# Presentation: 343713

## Introduction

**A plan to develop electrical power**
**with Laser Fusion **
**in   35 years**

- John Sethian (NRL)
- Steve Obenschain (NRL), Camille Bibeau (LLNL), and Steve Payne (LLNL)

- With lots of help from:	References
- 	D. Weidenheimer, Titan PSD		Sombrero Power Plant Study
- 	L. Brown and D. Goodin, GA		National Ignition Facility
- 	W. Meier, LLNL		"2 MJ Laser Facility" by M.W. McGeoch

- Presented to FESAC Development Path Panel
- General Atomics
- January 14, 2003

## Lasers and direct drive targets can lead to an attractive power plant...

**Lasers and direct drive targets can lead to an attractive power plant...**

***Spherical target***

**Modular, separable parts:  lowers cost of development AND improvements**
**Targets are simple spherical shells: “fuel” lends itself to automated production**
**Pursuing dry wall (passive) chamber because of simplicity **
**Past power plant studies have shown concept economically attractive**

## Summary of Elements, Cost, and Schedule to developLaser Fusion Energy

**Summary of Elements, Cost, and Schedule to develop****Laser Fusion Energy**

_*Phase II*_
- IFE Science &Technology
- Full scale beam lines
- High Gain Physics
- Integration Experiments

- _Phase III:  __*Engineering Test Facility*__* *_
- Full size driver ( 2 MJ)
- Optimize Targets for High Yield
- Develop/optimize chamber comp
- Electricity Production (~300 MWe)

**YEAR**

_*Phase I*_
- Applied IFE R&D

_*DEMO*_
- High Availability
- Commercial worthy

**Specific Criteria must be met before**
**proceeding to the next phase**

**Costs include Capital, Operating, Contingency, Fees, Management**

## Phase I: Develop Science and Technologyfor Laser Fusion Energy as an integrated system.( 8 Government labs, 7 Universities, 8 Private Industries)

_**Chambers & Materials**_
**   ****WISCONSIN: Yield spectrum / Chambers**
**   ****LLNL: Alt chamber concepts, materials**
**   ****UCSD/ANL/INEEL: Chamber dynamics**
**   ****SNL:  Materials response x-rays/ions**
**   ****ORNL/UCLA/UCSB/Wisconsin: Materials**

**Phase I: Develop Science and Technology****for Laser Fusion Energy as an integrated system.****( 8 Government labs, 7 Universities, 8 Private Industries)**

** **_**Target Fabrication**_
**	****GA: Fab, charac, mass production**
**	****LANL: Adv foams**
**	****SCHAFER: DvB foams**

_**Direct Drive Target Design**_
**	****NRL: Target design**
**	****LLNL: Yield spectrum, design**
**	****UR/LLE: Target Design (DP program)**

** **_**Target Injection**_** **
**	****GA: Injector, injection & tracking**
**	****LANL: DT mech prop, thermal resp.**

_**Final Optics**_
**	****LLNL: X-rays, ions, neutrons**
**	****UCSD: Laser, debris mitigation**

_**Lasers**_
**KrF: NRL**
**Titan PSD, SAIC, PPPL, Georgia**
**Tech, Commonwealth Tech**
**DPSSL: LLNL**
**Coherent, Onyx, DEI, Northrup, UR/LLE**

***Lasers***

***Target Fabrication***

***Target Injection***

***Direct Drive Target Design***

***Chambers and Materials***

***Final Optics***

## Laser IFE development leverages two main thrusts in DOE

**Laser IFE development leverages two main thrusts in DOE**

**Fusion Program**
***(Office of Science):***
***	******System Studies (ARIES)***
***	******Blanket/Breeders***
***	******Materials***

**ICF Program**
***(NNSA/Defense Programs):***
***	***
***	******Target Design***
***	******Target Experiments***
***	******Single Shot Target Fab***

## A Typical Direct Drive Target

***High Gain Target***
***(sector of spherical target) ***

***1-D Pellet Gain 120-180-***
*** ******sufficient for Energy***

- NRL

**2-D single Mode Calculations**
**Pulse****	****  Gain****	****   Shell**
**Shape****	****	****Break-up**
**Normal****	****   180****	****   83%**
**"Pickett"    110****	****    2%**

- LLNL, (UR/LLE, NRL)

## Two types of lasers are under development for Fusion Energy

**Two types of lasers are under development for Fusion Energy**

**Diode Pumped Solid State Lasers**
**(DPPSL)---  "Mercury" at LLNL**

**E-beam Pumped Krypton Fluoride Laser**
**(KrF)----   "Electra" at NRL**

**Both lasers recently achieved first light**
**Both have the potential to meet IFE requirements, but have different challenges**

**LASER**

**Crystal**

**Diodes**

## Highlights of Progress to date

**Both DPPSL and KrF lasers demonstrated first light **
**Target design advances: picket, high gain**
**Projected targets cost of 16 cents each**
**Made foam shells of required dimensions**
**Target injector/tracking system nearing completion**
**Enhanced DT ice smoothness w/ foams and at 16 degrees K**
**Grazing incidence metal mirrors exceed required laser damage threshold**
**Less helium retention in tungsten when cycled at elevated temps**
**Four facilities used for matl's evaluation (x-rays and ions)**
**First generation chamber dynamics code completed**
**Chamber operating windows identified with both advanced and current materials**

**Highlights of Progress to date**

**See 12/6/02 meeting summary for further details :**
**http://aries.ucsd.edu/HAPL/SUMMARIES/02-12-16HAPLmtgSummary.pdf**

## Elements, Cost, & Schedule to develop Laser Fusion Energy

**Elements, Cost, & Schedule to develop Laser Fusion Energy**

_*Phase II *_**$650M($65M/yr)**

- _Phase III:  __*ETF*_: **$4,947 M  ($350M/yr)**

_*DEMO    *_**$ 1,000M ??**

_*Phase I *_**$140 M**

**Lasers: $105 M**

**Targets**
**$15 M**

**Optics**
**$4.8 M**

**Chamber**
**$7.0 M**

**Materials**
**$6.8 M**

## Criteria to go from Phase I to Phase II (page 1 of 3)

**Criteria to go from Phase I to Phase II ****(page 1 of 3)**

- LASERS
- Develop technologies that can meet fusion energy requirements for efficiency (> 6%), repetition rate (5-10 Hz), and durability  (>100,000,000 shots continuous).
- Demonstrate required laser beam quality and pulse shaping.
- Laser technologies employed must scale to reactor size laser modules and project have attractive costs for commercial fusion energy.

- FINAL OPTICS
- Meet laser induced damage threshold (LIDT) requirements of more than 5 Joules/cm2, in large area optics.
- Develop a credible final optics design that is resistant to degradation from neutrons, x-rays, gamma rays, debris, contamination, and energetic ions.

## Criteria to go from Phase I to Phase II (page 2 of 3)

**Criteria to go from Phase I to Phase II ****(page 2 of 3)**

- CHAMBERS
- Develop a viable first wall concept for a fusion power plant.
- Produce a viable “point design” for a fusion power plant.

- TARGET FABRICATION
- Develop mass production _methods_ to fabricate cryogenic DT targets that meet the requirements of the target design codes and chamber design.   Includes characterization.
- Combine these methods with established mass production costing models to show targets cost will be less than $0.25.

## Criteria to go from Phase I to Phase II (page 3 of 3)

**Criteria to go from Phase I to Phase II ****(page 3 of 3)**

- TARGET INJECTION AND TRACKING
- Build an injector that accelerates targets to a velocity to traverse the chamber (~6.5 m) in 16 milliseconds or less.
- Demonstrate target tracking with sufficient accuracy for a power plant (+/- 20 microns).

- TARGET DESIGN/PHYSICS
- Develop credible target designs, using 2D and 3D modeling, that have sufficient gain (> 100) + stability for fusion energy.
- Benchmark underlying codes with experiments on Nike & Omega.
- Integrate design into needs of target fab, injection and reactor chamber.

## Description of Phase II (page 1 of 5)

_**Top Level Objective:**_
- Establish Science and Technology to build and JUSTIFY the Engineering Test Facility (ETF).
- Phase II will consist of six components.

_**1. Laser Facility--primary function**_
- 	_**Lasers:**_  Build a full-scale (power plant sized) laser beam line using the best laser choice to emerge from Phase I:
- 		(KrF: 60 kJ)
- 		(DPPSL: 6 kJ)
**	**_**Final optics/target injection:**_ Use the above beam line to repetitively hit a target injected into a chamber, with the required precision. Measure optics "Laser Induced Damage Threshold" (LIDT) durability.

## What are Full Scale Beam Lines?

**What are Full Scale Beam Lines?**

- Full scale is defined as the size that will be replicated N times for the ETF, M times for DEMO.  N _may_ equal M.

- Laser
- 60 kJ

***Requires 3x scaled up crystal growth***

***Requires 10x scaled e-beam diodes***

***Forty 60 kJ Amps ******~******2.4  MJ ETF***

***12 bundled apertures = Terra (36 kJ)***
*** ******60 x Terra = Helios ******~******2.1 MJ ETF***

**(page 2 of 5)**

## Description of Phase II (page 3 of 5)

_**2. Laser Facility--secondary functions**_
**	**_**Chamber Dynamics:**__ _  Evaluate chamber dynamics models with “Mini 	Chamber”
**	**_**Chamber materials:**__  _Study candidate wall and/or optics materials

## Description of Phase II (page 4 of 5)

_**3. Cryogenic Target Facility**_
- 	_**Target fabrication:**_  “Batch mode” mass production of fusion class (cryogenic) targets.
**	**_**Target Injection:**_ Repetitive injection of above targets into a simulated fusion chamber environment.

***Cryo***
***Target***
***factory***

***Cryogenic,***
***layered target***

**“****mass”**
** ****production**

***Tracking &***
*** ******characterization***

***IFE Chamber***
***environment***
***(e.g. right gas, ***
***wall temp, etc)***

## Description of Phase II (page 5 of 5)

_**4. Power Plant Design**_
- Produce a credible design for a laser fusion power plant that meets the technical and economic requirements for commercial power.
_**5. Chamber and final optics materials/structures:**_
- Evaluate candidate materials/structures in a non-fusion environment.
_**6. Target Physics:**_
- Develop viable, robust high gain targets for fusion energy using 	integrated high-resolution 3D target modeling.
- Validate design codes with target physics experiments at fusion scale energies, (e.g. on NIF).

## Cost Breakdown for Phase II: KrF

**Cost Breakdown for Phase II: KrF**

## Cost Breakdown for Phase II: DPPSL

## Cost Breakdown for Phase II: Other R & D

**Cost Breakdown for Phase II: Other R & D**

## Elements, Cost, & Schedule to develop Laser Fusion Energy

**Elements, Cost, & Schedule to develop Laser Fusion Energy**

_*Phase II *_**$650M($65M/yr)**

- _Phase III:  __*ETF*_: **$4,947 M  ($350M/yr)**

_*DEMO    *_**$ 1,000M ??**

_*Phase I *_**$140 M**

**Target Physics: $100 M**

**Other Comp: $150 M**

- ?

**Lasers: $105 M**

**Targets**
**$15 M**

**Optics**
**$4.8 M**

**Chamber**
**$7.0 M**

**Materials**
**$6.8 M**

## Criteria to go from Phase II to Phase III (ETF) (1 of 2)

**Criteria to go from Phase II to Phase III (ETF) ****(1 of 2)**

_**1. Lasers:**_
- Full functionality of laser beam line using the best laser choice to emerge from Phase I. **(full energy beam line KrF, full aperture DPSSL)**
- Meets all the fusion energy requirements:
-  efficiency		rep rate			cost basis
-  rep-rate		durability
-  pulse shaping 	illumination uniformity
_**2. Final optics/target injection:**_
- Laser beam can be hit injected target with the required precision.
- Required optics LIDT durability.
_**3. Target fabrication:**_
- “Batch mode” mass production of fusion class (cryogenic) targets.
_**4. Target Injection:**_
- Repetitive injection, tracking, and survival of targets into a simulated fusion chamber environment.

## Criteria to go from Phase II to Phase III (ETF) (2 of 2)

**Criteria to go from Phase II to Phase III (ETF) ****(2 of 2)**

_**5. Power Plant Design:**_
- Produce a credible design for a laser fusion power plant that meets the technical and economic requirements for commercial power.
- Demonstrate candidate materials / structures can survive in a non-fusion environment.
- Develop one or more credible blanket concepts.
_**6. Chamber and final optics materials/structures:**_
- Evaluate candidate materials/structures in a non-fusion environment.
_**7. Target Physics:**_
- Develop viable, robust high gain targets for fusion energy using 	integrated high-resolution 3D target modeling.
- Validate design codes with target physics experiments at fusion scale energies, (e.g. on NIF).

## Description of Phase III (ETF)

_**The ETF will have operational flexibility to perform four major tasks**__:_
**Full size driver with sufficient energy for high gain**.
- 2 MJ Laser
-  Replications of the beam line developed in Phase II.  But allow improvements.
**Optimize targets for high yield.**
-  Address issues specific to direct drive and high yield.
**Test, develop, and optimize chamber components**
-   Includes first wall and blanket, tritium breeding, tritium recovery.
-   Requires thermal management **(125 MWth).**
**Electricity production (300-400 MW)**** ****with potential for high availability.**
-   Chamber with blanket and electrical generator **(1250 MWth).**
-   Laser, final optics and target technologies should be mature and reliable by now

## ETF-Tasks 1 & 2 (driver demo and optimize gain)

***Target***
***factory***

**Target fabrication & injection. DEMO Scale****.****  Capable of continuous 5 Hz runs**

**Laser : DEMO Scale**
**~ 2.2 MJ**
**> 10****6**** shots MTBF for entire system**
**(Beam lines > 10****8 **** from Phase II)**

**Final Optics:**** ****DEMO Scale**** **
**(Full LIDT threat & debris)**

**Chamber: see next Viewgraph**

**OPTIMIZE TARGETS FOR HIGH GAIN**
**Single shot and burst mode**

## ETF-First Generation Chamberfor Tasks 1, 2, andTask 3 (materials/components blanket development)

**FIRST WALL (6.5 m radius)**
**Full laser energy & yield (250 MJ)**
**	****10 shot bursts @ 5 Hz**
**	****10****5**** shots**
**	****< 0.02 micron erosion/shot**
**Full laser energy with 10% yield**
**	****10****7****shots at 5 Hz**
**      ****negligible erosion/shot**
**Design allows annual replacement**

**BLANKET / COOLING**
**125 MWth (10% yield @ 5 Hz)**
**Breed Tritium (Sombrero TBR= 1.25 (LiO****2****)**

**COULD BE**
** ****CTF?**

## ETF-Task 4 (Electricity Production)

- Upgrade chamber materials based on R&D
- Upgrade to best blanket to come out of R&D
- Upgrade chamber cooling:
- 	(125MW to 1.3 GW thermal)
- Generate 300-400 MW electricity
- 	(expect 250 MW net to Grid by 2028)

## Cost Breakdown for ETF: KrF laser

**Cost Breakdown for ETF: KrF laser**

## Cost Breakdown for ETF: DPPSL

**The ETF costs were estimated using the NIF cost basis   **

**NIF Elements**
** ****Facility**
** ****Driver**
**  ****- Optics**
**  ****- Optical pump **
**  ****- Pulsed power**
**  ****- Gain media**
**  ****- Cooling **
**  ****- KDP**
**  ****- Pockels cell**
**  ****- Deformable mirror**
**  ****- Front end**
** ****Controls and **
**  ****data acquisition **
** ****Diagnostics**
**  **

**DPSSL costs**
**Similar**
**Similar**
**Much more (diodes vs flashlamps)**
**More (rep-rated efficient design) **
**More (crystals vs glass)**
**More (gas flow vs passive cooling)**
**Similar**
**Similar**
**Similar**
**Similar**
**Similar**
**Similar**

**Total****	****~$1.5 B****	****	****	****~$1.5 + $1.0 (diodes) **
**	****	****	****	****+ $0.5 (misc + contingency) **

***Projected driver costs for:***
***	******- ETF is $3.0 B, 1******st****** of kind***
***	******- IFE plant is $1.0 B, 10******th****** of kind ($500/J)**** *

## Cost Breakdown for ETF: other technologies

## Elements, Cost, & Schedule to develop Laser Fusion Energy

**Elements, Cost, & Schedule to develop Laser Fusion Energy**

_*Phase II *_**$650M($65M/yr)**

- _Phase III:  __*ETF*_: **$4,947 M  ($350M/yr)**

_*DEMO    *_**$ 1,000M ??**

_*Phase I *_**$140 M**

- ?

**Lasers: $105 M**

**Targets**
**$15 M**

**Optics**
**$4.8 M**

**Chamber**
**$7.0 M**

**Materials**
**$6.8 M**

- ?

- ?

- NIF

**Target Physics: $100 M**

**Other Comp: $150 M**

- DESIGN

- CONST

- OPERATION

**Laser Facility:**
**$275M ****(laser) ****+**
**27 M ****(chamber)**** **

**Target Facility: $99 M**

- DESIGN

- CONST

- OPERATION

## Criteria to go from ETF to DEMO

**Criteria to go from ETF to DEMO**

- Demonstrate gain & reproducibility required for commercial fusion power
- Demonstrate integrated operation of critical components--
- 	...laser + target fabrication + chamber...
- 3. Extends to reliable and economically attractive approach for commercial electricity.

## Description of Laser IFE DEMO

**Description of Laser IFE DEMO**

- Could employ the core of the ETF laser driver, target fab, injection, etc
-    with mods optimized for commercial application rather than research.
- Components optimized for commercial power generation.
- Given the potential capability for the ETF, DEMO could  be a second generation plant with significant industrial investment.

## Elements, Cost, & Schedule to develop Laser Fusion Energy

**Elements, Cost, & Schedule to develop Laser Fusion Energy**

_*Phase II *_**$650M($65M/yr)**

- _Phase III:  __*ETF*_: **$4,947 M  ($350M/yr)**

_*DEMO    *_**$ 1,000M ??**

_*Phase I *_**$140 M**

**ETF Laser*:** **$3,000 M**** ****(inc building)**

- DESIGN

- CONSTRUCTION

- OPERATION

**Target Factory & Injector: $339 M**

- DES

- CONST

- OPERATION

- ?

**Lasers: $105 M**

**Targets**
**$15 M**

**Optics**
**$4.8 M**

**Chamber**
**$7.0 M**

**Materials**
**$6.8 M**

**1st Chamber: $145 M**

- CONST

- OPERATION

- DES

**Electricity****:****   ****$638 M**

- DES

- CONST

- OP

**Blanket Dev****:    ****$200 M**

- ?

- ?

- NIF

**Optimize Yield: $100M**

**Target Physics: $100 M**

**Other Comp: $150 M**

- DESIGN

- CONST

- OPERATION

**Laser Facility:**
**$275M ****(laser) ****+**
**27 M ****(chamber)**** **

**Target Facility: $99 M**

- DESIGN

- CONST

- OPERATION

## Elements, Cost, & Schedule to develop Laser Fusion Energy

**Elements, Cost, & Schedule to develop Laser Fusion Energy**

_*Phase II *_**$650M($65M/yr)**

- _Phase III:  __*ETF*_: **$4,947 M  ($350M/yr)**

_*DEMO    *_**$ 1,000M ??**

_*Phase I *_**$140 M**

**Target Physics: $100 M**

**Other Comp: $150 M**

- ?

**Lasers: $105 M**

**Targets**
**$15 M**

**Optics**
**$4.8 M**

**Chamber**
**$7.0 M**

**Materials**
**$6.8 M**

- ?

- ?

- NIF