Near-term applications of fusion from the ST-VNS development path

The ST-VNS devices designed for testing and developing fusion power blanket may offer a unique opportunity for near-term, non-electric applications: A minimum size, MW level, plasma based 14 MeV neutron source can be very at tractive for neutron science applications such as neutron and gamma radiogr aphy, and isotope production. A 70-250 MW level ST-VNS can provide neutrons to drive a sub-critical fissi on assembly to destroy the actinides discharged from about 10-30 light wate r reactors and to produce power. A further reduction of long-term radiologi cal hazard from fission power plants can be assured when additional 1,000 - 3,000 MW fusion reactors are developed in the future to transmute the long -lived fission products, Tc and I. The ST-VNS device also offers a possibility to produce tritium for industri al and defense applications. A 300 MW spin-off device is capable of produci ng an excess tritium of 2 kg annually, when a conservative overall tritium breeding ratio of 1.2 and 60% availability are assumed.