# Presentation: 285245

## Development Paths for IFE

**Mike Campbell**
**General Atomics**
**FPA 25****th**** Anniversary Meeting**
**December 13,2004**

## A comprehensive Fusion Energy Development program was recently completed

- Panel chaired by R Goldston submitted plan to FESAC in March,2003
- MFE and IFE were included
- Need for “burning plasma “demonstration was highlighted
- ITER
- NIF
- “balanced program”-science (plasma physics,material science),engineering physics, technology was advocated
- ~30 years and ~$25B to Demo

**And......**

## Slide 3

## Why?

- Fusion is a science program and not energy development
- Energy R&D is not to demonstrate  “it works”but to “make it better!”
- Clean coal
- Nuclear 2010
- Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP)
- “If JFK had said we would be on the moon by the end of the century not by the end of the decade....”
- No Presidential mandate
- NASA Mars Initiative
- Hydrogen
- No Congressional mandate
- NGNP (Dominici and Craig)

## There is support for ICF/IFE and HEDP

- ICF is supported by DOE-NNSA as a key element of Stockpile stewardship with NIF as central element and strong support for Omega and Z
- Renewed commitment to ignition demonstration (Priority for Congress too)
- Congressional (House) support for Omega-EP in NNSA budget **($28M)**
- Congressional (Senate) support for ZR, Petawatt on Z in NNSA budget**($13)**
- Congressional (House) support for Laser IFE (HAPL)in NNSA budget**($25M**)
- Congressional (Senate) support for Z-IFE in NNSA budget (**part of $9M**)
- Congressional support (Senate) for target fabrication **($5M**)
- Congressional (Senate) support for HEDP at universities (UNR,UT)in NNSA budget
- HEDP and FI were part of OFES $12M plus-up
- HIF is supported for its contributions to beam and HEDP physics

**However, today there is no Executive/Congressional support for an integrated IFE program**

## IFE Power Plants are highly modular

**IFE Power Plants are highly modular**

**Modularity allows for multiple approaches and affordable development-”interface issues” must ultimately be addressed-average power experiments!**

##  Phased development enabled by IFE  Modularity remains valid

-  Phased development enabled by IFE  Modularity remains valid

_**Phase II**_
**Validate**
**science &**
**technology**
- 2009 - 2020

_**Phase III**_
**Engineering**
**Test Facility**
- operating  2030

*********  ******Full size driver***
*********  ******Optimize targets for high yield ***
*********  ******Develop materials and components.***
*********   ************ ******300-700 MW net electricity****** ***

_**Phase I:**_
**Basic fusion**
**science &**
**technology**
- 1999- 2008

_***Ignition Physics Validation***_
**MJ target implosions**
**Calibrated 3D simulations**

-   _***Target design & Physics***_
**2D/3D simulations**
**1-30 kJ laser-target expts**
**MJ Z pinch expts**

***  ***_***Full Scale Components***_
**Power plant  beamline (IRE)**
**Target fab/injection facility **
**Power Plant design**

***       ***_***Scalable Technologies***_
**Krypton fluoride laser**
**Diode pumped solid state laser**
**Heavy Ion Accelerators**
**Rep-rated Z pinch**
**Chambers materials/design**
**Target fabrication**

## There is reason for optimism for  ICF physics today 

**NIF is getting done-it is hard but it will work (and 3D design codes)!**
**Direct drive physics**
- Targets with R-T control
- “Adiabat” shaping
- Reduction in Laser imprinting
- Ignition/gain without 4 illumination (“polar direct drive”)
- Target fabrication (foams)
**Pulse power development**
- Targets with low l mode control
- Dynamic Hohlraum
**Target Fabrication for indirect drive(all drivers)**
- Be/Cu ablators for R-T growth reduction and “low cost” cryo
- Symmetry control (shims)
**Fast igntion**
- GEKO experiments -FIREX1
- PW additions to all US HEDP facilities

**The ICF “physics” story is much richer than at the initiation of NIF**

## The HAPL Program has made significant progress in Direct Drive IFE development

**KrF lasers **

**Solid State lasers**

**Target Injection**

**Chamber Physics**

## Several opportunities exist to catalyze IFE support over the next 5-10 years

- Ignition/gain on NIF
- NIF capsule gains (indirect drive) ~100
- Polar Direct drive (?)
- Successful low  (<4) implosion on Omega
- Q ~0.1 to 0.5 at FIREXI or Omega-EP with Fast Ignition
- High R implosion (symmetry control, pulse shaping) on ZR

## A plump J. Sethian

**A plump J. Sethian**

## IFE support thru Congress is possible but support must be broadened and there must be an “exit strategy”

- Executive (DOE) advocacy is ultimately required for IFE program
- OFES (ITER?)
- NNSA(?)
- New missions that are extensions of nuclear weapons activities can be developed (I.e. Pu disposition)
- It is _possible _to maintain Congressional advocacy at the ~$30-40M/year (HAPL ,Z-IFE ,others(targets, reactor Physics)) for ~5 years within NNSA if ICF/IFE community (including lab advocacy) works together
- Completion of Omega-EP, ZR and Z Petawatt are “opportunities”
- HEDP may also enable support outside of NNSA

**Iraq and the Deficit are real constraints**

## What to do?

- Continue progress in ICF and IFE
- Integrated IFE program planning (all approaches) and coordination
- Since at present-no agency “owns” IFE and this is outside the role/capability of Congress, the community must do it-already happening at some level
- Assume constant dollar level until “catalyzing event”
- Criteria for moving into Phase II
- Timing problem?
- Influenced (determined) by “catalyzing event”
- Broaden congressional support (low number of electoral votes!) and establish a lab advocacy