Energy Balance Within Thermonuclear Reactors

Abstract

Thermonuclear reactors hold a great promise for the future of Humankind. Within Tokamak and Stellarator reactors, plasma is confined by twisted magnetic fields. Reactors which produce fusion energy have existed since Princeton Large Torus Tokamak in 1978, nevertheless in all reactors built up to now, energy loss from plasma vastly exceeded fusion energy production. In order for a thermonuclear power plant to run, generated fusion energy must significantly exceed energy loss by the plasma. There are four processes by which plasma looses energy -- neutron radiation, Bremsstrahlung radiation, synchrotron radiation, and heat conduction to the walls. For a deuterium -- tritium reactor, 80\% of energy produced by fusion is lost to neutron radiation, about 4\% to 6\% of fusion energy is lost to Bremsstrahlung and synchrotron radiation. For a deuterium -- $^3$He reactor, 5\% of energy produced by fusion is lost to neutron radiation, about 50\% to 75\% of fusion energy is lost to Bremsstrahlung and synchrotron radiation. Increasing reactor operating temperature decreases loss to Bremsstrahlung radiation and increases loss to synchrotron radiation. Power loss to conduction is either independent or weakly dependent on fusion power production. Up to now, no single theoretical or experimental model can accurately predict conduction power loss. For small Tokamaks and Stellarators, conduction power loss vastly exceeds power generated by fusion. For large and powerful thermonuclear reactors which are yet to be built, conduction power loss should be much lower then power produced by fusion.