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CONFIDENTIAL
Dr. Michel Laberge
Fusion Forum – Edmonton, Alberta - November 4, 2017
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Fusion is Reaching an Inflection Point
• Last ten years have seen a surge in the investigation of alternative approaches and technologies for fusion energy.
• Advances in plasma physics, electronics and digital controls, computer simulation, materials and construction technics (3D printing) have opened up new avenues for developing fusion power plants.
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Emergence of Private Ventures
• Emergence of private companies taking advantage of new knowledge and technologies to pursue more practical pathways to commercial fusion energy.
• The companies are building world class teams and research centers, and are working closely with publicly funded institutions.
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Alternate Concepts Share Common Themes
• Accept risk of new science and technology in exchange for a clearer pathway to a commercially viable fusion power plant.
• Aim to overcome the challenges facing commercialization of traditional approaches
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Many Approaches
• Today we’ll cover• Magnetic confinement: Spherical Tokamaks, Spheromak,
z pinch and Field Reversed Configuration (FRC)
• Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF)
• Further reading:• Lockheed Martin –Magnetic Cusp
• Magnetic mirror making a comeback with better end plug (gas dynamic)
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Fusion: A spectrum of technology pathways
Magnetic Confinement Fusion Magnetized Target Fusion Inertial Confinement Fusion
All Confinement Balanced All Compression
• Very large, low density
• Continuous
• Massive, expensive magnets
• Materials and stability issues
• (ITER, Wendelstein 7-X, Tokamak Energy)
• Medium density
• Slow pulses
• No large magnets or lasers
• Few materials and control issues
• (General Fusion, Helion Energy)
• Very high density
• Super fast pulses
• Expensive high power lasers
• Efficiency and control issues
• (National Ignition Facility)
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Tokamak toroidal field > poloidal
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Magnetic Confinement: Spherical Tokamak
• Utilising new high temperature superconductor technology to reduce size of tokamak devices
• MIT, Tokamak Energy (UK)
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Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) poloidal field only
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Magnetic Confinement: FRC
• Privately funded venture based in California
• Variant of Field Reversed Configuration
• Pursuing different fuel (p11-B)• require temperatures of 5 billion degrees Celsius
12MagLIF achieved good results in late 2013 with significant neutron production
MagLIF – Sandia National Lab, USA
Open field lines
Z-pinch: faster compression, smaller plasma compared to General Fusion
Government research
Impressive neutron yield in 2013
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Spheromak poloidal field>toroidal
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Magnetized Target Fusion
• Intermediate region between magnetic confinement and inertial confinement
• Potential for lower cost compression driver and plasma confinement
• Possible pathways to a commercially viable power plant
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1. Form a compact torus of plasma
2. Confine in conductive chamber
3. Compress and heat to fusion conditions
4. Repeat
Magnetized Target Fusion
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About General Fusion
• Developing a fusion power plant
• Based in Burnaby, BC
• Started in 2002
• 75 employees
• ~50 scientists & engineers
• 12 PhDs
• Raised over $100 million
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Advantages of General Fusion’s approach
• A major practical advantage
• Absorbs energy for heat exchangers
• Protects outer wall from neutrons damage
• Produces fuel from liquid lithium, high breeding ratio (1.6)
Liquid Metal Wall
Practical, existing technology
• Steam powered pistons
create compression
• No exotic lasers or giant
magnets
• Less than 1% of the cost of
other fusion drivers
Compressed Gas Driver
Zero-cost plasma targets
• Target is comprised only
of magnetized plasma
• No expensive target
capsules as associated
with other pulsed
systems
No Consumables
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Compression system
• 1m sphere with 14 full size drivers
• 15 ton molten Pb storage
• 100 kg/s pumping
• Vortex formation and collapse
• Piston impact velocity (50 m/s) and timing control (±5 µs) achieved
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