The Fusion Hybrid Robert B. Laughlin（融合混合罗伯特b .劳克林）.pdf

The fusion hybrid Using fusion reactions for breeding fissile materials in addition to producing electric power may provide us with a safe and economic way to extend our energy resources. Hans A. Bethe In the last few years nuclear fusion by the reactor to be a net source of fuel. In magnetic confinement has made great a sense, the reactors energy output is in progress. However, an economical pure two forms: fissile material and electric- quate supply of fissionable material. fusion power plant is still many years ity. As we shall see, the conditions for Basically this depends on the supply of away. In this article I will discuss how a making such a reactor economical are uranium. In our present nuclear reactors combination of fusion and fission power considerably less stringent than those for (light-water reactors, or LWR) we use might be much closer, and might be very fusion reactors producing electric power only the fissile isotope of uranium, U-235, helpful both to fission and fusion alone. It also appears that hybrid reac- which is about 0.7% of natural uranium. power. tors will raise fewer security problems This being so, it takes about 6000 tons of The idea of the fusion hybrid is to sur- than the fast breeder reactors now being uranium oxide to supply the fissile U-235 round a fusion reactor (once such a ma- planned and built. for one reactor through its lifetime, which chine exists) with a blanket of uranium or is conventionally estimated to be 30 thorium. In the fusion of tritium and Fission power plants years. deuterium a fast neutron