Fusion breeding as an approach to sustainable energy

Abstract

AbstractThis article examines an approach for sustainable energy called fusion breeding. This is the use of 14 meV fusion neutrons to breed fuel for thermal nuclear reactors. Currently thermal nuclear reactors use for fuel, only the isotope of uranium, 235U, which is 0.7% of the total resource. In order for nuclear power to be sustainable, it is necessary to breed nuclear fuel (233U or 239Pu) from fertile material (238U or 232Th). This resource could supply tens of terawatts for thousands of years. By any reasonable criterion, it both sustainable and carbon free. While most efforts at breeding envision fission reactors of one type or another, fusion is also a possible approach to breeding. Not only that, fusion has many advantages as a route for breeding that fission simply does not have. This article makes the case for fusion breeding.