The Target Fabrication Facility (TFF) of an inertial fusion
energy (IFE) power plant must supply about 500,000 targets per
day. The target is injected into the target chamber at a rate
of 5–10 Hz and tracked precisely so the heavy ion driver
beams can be directed to the target. The feasibility of developing
successful fabrication and injection methodologies at the low
cost required for energy production (about $0.25/target,
approximately 104 times less than current costs) is a
critical issue for inertial fusion energy. A significant program is
underway to develop the high-volume methods to supply economical IFE
targets. This article reviews the requirements for heavy ion driven
IFE target fabrication and injection, and presents the current status
of and results from the development program. For the first time,
an entire pathway from beginning to end is outlined for fabrication
of a high-gain, distributed radiator target. A significant
development and scale-up program will be necessary to implement
this pathway for mass production of IFE targets.
Commentary on A Conceptual Design of Transport Lines for a Heavy-Ion Inertial-Fusion Power Plant