Critical issues from SAFFIRE

SAFFIRE signifies a Self-Sustained, Advanced-Fuel Field-REversed Configuration. It was devised in an earlier conceptual design study a D-He3 pilot unit to demonstrate on a near term scale the feasibility of burning advanced fuels / EPRI AP-1437, July 1980/. Topics covered in the design report include: equilibrium field and diamagnetic current contributions; fueling; plasma stability; SAFFIRE start-up; fusion product heating and transport; divertor design; blanket energy recovery systems; pilot unit; small size power reactor; cost estimate and economic plausibility of SAFFIRE; comparison of direct capital costs; SAFFIRE indirect costs and cell cost reduction. Critical issues from this work will be discussed with emphasis on problems related to steady-state operation. These include fueling and diamagnetic currents, ash build-up, and the gas blanket. Comments will also be given about the mass production concept and cost projections for a reactor version of SAFFIRE