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Turbostar: An ICF Reactor using Both Direct and Thermal Power Conversion

John H. Pitts

Fusion Science and Technology / Volume 10 / Number 3P2A / November 1986 / Pages 695-703

Fusion Reactor Design—I / Proceedings of the Seveth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (Reno, Nevada, June 15–19, 1986) / dx.doi.org/10.13182/FST86-A24823

Combining direct and thermal power conversion results in a 52% gross plant efficiency with DT fuel and 68% with advanced DD fuel. We maximize the fraction of fusion-yield energy converted to kinetic energy in a liquid-lithium blanket, and use this energy directly with turbine generators to produce electricity. We use the remainder of the energy to produce electricity in a standard Rankine thermal power conversion cycle.