For inertial fusion energy (IFE) to become a viable energy source, development needs to go beyond just improving target design (fuel) and drivers (such as lasers, pulsed power, or heavy ions). It's also essential to focus on other key components, such as the reaction chamber, fuel cycle, functional materials, structural materials, blanket technologies, and the overall system's maintenance and integration. To make progress, we need integrated models that connect all these subsystems, with specific designs for each individual part. This approach helps identify trade-offs and understand how improvements in one area can impact the entire system. The Magnetic Fusion Energy (MFE) scientific community has made significant progress in this area, and it is important to build on that existing work and collaborate on new, synergistic developments to accelerate progress in all fusion energy concepts.
It’s also important to recognize that while there are many similarities between IFE and other fusion approaches, IFE has some unique technological needs due to its pulsed nature. For example, an IFE reaction chamber must protect the first wall from the high-energy flux of particles and radiation generated by the igniting and burning fuel, ensure efficient interaction between the driver and the chamber (including access ports and beam propagation), protect optics from debris in laser fusion, and remove impurities and debris from both the target and the chamber’s first wall. These challenges arise from the high repetition rates and long-term operation, which have not been significant issues in inertial confinement fusion research up to now but must be addressed for IFE.
Science and Technology Challenges & Gaps:
- How can a modeling-informed, experimentally verified understanding of IFE structural materials at the macro- and microscopic levels be developed when subjected to a pulsed, fusion-relevant spectrum (neutrons, ions, neutrals/debris, x-rays, thermal)?
- How can synergistic target/fuel cycle co-design between the plasma physics, fuel-cycle, and chamber-design communities be fostered to create target designs and identify materials and processing methods that minimize fuel cycle impacts and reduce inventory?
- How can predictive calculations of static and transport material properties be improved under the extreme conditions typical of IFE environments?
- How can system-design studies be undertaken to establish a suite of self-consistent, quantitative IFE plant models and use these models to guide every aspect of the research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) program?