Space applications of fusion energy

Conference · Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1989 · Fusion Technol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6306078

Roth, J R

When more than a few hundred kilowatts of steady state power are required for space applications, the only feasible choices appear to be nuclear fission or nuclear fusion. The space application places different and/or more stringent constraints on the choice of fusion confinement system than do ground-based electric utility applications. Foreseeable applications of fusion reactors to space-related power and propulsion systems appear to require power levels from one to several hundred megawatts: there appears to be no mission for the multi-gigawatt reactors of interest to the electric utilities. This paper examines some of the constraints on plasma confinement systems and fusion reactors which are imposed by such space-related missions as manned or unmanned operations in near earth orbit, interplanetary missions, or requirements of the SDI program. The principal performance parameter used to compare various powerplant options for space application is the specific mass, the kilograms of powerplant mass per unit of electrical or thermal power generated by the powerplant.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (US)
• OSTI ID: 6306078
• Report Number(s): CONF-881031-
• Journal Information: Fusion Technol.; (United States), Vol. 15:2; Conference: 8. topical meeting on technology of fusion energy, Salt Lake City, UT, USA, 9 Oct 1988
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
PROPULSION SYSTEMS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
SPACE PROPULSION REACTORS
PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
PERFORMANCE
PLANNING
POWER GENERATION
STEADY-STATE FUSION REACTORS
THERMONUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
CONFINEMENT
MOBILE REACTORS
POWER PLANTS
POWER REACTORS
PROPULSION REACTORS
PUBLIC UTILITIES
REACTORS
SPACE POWER REACTORS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
220800* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Propulsion Reactors
330300 - Advanced Propulsion Systems- Electric-Powered Systems
700203 - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Power Supplies
Energy Storage
700200 - Fusion Energy- Fusion Power Plant Technology