An overview of the inertial fusion energy reactor studies

Two 1000-MW_e power plants-one driven by a KrF laser and the other by a heavy ion beam induction accelerator-are being designed. The goal is to make both designs as attractive as possible in terms of technical credibility, environmental impact, safety, cost, and operability. For the laser driver, a gas-protected dry-wall chamber with uniformly illuminated direct-drive targets has been selected. The chamber is made of a carbon/carbon composite, and the breeding blanket is a flowing bed of Li₂O ceramic granules. The breeding material flows through the chamber by gravity and is moved through heat exchangers using fluidized transport. The HIB-driven plant design uses a wetted-wall chamber with indirect-drive targets. This reactor features a molten salt (2LiF-BeF₂) breeder that is guided through the chamber in porous woven-carbon-fabric flow channels. Progress in the conceptual design of the KrF- and HIB-driven power plants is reviewed. The design features, advantages, and issues for the two reactors and drivers are highlighted