2. Current state of Fusion
Research:
If NIF ($5 Billion) can’t
and
ITER ($20 Billion)
is far off—2027 at least
3. THEN WHY DOES LPP THINK WE CAN PROVE
FEASIBILITY
($2 MILLION MORE)
AND GET A WORKING PROTOTYPE
($50 MILLION?)
ARE WE CRAZY?
Or—ARE WE JUST DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY?
4. What is Focus Fusion?
Controlled Nuclear Fusion
using Dense Plasma Focus
Device
+
Hydrogen-Boron (Aneutronic)
Fuel
5. Difference#1: Aneutronic Fuel
Small Size DPF device
Direct conversion of fusion
energy to electricity
Large reduction in costs
compared to existing
Abundant fuel:
Hydrogen and Boron
Safe, NO radioactive waste
p + 11B → 3 4He + 8.7 MeV
6. Cost to build FF-1
$0.5 million
Cost to build ITER,
NIF—billions
Same difference for
electricity production :
6 cents/W- LPP vs
several $/W others
7. Why use DT?
• Ignitionat400millionKwithDT
• 1.6BillionKwithpB11
• ButLPPhas1.8billionK
22. •Theory—leads to small size
•Axial Field coil controls spin
•Quantum magnetic field effect
suppresses x-ray cooling
Our Advances On Other DPF Work
23. Innovation
on the shoulders of giants
Rich body of DPF scientific
literature since invention in
‘60’s
Dozens of research groups
worldwide
X-ray/neutron applications
US teams at KSU, NSTec
2009: LPP Focus Fusion-1
lab begins experiments
Testing our key
innovations to
demonstrate scientific
feasibility of focus fusion
Accurate
DPF
model
Optimal
angular
momentum
QMF to
reduce X-
rays
Efficient X-
ray capture
Efficient
beam
capture
24. Where are we?
Ion energy—goal achieved—over 160 keV, enough
to ignite pB11
Confinement time—goal achieved 20 ns—more
than 8 ns goal
Energy transfer to plasmoid—over 50% of goal
Density—must increase by 10,000
26. Steps to increase density
50x Achieve theoretical density—improve
symmetry 4 x greater linear compression
10x Increase current to 2.8 MA
20x Better compression with heavier pB11
31. What our colleagues say
“I think that the “Focus Fusion” approach of Lawrenceville
Plasma Physics, Inc. should be funded as the science behind
it is very interesting. “- Bruno Coppi, Professor of Physics and
Senior Fusion Researcher, MIT
“According to the results of this paper, it could be said that p
11B fuelled plasma focus device is a clean and efficient
source of energy.”-S. Abolhasani, M. Habibi and R. Amrollahi,
Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran in Journal of
Fusion Energy
“The experimental program that LPP plans to carry out has
great potential to show how the plasma focus can be used to
generate fusion energy and to demonstrate the feasibility of
hydrogen-boron fusion. “- Dr. Julio Herrera, Professor of
Physics, National Autonomous University of Mexico
32. OUR IP
US patent 7,482,607
Australian Patent 2007314648
Patent applications , same priority date:
Europe, China, Canada, India
33. What’s holding us back?
Too few people– need experienced experimental
plasma physicist
Need more money in the bank to attract top
people
Need to deal with immigration as most DPF-
trained people are not US
34. Accelerating feasibility through
international collaboration
Agreement signed with Plasma Physics Research
Center in Tehran to cooperatively publish papers
150 graduate students, including 50 PhD students
90 plasma physics PhD students in the entire US
PCAST briefed May 25th in DC
Working to expand cooperation to Japan, elsewhere
35. Finances
$2.7 million raised from Abell Foundation, 40
investors
Raising $1.7 million more for scientific feasibility,
transition to engineering phase
$50 million for development, engineering
36. An ARPA E Reviewer, $900,000 grant proposal:
(1) Prior work with the FF-1 concept has been
conducted with the results accepted and
published, and a patent has been granted. While
fusion is typically regarded as a future
achievement, the proposed technical approach is
based on credible prior work.
(2) Though 5 MWe is fairly small on an national
energy scale, if this generator can be deployed,
there is still potential benefits. While an entire city
may not run on it, individual facilities could benefit
greatly.
(3) Additionally, if such a generator is feasible, the
cost/performance ratio should decline with a rapid
deployment of these smaller systems.
37. Why no stampede to invest?
Herd mentality
DOE focus on tokamak
But may be changing
“We are closely following start-ups experimenting with
new technologies such as low-energy nuclear reaction
and fusion. If successful, these efforts could completely
change the current status quo and hurt traditional energy
producers. It is worth watching this space. People tend to
overestimate what can be done in a year, but
underestimate what can happen in a decade.”
Black Rock report June 2012
41. Improvement in
Yield/Current Scaling
y = 1E-08x6.7542
1.00E+06
1.00E+07
1.00E+08
1.00E+09
1.00E+10
1.00E+11
1.00E+12
1.00E+02 1.00E+03
NeutronYield
Current I (kA)
Buenos Aires(PFI)
FF-1
Frascati(1MJ)
Limeil
NTSC
Swierk
U of Illinois LPP
Stuttgart(HV)
Darmstadt
Stuttgart(Poseidon)
TAVADIL(PAEO)
Power (FF-1)
Editor's Notes
QMF = Quantum Magnetic Field effect, which is a known physical principle which is expected to reduce losses from X-ray cooling of the plasma thanks to the high magnetic fields that will be generated. The axial field coil optimizez the angular momentum (spin) of the plasma ball (plasmoid).
Makes it possible
Inherent safety, brief confinement time
Small amount of funding to reach next major milestone
Ditch team slide – just four
Log-Log adds suspicion; explain TFTR, re-do linear? Re-labl