Yield Lithium-Injection Fusion-Energy (HYLIFE) power plant design, lithium is replaced by molten salt. HYLIFE-II [Fusion Technol. {bold 25}, 5 (1994)] is based on nonflammable, renewable-liquid-wall fusion target chambers formed with Li{sub 2}BeF{sub 4} molten-salt jets, a heavy-ion driver, and single-sided illumination of indirect-drive targets. Building fusion chambers from existing materials with life-of-plant structural walls behind the liquid walls, while still meeting non-nuclear grade construction and low-level waste requirements, has profound implications for inertial fusion energy (IFE) development. Fluid-flow work and computational fluid dynamics predict chamber clearing adequate for 6 Hz pulse rates. Predicted electricity cost is reduced about 30% to 4.4{cents}/kWh at 1 GWe and 3.2{cents}/kWh at 2 GWe. Development can be foreshortened and cost reduced by obviating expensive neutron sources to develop first-wall materials. The driver and chamber can be upgraded in stages, avoiding separate and sequential facilities. Important features of a practical IFE power plant are ignition and sufficient gain in targets; low-cost, efficient, rep-ratable driver; and low-cost targets.
- OSTI ID:
- 55949
- Journal Information:
- Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 2, Issue 6; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1995
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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