ABSTRACT
Contrary to magnetic confinement fusion reactor concepts, a characteristic design feature of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) power reactors is the decoupling of the power-producing reactor chamber and its driver. Power reactor plants are presently built worldwide in block sizes of 800 to 1500 MWe, as capital cost per installed electrical power unit decreases as a function of the block size. The driver energy and the beam energy necessary to ignite the pellet must be provided by the turbogenerator of the reactor plant itself. The temperatures and flow rates are chosen such that a high thermodynamic efficiency for the turbine-generator system is possible. In addition, the temperatures within the breeding materials must be chosen such that the tritium generated is released easily and the tritium inventory within the blanket can be minimized. The chamber and breeding blanket of an ICF reactor must absorb the target emanations and transfer their heat to the energy-recovery system.
