Cost Assessment of a Tokamak Fusion Reactor with an Inventive Method for Optimum Build Determination

Gahyung Jo, Jae-Min Kwon, Ara Cho, Hyun-Kyung Chung and Bong-Guen Hong
Additional contact information
Gahyung Jo: Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon 34133, Korea
Jae-Min Kwon: Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon 34133, Korea
Ara Cho: Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon 34133, Korea
Hyun-Kyung Chung: Korea Institute of Fusion Energy, Daejeon 34133, Korea
Bong-Guen Hong: Quantum System Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Korea

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 20, 1-15

Abstract: An inventive method was applied to determine the minimum major radius, R 0 , and the optimum build of a tokamak fusion reactor that simultaneously meets all physics, engineering, and neutronics constraints. With a simple cost model, tokamak systems analyses were carried out over ranges of system parameters to find an optimum build of a tokamak fusion reactor at minimum cost. The impact of a wide range of physics parameters and advanced engineering elements on costs were also addressed. When a central solenoid was used to ramp up a plasma current, design solutions with a cost of electricity (COE) between 109 and 140 mills/kWh, direct capital cost between 5000 and 6000 M/USD, and net electric power, P e between 1000 and 1600 MW could be found with a minimum R 0 between 6.0 and 7.0 m, and fusion power, P fusion between 2000 and 2800 MW. When the plasma current was driven by a non-inductive external system, the system size and costs could be reduced further; a COE between 98 and 130 mills/kWh, direct capital cost between 4000 and 5000 M$, and P e between 1000 and 1420 MW could be found with a minimum R 0 between 5.1 and 6.7 m, and P fusion between 2000 and 2650 MW.

Keywords: coupled systems analysis; cost assessment; tokamak fusion reactor (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/20/6817/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/20/6817/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:20:p:6817-:d:659252

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().