INERTIAL ELECTROSTATIC CONFINEMENT HE-3 BREEDER FOR D-HE-3 SATELLITE SYSTEMS

Fusion fuel of D-He-3 combines a high-energy yield per fusion reaction with a relatively high fusion cross section. Moreover ifs nuclear rea ction (D + He-3 --> p + alpha, 18.3 MeV) minimizes neutrons and maximi zes charged fusion products, enabling increased energy recovery effici ency by direct conversion. However, scarcer He-3 terrestrial resources have deterred research and development on this alternative. Productio n of 3He through inertial electrostatic confinement breeders, which su pply 3He to field-revet sed-configuration reactors (called satellites in reference to their dependence on the breeder) if explored. The bree der-satellite system is analyzed in terms of both energy balance and e conomics. The energy balance takes the net energy gain of the global s ystem as the key parameter. The economic study determines the competit iveness of breeding with respect to 3He lunar mining, which was alread y shown to be an ultimately attractive route! for commercial developme nt.