Possibility for Gaining Nuclear Energy Without Radioactivity by Laser Driven Block Ignition of Solid Density Hydrogen Boron

18th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering: Volume 6 ◽

10.1115/icone18-29943 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Henrich Hora ◽

George H. Miley

Keyword(s):

Cross Sections ◽

Fusion Energy ◽

Contrast Ratio ◽

Laser Pulses ◽

Self Focusing ◽

Solid Density ◽

Solid Fusion ◽

Burning Coal ◽

Energy Gains ◽

Transport Problems

In addition to the matured “Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE)” with spherical compression of deuterium-tritium (DT) for a pure fusion engine or for fusion-fission-hybrid operation, a very new scheme may have now been opened by igniting the neutron-free reaction of proton-boron-11 (p-11B) using side-on block ignition. Laser pulses of several petawatt power and ps duration led to the discovery of an anomaly of interaction, if the prepulses are cut off by a factor 108 (contrast ratio) to avoid relativistic self focusing. In this case the Bobin-Chu conditions of side-on ignition of solid fusion fuel can be applied after several improvements leading to energy gains of 10,000 similar to the Nuckolls-Wood ignition with extremely intense 5 MeV electron beams. In contrast to the impossible laser-ignition of p-11B by the usual spherical compression, the side-on ignition is less than ten times only more difficult of DT ignition. This p-11B fusion produces less radioactivity per gained energy than burning coal. After encouraging success with computations based on the different nuclear cross sections, next steps are focusing on stability and transport problems.

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Alternative Laser Driven Fusion Reactions for Nuclear Energy Without Radioactivity

18th International Conference on Nuclear Engineering: Volume 6 ◽

10.1115/icone18-29945 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Mahmoud Ghoranneviss ◽

Babak Malekynia ◽

Nader Azizi ◽

Henrich Hora ◽

George H. Miley

Keyword(s):

Nuclear Energy ◽

Ponderomotive Force ◽

Fusion Energy ◽

Contrast Ratio ◽

Laser Pulses ◽

State Density ◽

Helium Isotope ◽

Fusion Reactions ◽

Solid Density ◽

Radioactive Radiation

Following the first result of generating nuclear fusion energy without dangerous radioactive radiation by laser ignition of the proton-11Boron reaction (HB11), we applied this method to evaluate other fusion reactions with no primary neutron production as the proton-7Lithium reaction (HLi7) and of the burning of solid density helium isotope 3He (He3-He3). The new method is a combination of now available laser pulses of 10 petawatt (PW) power and duration in the range of picoseconds (ps) or less. The new mechanism follows the initial theory of Chu and of Bobin for side-on ignition of solid state density fusion fuel developed in about 1972 where some later known physics phenomena had to be added. The essential innovation is the use of the discovery of a predicted anomaly when the mentioned laser pulses are sufficiently clean, i.e. free from prepulses by at least a contrast ratio 108 where acceleration by the nonlinear (ponderomotive) force is dominating.

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Review about acceleration of plasma by nonlinear forces from picoseond laser pulses and block generated fusion flame in uncompressed fuel

Laser and Particle Beams ◽

10.1017/s0263034611000413 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 353-363 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

H. Hora ◽

G.H. Miley ◽

K. Flippo ◽

P. Lalousis ◽

R. Castillo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Laser Energy ◽

Fusion Energy ◽

Contrast Ratio ◽

Laser Pulses ◽

Direct Conversion ◽

High Plasma ◽

State Density ◽

Thermal Ignition ◽

Nonlinear Force ◽

Energy Gains

AbstractIn addition to the matured “laser inertial fusion energy” with spherical compression and thermal ignition of deuterium-tritium (DT), a very new alternative for the fast ignition scheme may have now been opened by using side-on block ignition aiming beyond the DT-fusion with igniting the neutron-free reaction of proton-boron-11 (p-11B). Measurements with laser pulses of terawatt power and ps duration led to the discovery of an anomaly of interaction, if the prepulses are cut off by a factor 108(contrast ratio) to avoid relativistic self focusing in agreement with preceding computations. Applying this to petawatt (PW) pulses for Bobin-Chu conditions of side-on ignition of solid fusion fuel results after several improvements in energy gains of 10,000. This is in contrast to the impossible laser-ignition of p-11B by the usual spherical compression and thermal ignition. The side-on ignition is less than ten times only more difficult than for DT ignition. This is essentially based on the instant and direct conversion the optical laser energy by the nonlinear force into extremely high plasma acceleration. Genuine two-fluid hydrodynamic computations for DT are presented showing details how ps laser pulses generate a fusion flame in solid state density with an increase of the density in the thin flame region. Densities four times higher are produced automatically confirming a Rankine-Hugoniot shock wave process with an increasing thickness of the shock up to the nanosecond range and a shock velocity of 1500 km/s which is characteristic for these reactions.

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Laser fusion energy from p-7Li with minimized radioactivity

Laser and Particle Beams ◽

10.1017/s0263034612000341 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 459-463 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

M. Ghoranneviss ◽

A. Salar Elahi ◽

H. Hora ◽

G.H. Miley ◽

B. Malekynia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cross Sections ◽

Fusion Energy ◽

Contrast Ratio ◽

Picosecond Laser ◽

Laser Pulses ◽

Laser Ignition ◽

Laser Fusion ◽

High Contrast ◽

Solid Deuterium ◽

Very High

AbstractThe new possibility of side-on laser ignition of p-11B with negligible radioactivity encouraged to study the fusion of solid state p-7Li fuel that again turns out to be only about 10 times more difficult than the side-on ignition of solid deuterium-tritium using petawatt-picosecond laser pulses at anomalous interaction conditions if very high contrast ratio. Updated cross sections of the nuclear reaction are included.

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Fusion energy from plasma block ignition

Laser and Particle Beams ◽

10.1017/s0263034605050603 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 23 (4) ◽

pp. 423-432 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

H. HORA ◽

J. BADZIAK ◽

S. GLOWACZ ◽

S. JABLONSKI ◽

Z. SKLADANOWSKI ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Solid State ◽

High Speed ◽

Fusion Energy ◽

Contrast Ratio ◽

Laser Pulses ◽

High Gain ◽

Skin Layer ◽

State Density ◽

Hydrodynamic Theory ◽

Ponderomotive Forces

Generation of high speed dense plasma blocks is well known from hydrodynamic theory and computations (PIC) with experimental confirmation by Badziaket al.(2005) since ps laser pulses with power above TW are available. These blocks may be used for fusion flame generation (thermonuclear propagation) in uncompressed solid state deuterium and tritium for very high gain uncomplicated operation in power stations. Hydrodynamic theory from computations from the end of 1970s to recent, genuine two fluid computations support the skin layer accelerations (SLA), by nonlinear (ponderomotive) forces as measured now in details under the uniquely selected conditions to suppress relativistic self-focusing by high contrast ratio and to keep plane geometry interaction. It is shown how the now available PW-ps laser pulses may provide the very extreme conditions for generating the fusion flames in solid state density DT.

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Extreme laser pulses for non-thermal fusion ignition of hydrogen–boron for clean and low-cost energy

Laser and Particle Beams ◽

10.1017/s0263034618000289 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 335-340 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Heinrich Hora ◽

Shalom Eliezer ◽

George H. Miley ◽

JiaXiang Wang ◽

YanXia Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thermal Equilibrium ◽

Low Cost ◽

Fusion Energy ◽

Laser Pulses ◽

Local Thermal Equilibrium ◽

Thermal Ignition ◽

Equilibrium Conditions ◽

Fusion Ignition ◽

Significant Research ◽

Energy Gains

AbstractAfter achieving significant research results on laser-driven boron fusion, the essential facts are presented how the classical very low-energy gains of the initially known thermal ignition conditions for fusion of hydrogen (H) with the boron isotope 11 (HB11 fusion) were bridged by nine orders of magnitudes in agreement with experiments. This is possible under extreme non-thermal equilibrium conditions for ignition by >10 PW-ps laser pulses of extreme power and nonlinear conditions. This low-temperature clean and low-cost fusion energy generation is in crucial contrast to local thermal equilibrium conditions with the advantage to avoid the difficulties of the usual problems with extremely high temperatures.

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Fiber ICAN laser with exawatt-picosecond pulses for fusion without nuclear radiation problems

Laser and Particle Beams ◽

10.1017/s0263034613000876 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 63-68 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

H. Hora ◽

P. Lalousis ◽

S. Moustaizis

Keyword(s):

Fiber Optics ◽

Laser Pulses ◽

Nuclear Radiation ◽

Picosecond Pulses ◽

Chirped Pulse ◽

Solid Density ◽

Secondary Reactions ◽

Chirped Pulse Amplification ◽

Radioactive Radiation ◽

Energy Gains

AbstractOne of the numerous applications of the ICAN laser using the advantage of fiber optics with chirped pulse amplification (CPA), is the scheme of side-on initiation of a nuclear fusion flame in solid density fuel with laser pulses of shorter than picosecond (ps) duration and power in the petawatt (PW) and higher range. The ICAN Fiber optics has special advantages with the potential that >900 PW spherical laser pulses may ignite the proton reaction with 11B (HB11) without the problem of dangerous radioactive radiation. Though secondary reactions can be estimated very roughly, the feasibility of a power station with the necessary energy gains can be concluded.

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Weakly relativistic and ponderomotive effects on self-focusing and self-compression of laser pulses in near critical plasmas

Physics of Plasmas ◽

10.1063/1.4898057 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 21 (10) ◽

pp. 103107 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

B. Bokaei ◽

A. R. Niknam

Keyword(s):

Laser Pulses ◽

Self Focusing

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Fusion cross-sections for inertial fusion energy

Laser and Particle Beams ◽

10.1017/s026303460404011x ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 469-477 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

XING ZHONG LI ◽

BIN LIU ◽

SI CHEN ◽

QING MING WEI ◽

HEINRICH HORA

Keyword(s):

Cross Section ◽

Cross Sections ◽

Light Nucleus ◽

Resonant Tunneling ◽

Fusion Energy ◽

Inertial Fusion ◽

Inertial Fusion Energy ◽

Fusion Reactions ◽

Tunneling Model ◽

New Formula

The application of selective resonant tunneling model is extended from d + t fusion to other light nucleus fusion reactions, such as d + d fusion and d + 3He. In contrast to traditional formulas, the new formula for the cross-section needs only a few parameters to fit the experimental data in the energy range of interest. The features of the astrophysical S-function are derived in terms of this model. The physics of resonant tunneling is discussed.

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