Turbostar: an ICF reactor using both direct and thermal power conversion

The Turbostar reactor concept efficiently converts fusion energy into kinetic energy, which is then directly converted to electricity using turbine generators. In this concept, a liquid-lithium (or lithium-lead) falling blanket is placed as close as possible to the central axis of the reactor. If looked at in cross section just before a fusion pulse, the blanket forms an annulus, unlike the cross section in the HYLIFE design (a previous inertial confinement fusion reactor concept), which forms a series of discrete jets. Turbostar is a novel concept because it retains the advantages of the HYLIFE and Sunburst designs while improving on their limitations. Turbostar is expected to have a 50% higher conversion efficiency than HYLIFE, and it does not require magnetic fields around the chamber, as the Sunburst reactor does