Engineering study of the feasibility of a fusion power reactor employing the dense Z-pinch plasma confinement geometry

The findings of an engineering assessment of a commercial fusion reactor based on the dense Z-pinch (DZP) confinement geometry are reported. A major requirement is a system for supplying electrical energy to the pinch with the required pulse form and at high repetition rates; the very high rate of current rise required imposes a low upper limit on the inductance of the primary circuit. A second requirement is that the electrodes supplying the electrical power to the pinch must be capable of continuous operation over long periods with acceptably low rates of damage from repeated pinch discharges; for this, liquid cooled electrodes or even all-liquid electrodes may be needed. The studies showed the importance of ensuring the recovery of the electromagnetic field energy from the pinch zone after discharges, and that asymmetric configurations of the discharge zone are unlikely to be satisfactory. It can be expected that a DZP reactor will operate at moderate or high pressure and will therefore require a pressure vessel similar to that of pressurized water fission reactors. Present indications are that neutron damage to the containment vessel can be kept at acceptable levels and that power densities similar to those of PWRs will be achieved. Therefore, the DZP concept could provide an economically viable power source. Three tentative reactor layouts are presented; in each the plasma column is approximately 100 mm long, 30 μm in diameter and of 7x1027cm-3 number density carrying a peak current of 1.5 MA. (author). 10 refs, 3 figs