Application prospects of the cold fusion: a concept of a hybrid muon-catalyzed reactor

The concept, design and efficiency of different units of a hybrid muon-catalyzed reactor are considered. The preliminary conceptual calculations of the efficiency of the chain 'pion-producing target-converter-synthesizer-blanket' are based on the modelling of the particle trajectories. They have confirmed the first estimate: the blanket and the ordinary thermal reactors, fed by the produced plutonium, may multiply the fusion energy by a factor of 100. Engineering requirements impose certain restrictions on the conditions of the catalysis (T=400-600 K, P=103 atm, Ct=0.3). The combination of mesocatalytic and electronuclear methods of breeding fuel in the same power plant increases the energy output by a factor of 1.5 for a deuteron beam as compared to the pure electronuclear method. As a result the level of capital costs for the HMCR construction, including the accelerator, can become acceptable. Some engineering difficulties still have to be coped with (unfavourable energy balance, high investments and energy for muon production, etc.) before HMCR are technically and economically feasible. 4 tabs., 4 figs., 54 refs