An inertial fusion power plant uses a driver of wall-plug efficiency

PHYSICS · Subjective · Fermi University Physics · Plasma Physics · Earth, Climate & Energy Physics · Fusion plasmas

Energy from Physics, Ch Fusion as a power plant: gain, beta, wall loading and breeding

Problem

An inertial fusion power plant uses a driver of wall-plug efficiency ηd=0.08\eta_d = 0.08, a blanket with energy multiplication M=1.0M = 1.0, and a thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency ηth=0.40\eta_{\rm th} = 0.40. The plant is required to spend no more than a fraction f=0.25f = 0.25 of its gross electric output on running the driver. The plant condition on target gain GtG_{\rm t} (fusion energy released over laser or driver energy delivered to the target) is ηdGtηth(0.8M+0.2)≥1f.\eta_d G_{\rm t} \eta_{\rm th} (0.8M + 0.2) \ge \frac{1}{f}. (a) Find the minimum target gain GtG_{\rm t} this driver needs to meet the plant condition.

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