Abstract
The benefits of an energy source whose reactants are plentiful and whose products are benign is hard to measure, but at no time in history has this energy source been more needed. Nuclear fusion continues to promise to be this energy source. However, the path to market for fusion systems is still regularly a matter for long-term (20 + year) plans. This white paper is intended to stimulate discussion of faster commercialization paths, distilling guidance from investors, utilities, and the wider energy research community (including from ARPA-E). There is great interest in a small modular fusion system that can be developed quickly and inexpensively. A simple model shows how compact modular fusion can produce a low cost development path by optimizing traditional systems that burn deuterium and tritium, operating not only at high magnetic field strength, but also by omitting some components that allow for the core to become more compact and easier to maintain. The dominant hurdles to the development of low cost, practical fusion systems are discussed, primarily in terms of the constraints placed on the cost of development stages in the private sector. The main finding presented here is that the bridge from DOE Office of Science to the energy market can come at the Proof of Principle development stage, providing the concept is sufficiently compact and inexpensive that its development allows for a normal technology commercialization path.
References
J.D. Galambos, L.J. Perkins, S.W. Haney, J. Mandrekas, Commercial tokamak potential with advanced physics operation. Nucl. Fusion 35, 551 (1995)
J. Sheffield, J. Galambos, Prospects for toroidal fusion reactors. Fusion Technol. 26, 1122 (1994)
L.J. Perkins, The role of inertial fusion energy in the energy marketplace of the 21st century and beyond. J. Fusion Energ. 16, 307 (1997)
F. Najmabadi, Historical perspectives and pathways to an attractive power plant, (May 2009), Presented at the 23rd Symposium on Fusion Engineering in San Diego, CA, http://aries.ucsd.edu/Aries/
R.A. Krakowski, Simplified fusion power plant costing: a general prognosis and call for ‘‘New Think’’. Fusion Technol 27 (1995)
S. Woodruff, M. Brown, E.B. Hooper, R. Milroy, M. Schaffer, Why compact tori for fusion? J. Fusion Energ. 29, 447 (2010)
D.C. Barnes, J. Hammer, A. Hassam, D. Hill, A. Hoffman, E.B. Hooper, J. Kesner, G. Miley, J. Perkins, D. Ryutov, J. Sarff, R.E. Siemon, J. Slough, M. Yamada, Fusion energy science opportunities in emerging concepts. J. Fusion Energ. 18, 13 (1999)
Integrated Program Planning Activity, DOE/SC-0028, December 2000. Available at http://www.ofes.science.doe.gov/
A. Majumdar, Committee on Science and Technology, House of Representatives (2010)
R.L. Hagenson, R.A. Krakowski, Fusion Techn. 8, 1606 (1985); see also “The Spheromak as a Compact Fusion Reactor,” LANL Report LA-10908-MS, March 1989
Nuclear Energy Institute, “Small Modular Reactors Provide Clean, Safe Power and Industrial Heat”, (January 2010) [Available at www.nei.org/filefolder/Small_Modular_Reactors_FS_01-10-1.pdf]
J.P. Holdren, D.H. Berwald, R.J. Budnitz, J.G. Crocker, J.G. Delene, R.D. Endicott, M.S. Kazimi, R.A. Krakowski, B.G. Logan, K.R. Schultz, Summary of the report of the Senior Committee on Environmental, Safety, and Economic Aspects of Magnetic Fusion Energy, LLNL, Report UCRL-53766 (1987)
J. Sheffield, D–D Power Plants: the ultimate fusion goal, White paper submitted to ReNeW Theme IV http://burningplasma.org/web/renew_whitepapers_theme4.html
W.M. Nevins, A review of confinement requirements for advanced fuels journal of fusion energy Volume 17, Number 1/March, 1998, see also W.M. Nevins and R. Swain, “The Thermonuclear fusion rate coefficient for p-11B reactions”. Nucl. Fusion 40, 865 (2000)
Acknowledgments
We acknowledge useful conversations with the WSI scientific advisory board. We acknowledge Ralph Moir, Paul Bellan (Caltech), John Galambos (ORNL), Bick Hooper (LLNL), Mike Brown (Swarthmore), John Sheffield (UTK), Uri Shumlak (UW), Brett Chapman (Uwisc), Glen Wurden (LANL) and Steve Dean (Fusion Power Associates) for reading drafts of this paper and giving comments. We acknowledge useful conversations with Lars Johansson (Co-chair of the NW Energy Angels), Kevin Doren (Advisor at Divergent ventures), Raymond Williams (active angel investor and serial entrepreneur), Dr Mark Bean (financial sector expert and entrepreneur), the Northwest Entrepreneur Network, in particular Rebecca Lovell and Mike O’Donnell and other organizers and mentors in the First Look Forum. We also acknowledge very useful conversations with a short list of prominent VCs in the USA and UK.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Appendix
Appendix
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Woodruff, S., Baerny, J.K., Mattor, N. et al. Path to Market for Compact Modular Fusion Power Cores. J Fusion Energ 31, 305–316 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10894-011-9472-6
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10894-011-9472-6