R. L. Bieri

Bio: R. L. Bieri is an academic researcher from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The author has contributed to research in topics: Inertial confinement fusion & Fusion power. The author has an hindex of 6, co-authored 8 publications receiving 346 citations.

HYLIFE-II: A Molten-Salt Inertial Fusion Energy Power Plant Design — Final Report

Abstract: Enhanced safety and performance improvements have been made to the liquid-wall HYLIFE reactor, yielding the current HYLIFE-II conceptual design. Liquid lithium has been replaced with a neutronically thick array of flowing molten-salt jets (Li[sub 2]BeF[sub 4] or Flibe), which will not burn, has a low tritium solubility and inventory, and protects the chamber walls, giving a robust design with a 30-yr lifetime. The tritium inventory is 0.5 g in the molten salt and 140 g in the metal of the tube walls, where it is less easily released. The 5-MJ driver is a recirculating induction accelerator estimated to cost $570 million (direct costs). Heavy-ion targets yield 350 MJ, six times per second, to produce 940 MW of electrical power for a cost of 6.5 cents/kW[center dot]h. Both larger and smaller yields are possible with correspondingly lower and higher pulse rates. When scaled up to 1934 MW (electric), the plant design has a calculated cost of electricity of 4.5 cents/kW[center dot]h. The design did not take into account potential improved plant availability and lower operations and maintenance costs compared with conventional power plant experience, resulting from the liquid wall protection. Such improvements would directly lower the electricity cost figures. For example,more » if the availability can be raised from the conservatively assumed 75% to 85% and the annual cost of component replacement, operations, and maintenance can be reduced from 6% to 3% of direct cost, the cost of electricity would drop to 5.0 and 3.9 cents/kW[center dot]h for 1- and 2-GW (electric) cases. 50 refs., 15 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Grazing Incidence Metal Mirrors as the Final Elements in a Laser Driver for Inertial Confinement Fusion

Abstract: Grazing incidence metal mirrors (GIMMs) have been examined to replace dielectric mirrors for the final elements in a laser beam line for an inertial confinement fusion reactor. For a laser driver w...

Economic Modeling and Parametric Studies for Osiris — A HIB-Driven IFE Power Plant

Abstract: Economic modeling and parametric studies for the Osiris HIB-driven inertial fusion energy (IFE) electric power plant have been conducted to determine the most attractive operating point. Cost scali...

Heavy-Ion Driver Design and Scaling

Abstract: Parametric models for scaling heavy-ion driver designs are described. Scaling of target performance and driver cost is done for driver parameters including driver energy, number of beams, t...

Compact Torus Accelerator Driven Inertial Confinement Fusion Power Plant HYLIFE-CT

Abstract: A Compact Torus Accelerator (CTA) is used to accelerate a Compact Torus (CT) to 35 MJ kinetic energy which is focused to a 20 mm diameter where its kinetic energy is converted to a shaped x-ray pulse of 30 MJ. The capsule yield with a prescribed radiation profile is calculated to be (gain 60 times 30 MJ) 1.8 GJ. Schemes for achieving this profile are described. The CT is accelerated in a length of 30 m within an annulus of 150 mm ID and 300 mm OD where the maximum magnetic field is 28 T. A 2.5 m conical taper reduces the mean diameter of the CT from 225 mm to 20 mm. The conical section is made out of solid Li{sub 2}BeF{sub 4}. The target with its frozen conical guide section is accurately placed at the end of the accelerator about once per second. The reactor called HYLIFE uses liquid jets to attenuate blast effects including shrapnel from the shattered conical guide section and radiation so that the vessel is expected to last 30 years. The calculated cost of electricity is estimated (in constant 1988 dollars) to be about 4.8 cents/kW {center_dot} h compared to the future cost of more » nuclear and coal of 4.3 to 5.8 cents/kW {center_dot} h. The CT driver contributes 17% to the cost of electricity. Present CT's make 2 x 10{sup 8} W/cm{sup 2}; the goal of experiments in progress is 10{sup 11} W/cm{sup 2} with further modifications to allow 10{sup 12}W/cm{sup 2}, whereas the reactor requires 10{sup 15} W/cm{sup 2} in a shaped pulse. « less

HYLIFE-II: A Molten-Salt Inertial Fusion Energy Power Plant Design — Final Report

Abstract: Enhanced safety and performance improvements have been made to the liquid-wall HYLIFE reactor, yielding the current HYLIFE-II conceptual design. Liquid lithium has been replaced with a neutronically thick array of flowing molten-salt jets (Li[sub 2]BeF[sub 4] or Flibe), which will not burn, has a low tritium solubility and inventory, and protects the chamber walls, giving a robust design with a 30-yr lifetime. The tritium inventory is 0.5 g in the molten salt and 140 g in the metal of the tube walls, where it is less easily released. The 5-MJ driver is a recirculating induction accelerator estimated to cost $570 million (direct costs). Heavy-ion targets yield 350 MJ, six times per second, to produce 940 MW of electrical power for a cost of 6.5 cents/kW[center dot]h. Both larger and smaller yields are possible with correspondingly lower and higher pulse rates. When scaled up to 1934 MW (electric), the plant design has a calculated cost of electricity of 4.5 cents/kW[center dot]h. The design did not take into account potential improved plant availability and lower operations and maintenance costs compared with conventional power plant experience, resulting from the liquid wall protection. Such improvements would directly lower the electricity cost figures. For example,more » if the availability can be raised from the conservatively assumed 75% to 85% and the annual cost of component replacement, operations, and maintenance can be reduced from 6% to 3% of direct cost, the cost of electricity would drop to 5.0 and 3.9 cents/kW[center dot]h for 1- and 2-GW (electric) cases. 50 refs., 15 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Laser driven inertial fusion energy: present and prospective

Abstract: Recent progress in laser driven implosion is reviewed. Improvements in the uniformity of irradiation by laser beams on fuel pellets have achieved quantitative progress in implosion performance. The recent results of the direct drive–central ignition experiments give us confidence in achieving fusion ignition, burning and energy gain using a multi-beam megajoule laser with full implementation of beam smoothing techniques. Fast ignition research is also reviewed, which could give us a higher energy gain with lower laser energy. The science and technology of laser fusion power plants are beginning to attract wider attention, as forming the road map to achieve commercial power plants for cleaner, safer and abundant fusion energy.Corrections were made to this article on 28 April 2004

Diode-pumped solid-state laser drivers for inertial fusion energy

Abstract: This paper reviews work on flashlamp-pumped solid state lasers and discusses diode-pumped solid state lasers, the Mercury laser in particular. It also discusses ICF lasers beyond Mercury.