The Project of Fusion-Fission Hybrid Energy Reactor in China

The project, conceptual design of the fusion-fission hybrid energy reactors (FFHER) and related verifying experiments, was started in the framework of the National Magnetic Confinement Fusion Science Program of China in May 2010.Based on the current or slightly extrapolated ITER fusion science and technology and the well developed fission technology, fusion-driven sub-critical systems design was performed. We put forward the main concept of FFHER blanket with uranium alloy as fuel and water as coolant. The uranium can be natural uranium, LWR spent fuel or depleted uranium. FFHER can increase the utilization rate of uranium in a comparatively simple way to sustain the development of nuclear energy.

We study the interaction among the fusion neutron and fuel to achieve larger energy multiplication and tritium sustainable, verify the creditability of physical design by the integral neutron experiments. With the combination research of this program and the following thermal hydraulic design, alloy fuel manufacture and nuclear fuel cycle programs provide the science and technology foundation for the future development of FFHER in China.