Partially catalyzed deuterium and tritium-assisted plasma characteristics

Partially catalyzed deuterium (PCD) fuel cycles and their sensitivity to ash buildup, radiation losses, T /SUB i/ /T /SUB e/ and 3He consumed are investigated. The study is machine independent, using a simple zero-dimensional steady-state model. The PCD fuel cycles include semi-catalyzed-deuterium where only a fraction of the 3He fuses and tritium-catalyzed-deuterium where 3He extracted from the plasma is converted into tritium, which is reinjected. Also considered is tritium-assisted operation where a fraction of the fusion neutrons is used to produce tritium, which is added to the PCD plasma. The PCD and tritium-assisted operation is shown to be attractive for certain nonelectrical applications. They avoid 3He recirculation required for catalyzed deuterium (Cat-D) operation and enable simplified blanket designs. The ignition temperature, n /SUB epsilon/ /tau/, and power density of PCD plasmas are very energy balance sensitive, but under certain conditions these properties can be comparable or superior to those of Cat-D. Cyclotron radiation losses can significantly impair, whereas tritium assistance can strongly improve, PCD performance