Lockheed compact fusion reactor design about 100 times larger than first plans
There is updated technical information on the Lockheed compact fusion reactor project. It was originally believed that the compact reactor would fit on a large truck. It looked like it might weigh 20 tons. After more engineering and scientific research, the new design requires about 2000 ton reactor that is 7 meters in diameter and 18 meters long. This would be about one third the length of a Dolphin diesel submarine and it would be slightly wider and taller. It would be similar in size to a A5W submarine nuclear fission reactor. We would not know for sure because the A5W size is classified but based on the the size and likely configuration of a nuclear submarine this size estimate is likely.
They have performed simulations. In simulations, plasma confinement is achieved in magnetic wells with self - produced sharp magnetic field boundaries.
" Design closes for 200 MW th reactor, 18 meters long by 7 meters diameter device assuming hybrid gyro - radii sheath and cusp widths and good coil support magnetic shielding.
" Neutral beam heats plasma to ignited state.
" The dominant losses are ion losses through the ring cusps into stalks and axially through the mirror confined sheath.
" Good global curvature gives interchange stability
Lockheed believes they can get better confinement at the cusps than the EMC2 polywell reactor.
Lockheed believes a design with 15 tesla superconducting magnets could be reduced in size to 200 tons.
Technical results presented on the T4 experiment in 2015 showed a cold, partially ionized plasma with the following parameters: peak electron temperature of 20 Electron volts, 1E16 ma'3 electron density, less than 1% ionization fraction and 3 kW of input power. No confinement or fusion reaction rates were presented.
Two theoretical reactor concepts were presented by Tom McGuire in 2015. An ideal configuration weighing 200 metric tons with 1 meter of cryogenic radiation shielding and 15 Tesla Magnets. A conservative configuration weighing 2,000 metric tons, 2 meters of cryogenic radiation shielding, and 5 Tesla magnets was also presented.
There was a presentation on the Lockheed reactor project at Princeton.
31 page analysis by Matthew J Moynihan
