IEC Breeder for D-³He Satellite Systems

D-³He fusion minimizes neutrons and maximizes charged fusion products, enabling increased energy recovery efficiency by direct conversion. However, scarce ³He terrestrial resources¹ have deterred research & development (R&D) on this alternative. Here, we explore ³He production through inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) breeders, which supply ³He to field-reversed configuration (FRC) satellite reactors.² The breeder-satellite system is analyzed in terms of energy balance, taking the net energy gain of the overall system as the key parameter. An economic study determines the competitiveness of breeding with respect to ³He lunar mining, already shown to be an attractive route for commercial exploitation.³