Apollo-L3, an Advanced Fuel Fusion Power Reactor Utilizing Direct and Thermal Energy Conversion

Abstract

The design of a 1000 MWe D-He3 tokamak fusion power plant, Apollo-L3, is presented. The reactor operates in the first plasma stability regime and relies on both direct and thermal conversion of the thermonuclear energy to electricity. The synchrotron energy is converted directly to electricity via rectennas at 80% efficiency and the thermal energy is converted through an organic coolant at 44% efficiency. It is designed with a low neutron wall loading (0.1 MW/m2) which allow a permanent first wall to be used. The overall net efficiency is 47%. A low level of induced radioactivity and the low afterheat in the reactor allows the low activation ferritic steel waste to be treated as Class A and the system to be considered as a Level 1 (Inherently Safe) device. The cost of electricity (COE) is 69 mills/kWh making it competitive with recent advanced DT reactor designs.