WO2013098432A1

WO2013098432A1 - Nuclear fusion reactor

Info

Publication number: WO2013098432A1
Application number: PCT/ES2012/000305
Authority: WO
Inventors: José Luis GONZÁLEZ DÍEZ
Original assignee: Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Priority date: 2011-12-26
Filing date: 2012-12-11
Publication date: 2013-07-04
Also published as: ES2377370A1; ES2377370B2

Abstract

Nuclear fusion reactor, with a vessel (20) that has a fusion chamber (21) where fusion takes place, and a plurality of chambers (2, 4, 6) through which a fluid flows, which chambers are separated from one another by shielding walls (3, 5). The reactor also has a containment wall (10) surrounding the vessel (20), fluid-pumping equipment, equipment for treating the fluids circulating via the vessel (20), equipment for controlling the pressure in the fusion chamber (21), a dispenser that provides fuel to the inside of the fusion chamber (21), and a plurality of laser equipment (17) for impacting the fusion products within the fusion chamber. The nuclear reactor is used for fusion of deuterium-tritium, deuterium-deuterium, hydrogen-hydrogen, and for the total conversion of material to energy.

Description

NUCLEAR FUSION REACTOR

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention belongs to the technical field of nuclear energy, and more specifically to the production of nuclear fusion energy. In particular, the present invention relates to a "clean" nuclear fusion reactor of minimal contamination, deuterium-tritium, deuterium-deuterium, hydrogen-hydrogen, and total conversion of matter into energy.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The challenges of energy and climate change impose a profound transformation of our societies. It will be necessary to modify our livelihoods that are highly energy consuming to meet the needs of nine billion inhabitants, a population expected in 2050; change our production habits; and our customs of consumption. Preparing for the long term means exploring the possibilities of numerous technologies that are still in the laboratories. It is confirmed what has been said frequently, that zero risk does not exist, and a considerable part of the population interprets that nuclear reactors are dangerous machines. Therefore, it is estimated that studies with new scenarios should be carried out.

We have to accept that in nature there are forces that are beyond our control, that can ruin our economies, and that show a destructive character possibly greater than certain nuclear accidents. Obviously, nuclear reactors should not be built in seismic zones, even if they are designed to withstand earthquakes of certain characteristics. The IAEA has reported that at the date of the Fukushima nuclear accident there were 88 nuclear plants located in active seismic zones, out of a total of 442 existing plants in the world.

Likewise, the IAEA International Seismic Security Center reports that nuclear regulatory agencies should examine the risks of tsunamis in nuclear plants in the Pacific area and possibly in other oceans. Although power companies make estimates of earthquakes and tsunamis based on Geological studies of the area, there is always the possibility that any past experience can be overcome in the future.

Thus, the accident in Japan has questioned the nuclear option. All the more so since this accident has occurred, as in the case of the TMI accident, in 1979, in a technological country with many engineers. There is a fairly widespread opinion that the repetition of these types of accidents cannot be accepted for a longer period of time, which is why some countries have decided to radically modify their energy policy.

Two challenges for the future, increase energy sources and reduce environmental pollution to the extent possible; in our case, with advanced nuclear reactors and clean technologies.

As for nuclear fission energy, at the present time, the most important element for the production of nuclear fission energy is uranium that occurs in nature, usually with mass numbers 234, 235 and 238. The percentage composition is as follows: uranium 238, 99,274; uranium 235, 0.720; Uranium 234, 0.0055. Of these isotopes, uranium 235 is the most used in the generation of this type of energy. Other fissile nuclides are uranium 233 and plutonium 239, which are obtained from thorium 232 and uranium 238, respectively.

In the fission of a nucleus of uranium 235 there is an energy release of approximately 200 MeV, that is, 32 pJ. Thus, the energy released in the fission process of a given mass of uranium 235 equals approximately three million times the energy produced by the combustion of the same mass of coal. The fission of 1.08 kg of fissile material produces approximately a thermal energy of 1, 000 MW.d.

The types of nuclear fission reactors most used are the following: PWR, BWR, GCR, HWMR and FBR, among others.

Nuclear fission suffers the consequences of being considered a dirty, dangerous and limited source of energy. In effect, this energy generates radioactive waste that is not known to do with them; the reactors that produce this energy can suffer serious accidents; and the uranium and plutonium that are used as fuels, are not limited, and can be used in the production of nuclear bombs.

There is currently no mechanism that can take a nuclear fission reactor to an atomic explosion. The uranium that is generally used in the thermal and epidermal nuclear reactors can be natural or enriched in uranium 235. When nuclear fuel begins to heat up in the fission process, the effective absorption section of uranium 238 increases and therefore the neutron multiplication decreases, which constitutes a self-limiting effect. Nuclear bombs are manufactured with highly enriched material of uranium 235 to avoid the aforementioned Doppler effect. In the design stages, proper precautions have already been taken so that supercritical mass configurations do not occur. It is not really easy to make a nuclear bomb.

The release of radioactive media produced during a nuclear accident is the first problem that must be addressed. These products can cause damage due to radiation exposure, immersion in the cloud or radioactive water current moved by wind or sea. The effects of this radiation, depending on its intensity and exposure time, could lead to illness and even death. Therefore, barriers are used to prevent the release of radioactive products abroad.

When the reactor cooling system suffers a sufficiently large rupture such that the content of the refrigerant cannot be maintained by the normal feeding system, there is a LOCA. To reduce the effects of this accident, nuclear power plants are equipped with appropriate security systems. If these systems work properly in a LOCA, no damage expected to the public should be expected.

A general opinion is that a possible core merger could bring serious consequences to the public. For this reason, one of the biggest concerns is trying to avoid such accidents. It is believed that a possible partial fusion of the nucleus could lead to total fusion of the nucleus with the release of radioactive products to land or sea. Failure due to overpressure of the containment can also be caused by non-condensable gases released in the containment in the fusion of the core. In this process, suitable conditions can be given so that at a given moment an explosion of steam occurs.

After the reactor core, the spent fuel storage pool, it is identified as the area with the largest radioactivity inventory. The lack of cooling of the same by breakage of its structure by earthquakes, tsunamis or other accidents; the failures of the equipment that have entrusted cooling function; and the fall of some heavy element in the pool, are the most likely ways for an accident to occur in the pool.

The big problem with fission nuclear energy is that damage to the public can affect several generations in the event of an accident, and under normal conditions the Storages of radioactive substances represent an unwanted inheritance. In addition, the periods of radionuclides only explain a part of the story, as their activity continues indefinitely.

As for nuclear fusion energy, no fusion reactor is currently in operation for the production of high power electrical energy. Many scientists and engineers have been investigating for several decades the application of fusion energy in the design of nuclear reactors as an alternative to energy sources to reduce dependence on other more expensive options, however, satisfactory results have not yet been obtained. this sense. In the scientific environment it is estimated that a fusion reactor does not necessarily need to be designed for net power generation as there are many other applications in which it can represent a useful means.

In the fusion reactions heavier nuclei are formed by combining light nuclei of certain characteristics. The possibility of combining light hydrogen nuclei with itself or with its heavier isotopes is low for containment at "reasonable temperatures." Deuterium D (1, 2), however, is more likely to react with itself, as well as with tritium T (1, 3) and with light helium He (2,3).

D (1, 2) + D (1, 2)> He (2,3) + n (0,1) + 3.27 MeV

D (1, 2) + D (1, 2)> T (1, 3) + p (1, 1) + 4.03 MeV

D (1, 2) + He (2,3)> He (2,4) + p (1, 1) + 18.3 MeV

Tritium reacts easily and rapidly with deuterium and although there are some reactions of deuterium that generate more energy, they have a low probability that they occur, such as the last reaction cited.

T (1, 3) + D (1, 2)> He (2,4) + n (0,1) + 17.6 MeV

In this reaction the energy imparted to the neutron is approximately 14 MeV, enough to make the neutron relativistic.

When the produced neutrons come into contact with a moderator that contains Li (3.6), then it reacts with the neutrons and produces tritium that can be easily separated

Li (3.6) + n (0.1)> Li (3.7)> T (1, 3) + He (2.4)

In order for fusion to occur, very high temperatures are needed. Two colliding cores must have enough energy to overcome electrostatic repulsion forces by their charges. The temperature at which the reaction becomes self-sustaining is called the ignition temperature. At this temperature the Hot plasma is kept in physical contact with the containment walls by a magnetic field. This technique is called magnetic confinement fusion, and the energy produced magnetic fusion energy (MFE). For energy to be produced, Lawson's criteria must be met.

The most advanced magnetic confinement fusion reactor project is the Iter (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor), located in Cadarache, Bouches-du-Rhone, France, currently under construction, and intended to reproduce the Earth's energy on Earth. The cost of this reactor has risen from 5 to 15 billion euros, which would delay the start-up, initially planned for 2016, until 2019.

A totally different technique for controlling fusion is to create a much denser reactive plasma, confined in a much shorter time than in MFE. This is the fusion process by inertial confinement, and the energy obtained is called inertial fusion energy (IFE). In this alternative the melting conditions are obtained by heating and compressing small amounts of fuel, in capsules, until ignition is achieved by means of photon beams or charged particles. There are average confinement times of the order of 10 (-10) seconds and densities several hundred or thousands of times greater than normal solid bodies. The explosion occurs in an ignition chamber where the capsules acting as targets are placed, producing the equivalent of a thermonuclear explosion of reduced conditions. Although the conditions of the fusion equations applicable in the MFE and IFE fusion are equivalent, as well as the possibility of having tritium to complete the process; However, the knowledge and means necessary to complete energy production differ significantly in both technologies. In the IFE merger, it is necessary to power the equipment that sends energy to the fuel of the targets with grid energy, whose consumption can be very high, so it is very important to know the relationship between the energy produced and the energy supplied. Energy is supplied to the fuel by various means, such as solid-state lasers, KrF lasers, light-ion accelerators and heavy-ion accelerators, among others.

Two techniques have been investigated at IFE to study the effects of lasers on targets. In direct action targets impact energy is absorbed in the capsule properly; however, in the indirect action targets, the capsule is inserted into a cavity, called hohlraum, which has openings where they pass through the lasers that affect the fuel in the capsule. The dimensions of the capsules are of the order of 1-3 millimeters in diameter.

One of the most fascinating events in the history of laser development since 1960 is the significant increase in the power available in lasers. Since the power is defined as the energy delivered per unit of time, when a pulse of light emitted by a laser is produced and the duration of the pulse decreases, the power (peak power) during that time increases. The pulsed laser finds many applications, and among them the control of nuclear fusion. The peak power in a laser has been increasing by a factor of approximately 1,000 every 10 years during the last fifty years. This has been due to several advances in laser technology.

Maiman's first laser had quite high power with a continuous light source. The possibility of obtaining high powers is a consequence of the physics on which the operation of a laser is based. The production of high powers with this equipment is in accordance with quantum mechanics in this type of application. According to its definition, laser means: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, which involves pumping energy into the electrons of atoms of certain substances, called material gain. These atoms can be grouped in different ways and means so that lasers can develop. When electrons of atoms are excited in a medium, electrons can acquire discrete energies. If these electrons are brought to higher quantum levels they can retain energy for a period of time. When the light with a certain wavelength passes near these, the energy stored by the electrons is extracted. Thus the electron yields its energy to the passage of light photons and amplifies the beam.

In the process of laser Q-switching, instead of extracting energy from light during the period of pumping time, energy is extracted in the time it takes for photons to circulate back and forth several times in the unobstructed path between two mirrors The process is described in terms of a Q-factor, in the language of electrical energy.

The first Q-switched laser was shown in 1961. This laser delivers pulses of 100 nanoseconds in duration, with a peak power of approximately 1 MW, a potential jump of a factor of 1,000 over the original Maiman device. Since then, Q-switching implementations have been introduced in many types of lasers, particularly those that use neodymium crystals inserted (Nd: YAG), as well as (Nd: glass). Modern equipment of this type can deliver energy impulses of up to a July with a duration of 1 to 10 nanoseconds, with a gigawatt peak power. A more advanced laser is MOPA, with laser pulses of several joules.

In 1970, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in California, has begun to develop a series of increasingly powerful lasers using the MOPA architecture. This development is motivated by the possibility of using high power lasers, several hundred kilojoules, to implode capsules in laboratory fusion facilities, according to the technique known as inertial confinement fusion (ICF).

The ICF laser development in LLNL has lasted more than 40 years and culminated in the 2008 demonstration of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), of a laser that imparts impulses of nanoseconds with the combined energy of 192 beams that produce 4 million joules , a billion times more energetic and powerful than the first Q-switched laser. Gas lasers have also been developed according to a MOPA architecture for high energy applications.

The second largest event in the development of high-peak-power lasers was carried out in parallel with the invention of Q-switching. This development is known as mode locking, and the lasers that work with this system produce pulses of a shorter duration of a PS up to only a few femtoseconds in some cases. This technique has allowed the development of a field in optics dedicated to the use of ultrafast impulses for physics and chemistry studies. The generation of ultrafast impulses in mode locking has played an important role in the development of high power lasers. Another significant advance in mode locked technology came in 1982 with Peter Moulton's invention of the inserted titanium laser (Ti: sapphire), whose important properties make it today, the most suitable means of choice for ultrafast lasers.

Strickland and Mourou, using the Chirped-Pulse Amplification technique, or CPA, have shown a laser system that generates picosecond pulses with a power amplification of 100 gigawatts, and advanced equipment with powers exceeding a terawatt has been presented, for use in the control of nuclear fusion, which has led to a revolution in high-peak-power ultrafast lasers. The past decade has seen the development of the CPA Ti: sapphire technology in petawatt-class lasers with pulses of 20 to 50 femtoseconds in the laboratories of the Japanese Atomic Energy Research Institute, near Kyoto, in Japan; at Laboratoire d'Optique Appliquée, in France; as well as in LLNL. These petawatt laser systems have been used in proton acceleration and in electron beam production with energies close to large-scale particle accelerators. However, Nd: glass lasers remain the most suitable material to create lasers of the highest powers.

Recently, LLNL, in conjunction with several U.S. partners, has developed a design of an IFE power plant, known as LIFE (Inertial Laser Fusion Energy), to incorporate all available technologies and materials.

The fusion can be carried out according to the conventional concept described (Conventional ICF), or, by means of the most advanced concept of fast ignition (Fast Ignitor ICF), whose process is still under investigation in the OMEGA EP petawatt and OMEGA lasers in the University of Rochester and GEKKO XII laser at the Institute of Laser Engineering in Osaka, Japan.

There are two methods to produce impact fusion of particle beams: the stationary target and the non-stationary target. Impact fusion in stationary target is produced by bombarding such a blank or fusible material with rapid particles, such as using a deuteron current on a deuterium pill. Impact fusion on non-stationary target is completed by bombarding targets of this kind of fusible material with fast particles, such as colliding a beam of fast particles with another beam of the same characteristics. These procedures have presented problems due to the dispersion of the interacting particles due to the repulsion of Coulomb. The widespread interest in reducing the problems associated with the emission of neutrons in nuclear fusion facilities, such as damage from ionizing radiation, neutron activation, biological shielding requirements, plant maintenance, and safety, has generated a series of research papers to study fusion reactions that do not produce neutrons. Some centers, such as the Fusion Technology Institute of the Wisconsin-Madison University, have considered several stages in the process of implementing advanced fuels for fusion: the D-T or D-D (first generation) cycle; the D-He cycle (2,3) (second generation); and the He (2,3) -He (2,3) cycle (third generation).

The investigations of Lawrence Plasma Physics can be cited here, with the program

Dense Plasma Focus (DPF), initially supported by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and in other research by the Air Forcé Research Laboratory; the fusion Pollywell, with US Navy funding; and the Z machine at the Sandia National Laboratory.

From another point of view, nuclear fusion arises from light atomic nuclei that join together to form a heavier atom; a process that seems to have advantages such as:

When the reactor stops, the term source disappears.

There is no possibility of core fusion.

A cooling system is not required in case of rapid stop.

Storage of spent fuel is not necessary.

No "almost" hazardous waste or risk of proliferation is generated.

Light atoms are used, such as hydrogen isotopes, which in some cases can be easily found.

A reactor packing is not possible.

In the event of an accident, the reactor can be easily stopped and there are no environmental impact problems, or they are minimal.

Security in the supply of energy, as it does not depend on the importation of other fuels.

No enrichment plants or reprocessing are needed.

No polluting gases are produced as in the case of coal.

It provides much more energy for a given weight of fuel than any other technology in use.

Potentially, it can supply energy for millions of years.

The cost of production does not suffer from problems of economy of scale.

The cost of water and wind energy increases after exhausting the optimal areas.

There is intense international collaboration.

Thus, fusion energy can be described as clean, safe, peaceful and unlimited energy. With a gram of deuterium contained in 30 liters of seawater, the fusion can generate as much energy as 60 barrels of oil of 58 liters each.

Since in 1920 the astrophysicist A. Eddington issued the hypothesis that the energy of the Sun could come from the fusion of hydrogen atoms, a series of events would culminate with the 1985 agreements, in which Gorbatchev and Reagan would lay the foundations of the Iter international project, to produce energy by magnetic confinement, considered one of the projects The most expensive, most complex, most ambitious and longest international scientists ever conceived in history, but also the one that brings high hopes for humanity to one day take advantage of the fantastic promises of nuclear energy. A project that would see its completion in 2027.

Technically, in the Iter project, it is about generating powerful magnetic fields in the environment of atoms of deuterium and tritium, to achieve their fusion. When the pressure and temperature increase, an unstable plasma similar to the one in the Sun is formed. In this state there are nuclear reactions with neutron formation and high energies that are used to stabilize the plasma and generate heat that will be converted into energy electrical through the corresponding thermal equipment and machines.

Before the Iter project becomes a reality, certain challenges must be resolved that do not yet have a definitive solution, including the updated cost of plant construction. The first challenge that must be solved is to test the stability of the plasma, although some researchers believe that the most urgent question is to solve the problems of resistance of materials of the enclosure; if these problems are not resolved, the project will not have been useful at all. In addition, although the deuterium atoms are abundantly found in seawater, the tritium atoms almost do not exist in their natural state. Fusion reactor control seems more compromised than in current fission reactors.

Plasma is formed as a result of heating the components of the fusion material until the appropriate conditions for said reaction to occur. It is a very particular state of matter - neither solid, nor liquid, nor gaseous - that manifests itself at very high temperatures in the form of a soup of electrons and atomic nuclei. There are many instabilities that can destabilize the plasma and occur at all scales, from the whole plasma to the particle scale. In a plasma you can see the equivalent of all instabilities that manifest on the surface of the Sun. The behavior of alpha particles is the main point of interrogation in terms of plasma stability. If stability does not work, the Iter project cannot be continued.

The matter of materials is one of the keys to controlled fusion. First, the materials that cover the inner face of the plasma chamber are considered. These walls can be coated with carbon plates, light atom resistant to thermal shocks. But carbon has two major drawbacks: it easily combines with tritium and loses its thermal conductivity over time. Therefore, in the repair of the inner lining of the JET (Joint European Torus) tokamak located in Culham, near Oxford (Great Britain), which has remained a year in full stop, until August 2011, the carbon parts they have been replaced by two materials: tungsten, very resistant to high power flows, to cover the diverter (the bottom of the fusion chamber), and beryllium, light and resistant, to cover the rest of the chamber. Its installation, which constitutes a world first, will have to be carried out with manipulative arms to limit radiation exposure. This configuration will allow testing the effectiveness of these materials for use in other fusion reactors. Beryllium oxide is toxic, so the plates must be handled under a controlled atmosphere. In addition, this alkaline earth metal suffers a slight phenomenon of erosion due to plasma effect.

The materials of the structure also present other problems due to the effect of high-energy neutrons, of the order of 14 MeV, against the spectrum of instantaneous neutrons in a fission reaction with a majority between 1 and 2 MeV, but also with neutrons of more of 10 MeV. At these energy levels, the neutrons not only cause atomic shifts in the materials of the structure, but are also a source of reactions that produce helium within these materials with microbubble formation that can damage them. The effects of neutron bombardment are currently unknown, so the IFMIF (International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility) program has been launched, to test from 2011 to 2018, with a particle accelerator, the behavior of materials against 14 MeV neutrons.

It is said that a liter of water can provide as much energy as a ton of coal. It is still an affirmation without much meaning. In fact, the fusion reaction involves the interaction of two atoms of certain characteristics and in very special conditions to produce energy. However, if a deuterium atom was used in the fusion process, which can be easily extracted from seawater, whose reserve on the planet is abundant, and another deuterium atom, the fuel problem would be solved. However, this reaction does not reproduce easily, although this possibility is still being investigated to obtain a possible solution in the future. Therefore, physicists have opted for the combination of deuterium and tritium, since these two atoms merge easily, although the tritium is radioactive, with a period of 12.3 years; and contrary to deuterium, tritium is very rare. It is estimated that there may be only 3 or 4 kg of tritium on Earth and it is also found in the high atmosphere in the form of gas. Canadian CANDU-type reactors produce tritium as waste, but the amount available, currently, per year, would not exceed 20 kg. Since a reduced power reactor may require more than 100 kg of tritium annually, it is clear that the reactor itself has to generate the tritium it needs to be able to operate. This isotope would be formed from the reactions of neutrons with lithium, material that must be incorporated into the reactor. It will be necessary to produce a little more tritium than the one consumed in order to maintain the reactor's operation.

Some engineers of the Iter project think that just as unforeseen difficulties have arisen in the development of said project, good surprises can also appear. There are qualified scientists and technicians who do not believe that this type of fusion can become an industrial source of electrical energy in the course of this century.

Since 1951 some countries such as Russia, China and, especially the United States, have been considering the interest of a fusion-fission reactor in which fusion would not be asked to be an effective source of energy, but a simple source of supply of Neutrons that would bomb and excite nuclear fuel to produce their fission, multiplying the energy generated by a factor of 5 to 10.

There are other current alternatives to fusion systems by magnetic confinement (tokamak, stellarator); among others, the Megajoule Laser and the Machine Z project, where a current of 20 million amps circulates through a network of metallic filaments; The densities and temperatures reached in the plasma formed when the filaments melt create conditions conducive to fusion.

Thus, after analyzing the problems generated by fission nuclear energy, and the advantages offered by fusion energy over that option, we have decided to consider only the latter alternative. However, within the field of nuclear fusion, some of the great challenges posed by the Iter project, of a fusion reactor that can be considered as the most advanced fusion fusion project, have also been exposed. Therefore, we have considered it appropriate to direct our invention to the research and development of fusion reactors by inertial confinement with DT, DD, HH and total conversion systems. DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In the design of a nuclear plant, appropriate precautions must be taken to avoid undue radiation doses to personnel and also for the protection of radiation materials and equipment. To solve these problems, attenuation with distance and the introduction of shields are used. There are two types of shielding in nuclear reactors: biological shielding, which serves to reduce radiation exposures in the vicinity of radioactive sources; and thermal shielding, which is used to prevent excessive heating of the reactor vessel. To be able to design a correct shield it is necessary to know the radiation sources. In the case of nuclear reactors, the sources of neutrons and gamma radiation are the most important although neutrinos and charged particles can also be formed, among others. The existence and importance of each of these sources varies according to the type of reactor.

Sources of neutrons in nuclear reactors can be instantaneous neutrons, deferred fission neutrons, activation neutrons, photoneutrons, and neutrons from reactions.

In certain cases, the decay of some radioactive nuclides can be effected by the emission of a neutron. This occurs when the excitation energy of the parent nucleus exceeds the ligation energy of the neutrons within the nucleus. In fact, when this excess energy exists, neutron emission is the most normal form of de-excitation.

Photoneutrons are the neutrons produced as a result of the reactions (γ, η). This type of reaction has a high threshold energy, greater than 7 eV in most cases. Normally, photoneutrons, due to their low probability of production do not present problems in reactor shielding. The nuclides that can emit photoneutrons, and that can be presented in some more detailed study of shielding, are: D 2, Be 9, C 13 and Li 6. The threshold energies for these isotopes are respectively: 2.23, 1.67, 4.9, and 5.3 MeV.

Neutrons are produced as a result of reactions of alpha particles with lithium, beryllium, oxygen, boron and fluorine nuclei. These elements are present in some sources of neutrons for use in experimentation and in the starting of fission reactors. It is necessary to take into account in the armor these neutrons that can reach energies of 10 MeV. The following sources of gamma radiation in nuclear reactors may be considered: instantaneous gamma radiation, deferred gamma fission radiation, capture gamma radiation, activation gamma radiation, reaction gamma radiation, inelastic dispersion gamma radiation, annihilation gamma radiation, and bremsstrahlung.

Radiation capture of neutrons by nuclei at thermal and epidermal energies produces secondary gamma radiation, commonly called gamma capture radiation. Gamma rays from radiative capture and inelastic neutron scattering are emitted simultaneously with the interaction process. The nucleus can also be activated in a neutron interaction with a period that can last for years, emitting photons and other types of radiation. It is necessary to take into account the activation of refrigerants and moderators in addition to the structural materials and the shielding itself, so it is necessary to study each of the materials used separately.

In certain reactions of neutrons with nuclei a particle other than a neutron is emitted, accompanied by an emission of gamma radiation. This is the case, for example, in reaction B 10 (η, α) Li 7. Boron acts in this case as a photon suppressor, since low-energy gamma radiation that disappears rapidly occurs, a property that Li also enjoys. 6 and N 14.

Inelastic scattering gamma rays come from dexcitation of the nucleus after inelastic neutron emission. They can be important in the shielding and in the nucleus, especially when the energy of the neutrons is high.

The gamma radiation of annihilation and bremsstrahlung are of less importance than the previous ones, but the latter must be taken into account when high-energy beta particles are emitted, as in the case of neutron absorption by Li 7 which passes to Li 8 and then It decays to Be 8 with emission of beta particles of up to 13 MeV.

Apparently any material could be used for shielding, even the gases have qualities for it, however, the low density of the latter does not seem to indicate that they are appropriate elements. Air, despite its low density, is often used as a shielding medium.

Water is a poor gamma radiation attenuator but it has excellent attenuation properties against energy-neutral neutrons due to its high hydrogen content. As oxygen has no thermal neutron captures and the hydrogen capture section for thermal neutrons is low, with emission of 2.2 MeV gamma rays, the production of secondary gamma rays by water is relatively low.

Water is not the ideal medium for shielding against fast neutrons, but fortunately the iron of steel is quite effective against this type of neutron and also armor against gammas too, although it is not the ideal medium for this last kind of armor. Thus, steel tanks containing water can make a good shield. The tank wall closest to the core of a fission reactor will eliminate fast neutrons, the inside water of the tank will thermalize the neutrons and capture some of them. The wall farthest from the nucleus will nullify the capture gamma rays.

One of the best materials for gamma shielding is lead. This radiation could also be shielded with uranium but this element is more useful as a nuclear fuel than as a shielding material. Tungsten is a good gamma radiation attenuator, better than lead, but its cost is high. Lead can be used in areas of difficult shielding by other means, but it is not a structural material and therefore the support structure must be designed beforehand, except in cases that extend over the floor or walls. Its properties are weakened at temperatures above 60 degrees Celsius, approximately. Thus, lead must bind steel. Lead has relatively poor properties against neutrons and produces gamma rays of 7.4 MeV per capture of thermal neutrons. Lead impurities can cause significant activation problems.

Due to its moderation properties and as a reflector, graphite has been widely used in reactor design. When used in pure form it does not show only secondary gamma rays.

Iron is found in reactors as part of steel structures. This is a good shielding material due to its high density but it has certain disadvantages in the face of neutron attenuation. Iron produces secondary gamma rays of up to 10 MeV, most of 7.6 MeV. Its shielding properties are between those of water and lead. Activation of Fe 58 produces Fe 59 with a period of 59 days, with gamma radiation emission of 1.5 MeV. This phenomenon can cause problems with access to the reactor. Steels may suffer embrittlement after being subjected to high integrated neutron fluxes. The iron has a minimum total effective section of 0.15 barn for neutrons of approximately 25 MeV. This can facilitate the passage of this type of neutrons in a shield, which does not happen if some material such as water or concrete is added, since that in this case after the neutrons are moderated, they are finally absorbed.

Due to the large absorption section of boron 10 for thermal neutrons, with release of easily absorbed alpha particles and 0.5 MeV gamma radiation that is easily attenuated, this material is used alone or in combination with other elements. Borated water represents an improvement over ordinary water.

Lithium 6 and nitrogen 14 also act as boron 10 in the suppression of capture photons since alpha particles are emitted in neutron absorptions.

Tungsten powder mixed with nickel, copper and iron has been used in high density alloys (18 gr / cm3). This material has better structural properties than lead but the use of steel may be required to support the limited size of tungsten parts. Although it is better than lead per unit thickness for neutron attenuation, it is worse for secondary productions, with tungsten having a mass attenuation coefficient lower than lead for gamma radiation.

The best known neutron attenuator is lithium hydride that contains 12.6% weight in hydrogen, a density of 0.78 gr / cm3 and a melting point of 683.5 degrees Celsius. It is actively combined with water and is difficult to manufacture. Other shielding materials are uranium 238, which is one of the best gamma ray attenuators; polyethylene, which due to its low density is used in mobile reactors; high density glasses containing lead, which have good optical properties; concrete, which is a good shielding medium for all types of radiation, such as gamma radiation absorption and neutron attenuation; and ordinary soil.

Therefore, to produce an efficient and safe fusion reaction with respect to possible radiation, the present invention relates to a nuclear fusion reactor, which has at least one steel vessel in which the fusion of fuel pellets occurs , which are the ones that will produce the fusion. The reactor vessel is formed by a fusion chamber in which fusion occurs, which is delimited by an internal wall, by a plurality of chambers through which fluid circulates inside, separated from each other by respective shielding walls, and by a external wall, which in turn comprises a graphite coating. The internal and external walls, as well as the armor walls have openings where pipes are introduced that allow the vessel to communicate with the outside for the introduction of fuel, fluids, and all the necessary elements for the reactions to occur.

The reactor also has at least one retaining wall which surrounds the vessel, there being a separation space between said retaining wall and the outer wall of the vessel.

Preferably, the retaining wall is made by an epoxy resin matrix and graphite reinforcement, or equivalently in steel.

Additionally, the reactor object of the present invention has a pumping equipment, for the pumping of fluids to the vessel and the circulation of said fluids through it, a fluid treatment equipment for the treatment of the fluids circulating in the vessel, a pressure control equipment of the fusion chamber, a fuel dispenser that provides fuel pellets inside the fusion chamber, and a plurality of laser equipment that affect the fusion chamber on the fuel pellets.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the inner wall of the vessel may have a solid coating, said porous solid lithium coating being able to be.

Alternatively, the additional protection of the inner wall of the vessel may consist of a liquid coating.

Preferably, the inner and outer walls, and the shielding walls of the vessel have a cylindrical shape in its central part and a spherical cap shape in its upper and lower part.

As for the laser equipment that affects the fuel pellets, in particular, these are arranged in the upper and lower area of the vessel, and produce an interior point of the chamber of the interior of a conical zone of vertex. fusion, where the fusion is carried out, and its symmetrical conical area with respect to said interior point, thus directing the fusion products of the fuel pellets to the central area of the vessel and thus avoiding the impact on the laser equipment itself.

The reactions that can be carried out in the present nuclear fusion reactor are the following: deuterium-tritium reaction, in which the fuel pellets are deuterium and tritium; deuterium-deuterium reaction, in which the fuel tablets are deuterium, hydrogen-hydrogen reaction, in which the fuel tablets are hydrogen; and of total conversion of hydrogen, or another element, or another compound. According to particular applications of the invention, the nuclear reactor may have a modular structure, presenting a plurality of vessels connected in line.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Next, to facilitate the understanding of the invention, an illustrative but non-limiting way will describe an embodiment of the invention that refers to a series of figures.

Figure 1 is a schematic section of an embodiment of the vessel and retaining wall of a fusion reactor object of the present invention, showing the essential components.

Figure 2 represents the section of a particular embodiment of the vessel and retaining wall of a fusion reactor having a solid coating on the surface that receives the impact of the products from the fusion.

Figure 3 shows a detail of the section of the containment enclosure, indicating the walls and fluid circulation areas.

Figure 4 illustrates the same scheme as Figure 3, but without coatings.

Figure 5 corresponds to a reactor with a liquid coating on the surface that receives the impact of the products from the fusion, which also shows pipe inlets and outlets.

Figure 6 shows a detail of the connections of the pipes and the areas through which the fluids circulate inside the vessel.

Figure 7 represents the deformation of the fuel pellet during fusion, and its evolution, as a consequence of the impact of the laser beams on a special design of the ignition process.

Figure 8 illustrates the general layout of a Nuclear Plant with two fusion reactors.

Figure 9 schematically represents the cross section of a fusion reactor in an upright position mounted on the bench of a ship.

Figure 10 shows the section of a fusion reactor in a horizontal position on a bench.

Figure 11 represents the scheme of a modular fusion reactor formed by five vessels in line.

Figure 12 illustrates the design of a vessel with several sections, of a nuclear fusion reactor. In these figures reference is made to a set of elements that are:

1. internal wall of the reactor vessel

2. first vessel fluid circulation chamber

3. first vessel shield wall

4. second vessel fluid circulation chamber

5. second vessel shield wall

6. third vessel fluid circulation chamber

7. graphite coating

8. outer wall of the reactor vessel

9. separation space between vessel and containment

10. vessel containment wall

11. helium and fuel input

12. helium outlet

13. upper zone cooling space

14. lower zone cooling space

15. first wall containment flanges

16. second vessel flanges

17. lasers

18. distributor

19. solid vessel coating

20. vessel

21. vessel fusion chamber

22. liquid coating of the vessel

23. fuel pads

P interior point of the fusion chamber where fusion is performed

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is a nuclear fusion reactor.

As can be seen in the figures, the nuclear fusion reactor is formed by at least one steel vessel 20 in which the fusion of fuel pellets 23 occurs, and by at least one retaining wall 10 surrounding the vessel 20, existing between said retaining wall 10 and the outer wall 8 of the vessel 20 a separation space 9. Preferably, this retaining wall 10 is made of an epoxy resin matrix and graphite reinforcement. In turn, the vessel 20 has a fusion chamber 21 in which the fusion occurs, delimited by an internal wall 1, a plurality of chambers 2,4,6 through which fluid circulates inside, which are separated from each other by respective shielding walls 3.5, and an external wall 8, which in turn comprises a graphite coating 7. The internal 1 and external walls 8, as well as the shielding walls 3.5 of the vessel 20 have openings for introduction of pipes, which allow the introduction of fuel pads 23 and the necessary fluids.

Additionally, the reactor object of the present invention has a pumping equipment, for the pumping of fluids to the vessel 20 and the circulation of said fluids through it, a fluid treatment equipment for the treatment of the fluids circulating in the vessel 20, a pressure control equipment of the fusion chamber 21, a fuel dispenser that provides fuel pellets 23 inside the fusion chamber 21 through the inlet 11, and a plurality of laser equipment 17, the which affect the fusion chamber on the fuel pads 23.

According to different embodiments of the invention, the inner wall 1 of the vessel 20 has a coating to increase protection. Figures 2 and 3 show an embodiment of the reactor in which the inner wall 1 of the vessel 20 has a solid coating 19, which will preferably be made of porous solid lithium. Alternatively, Figure 5 shows an embodiment of the reactor in which the inner wall 1 of the vessel 20 has a liquid coating 22.

As can be seen in the figures, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the inner and outer walls 1, and the shield walls 3.5 of the vessel 20 have a cylindrical shape in its central part, and shape of spherical cap in its upper and lower part.

According to particular embodiments of the invention, the retaining wall 10 is attached to a support structure by first flanges 15, while the different chambers 2,4,6 of the vessel 20 are joined together by second flanges 16.

With reference to the laser equipment, to produce the fusion, preferably these are arranged in the upper and lower zone of the vessel 20, and also produce an interior point P of the fusion chamber inside a conical vertex zone. 21 where the fusion is carried out, and its symmetrical conical area with respect to said internal point P, directing the fusion products of the fuel pads 23 to the central area of the vessel 20. According to different applications of the present reactor, the following fusion reactions are carried out therein.

Deuterium-tritium fusion reaction, in which the fuel pads 23 are deuterium and tritium, inertially confined.

For said reaction the reactor has a retaining wall 10, and within the containment 10 a vessel 20 is housed which has several chambers 2,4,6 of cylindrical shape in the central area and spherical cap in the upper part and lower. This vessel 20 is modular in shape to facilitate maintenance and the fusion chamber 21, which incorporates the coating layers, is housed in its innermost part. It also includes other cameras and spaces for refrigerants, moderators and shields.

The plant is projected to produce 1,000 megawatts of electrical power with an estimated thermoelectric conversion efficiency of 33 percent, to be able to conduct comparative studies with other types of fission nuclear power plants. According to the calculation made, a diameter of 15 meters of the inner circumference of the first impact wall of the neutrons from the center of the chamber 21 where the ignition of the fuel occurs (Fig.) Has been determined. The internal dimensions of the fusion chamber 21 depend on the power of the reactor, the fusion system, the materials used, the class of coatings used, the estimated life of the reactor and the type of application, among other factors.

The power reactor uses spherical fuel capsules that are automatically supplied by an injector located at the top of the chamber, with a sequence that can vary from 10 to 15 per second, that is, from 864,000 to 1.29 million per day, to through entry 11; and they are directed towards the center of the fusion chamber 21 where they are imploded; or by means of a protractor containing a comb with capsules located in the center of the chamber 21, or by another equivalent procedure. These capsules contain deuterium and tritium, have a thickness of 1-3 millimeters and are kept at temperatures low enough for these elements to be in a liquid state. To effect the fusion of the capsules, laser beams are used from laser equipment 17 located in the areas of the caps, or other equivalent procedures. These capsules are generally placed in the center of the fusion chamber, but their position can be varied. modifying the direction of the laser beams 17 by means of an automatic device that allows to move the point of impact, or with other procedures.

The system to energize the fuel is based on laser diodes, which allow beams of rays to be emitted 10 to 15 times per second, indefinitely. The equipment consists of 400 lines that can produce up to 4 megajoules. It is considered to have a yield of 15% and a gain in the fusion of the capsules of 60.

Although it has been observed in implosion tests of very small capsules, carried out in isolation, that no major damage occurred in the first wall, this situation varies when the capsules are large and the implosions very repeated, as in the case of power production useful in inertial confinement fusion systems, and, therefore, means for the protection of the fusion chamber of capsule fusion products must be developed. Approximately 75% of the fusion energy is produced by high-energy neutrons, with the rest of the primary radiation and white residues. Thus, a moderating means is needed to convert the kinetic energy of the neutron into thermal energy. Several materials have been used to perform this function. In the case of lithium you have the following reactions:

Li (3.6) + n (0.1)> He (2.4) + T (1, 3)

Li (3.7) + n (0.1)> He (2.4) + T (1, 3) + n (0.1)

As can be seen, Li (3,7) prevents the loss of neutrons, producing, in addition, tritium. This last reaction has a threshold energy of 4 MeV and a lower effective section than the Li reaction (3.6). In case of moderation of the neutrons before reaching the fertile lithium, the reaction of the Li (3,7) does not take place and then the enrichment ratio becomes inferior to the unit, being necessary to incorporate in the mantle a neutron multiplier. As a consequence of the neutron enrichment produced by these reactions, a multiplication factor of 1.2 occurs.

To avoid damage caused by 14 MeV neutrons and microexplosion residues, and also achieve the necessary tritium to maintain the fusion reaction, it is necessary to place layers of lithium, solid or liquid, or other equivalent material, covering the Interior walls of the first chamber. There are several solutions: One of them are solid coatings 19, (Fig. 2), in which there are several possibilities:

Or, by coating the inner wall 1, of steel, with a layer of lithium in solid porous form 50 centimeters thick on the inside, and the outside, with a layer of lithium in solid porous form 100 centimeters thick ( Fig. 3).

Or, by coating the inner wall 1, of steel, with a layer of lithium in porous solid form 100 centimeters thick on the inside.

Alternatively, the inner wall 1 is made of a tungsten and chrome alloy, and it has a 50-100 cm thick lithium coating in porous solid form, or without coating (Fig. 4).

It can be used directly as the first internal impact wall "nanosteel". The "atomic probe" will allow to investigate new materials whose analysis with an electron microscope was extremely difficult. Thus, steels destined for fusion reactors can be studied to resist the impact of neutrons on the first wall.

Alternatively, liquid coatings 22 (Fig. 5) can be used, which also have different options:

Or, by coating the inner wall 1 with a liquid layer of lithium on the inside of a thickness of 50 centimeters, and a liquid layer of lithium on the outside of 100 centimeters.

Or, by coating the inner wall 1 with a liquid layer of 100 cm lithium on the inside.

The caps of the chamber 21 require special treatment because of their position therein and because of the proximity of the laser equipment 17.

In the case of solid coatings 19, a stream of helium passes through the chamber 21 by entering through a hole located at the top and exiting through another hole positioned at the bottom. The rear space of the inner wall 1 is also cooled by helium. The heat accumulated by helium as it passes through chamber 21 is transferred in the exchangers to the fluids that drive the turbines. The tritium separates to introduce it in capsules. In liquid coatings 22 liquid refrigerants are used. There are multiple alternatives for the arrangement of refrigerants and moderators, which implies special design conditions in each case (Fig. 6).

Due to corrosion considerations, in the case of using stainless steel, the temperature of the lithium must be less than five hundred degrees Celsius, which determines a vapor pressure inside the chamber 21, which must be adequate so that the laser melting of the fuel capsules in the chamber 21 can occur. Therefore, experiments must be carried out to set the required vacuum pressure in the chamber. chamber 21 before implosion and during its evolution, with the installation of a pressure control equipment.

Despite the advantages of exposing the inside of the chamber 21 to a uniform radiation flow, as a consequence of the capsule fusion process, the design of the spherical chamber 21 in spherical shape presents engineering problems; therefore, cylindrical geometry has been preferred. In addition, with this arrangement, the laser equipment 17 is protected, being further away from the center of the chamber 21. This situation is improved with the invention that is provided by the process of sequential ignition by collision of laser beams exawatts on the capsule, or equivalent means, which conveniently deform the same, projecting the fusion products mainly on the cylindrical zone of the chamber, avoiding the caps.

This reactor also incorporates in the chamber 21, a device for driving light beam particles of particles to produce fusion energy. A cubic geometric configuration has been arranged where the beams that are introduced by the vertices follow the direction of the internal diagonals, impacting on the center of the cube, which constitutes a solution of greater performance. Configurations in the form of regular icosahedron and dodecahedron have also been prepared. At the present time the possibilities of high power energy production by this procedure are reduced due to the limitations imposed by the maximum number of particles that these beams can carry. Its use is planned to carry out research observing the luminosity.

Considering the values of the yields of the different stages of the power generation process, the calculation shows that a total gain of 3.56 can be obtained in the proposed deuterium tritium fusion plant. Deuterium-deuterium fusion reaction, in which the fuel pads 23 are deuterium.

As disadvantages in the generation of fusion energy by means of the deuterium-tritium system, mentioned above, one can cite:

The radioactivity that occurs in the internal structure of the reactor as a result of the neutrons that originate in the fusion. It depends on the possibility of having lithium for the production of the tritium necessary for the deuterium-tritium reaction.

Requires handling of the tritium radioisotope.

Most of the energy is due to the neutrons generated in the fusion, which limits its use in a process of direct energy conversion.

Therefore, to try to solve these objections one can try to produce the deuterium-deuterium reaction.

While it is more difficult to produce the deuterium-deuterium reaction than deuterium-tritium, it can also be terminated. Although in the deuterium-deuterium systems there is the presence of tritium, however, its enrichment is not necessary and much of the tritium produced is burned in the reactor, which implies the production of neutrons and some of high energy. Neutrons from the fusion reaction in deuterium-deuterium systems have an energy of 2.45 MeV, while in a deuterium-tritium reaction the neutrons carry an energy of 14.1 MeV. In addition, there is no problem that the limitation of lithium resources can impose and the neutron spectrum is of lower energy. Likewise, as in one of the most investigated aneutronic reactions, that of boron (5.11) with hydrogen (1, 1), the energy confinement is greater than in the deuterium-tritium process and the energy produced much less.

Thus, in the fusion reactors of deuterium-deuterium systems, the equipment of the fusion chamber 21 and the attached facilities can be simplified since the production of tritium for the maintenance of the reaction is no longer necessary. The specifications for these deuterium systems are easily deduced from the exposure made for deuterium-tritium systems.

Hydrogen-hydrogen fusion reaction, in which the fuel pads 23 are hydrogen.

Now the analysis of the fusion of light hydrogen with itself is proposed, based on thermonuclear reactions. The likelihood of such reactions and combinations of this element with its heavier isotopes is very small for containment at reasonable temperatures; However, we now have 17 high-power laser equipment that, sequentially applied, can achieve hydrogen-hydrogen fusion.

The development of CPA technology with Ti: sapphire and Nd: glass, which allows the amplification of high energy pulses with a duration below 100 E 2012/000305

-26- femtoseconds, suggests teams with very high peak powers. There are currently plans in some countries to develop exawatts lasers (1, 000 petawatts), and architectures with impulses of 50 femtoseconds are being investigated. The potential offered by these teams to explore science is still unknown. It is appropriate to investigate the most suitable sequences of exawatts lasers, or equivalent, to achieve the ignition of hydrogen-hydrogen fuel pads, in a process that we call ultra-energy sequenced ignition (ISUE)

Among the advantages offered by hydrogen-hydrogen fusion reactors, the following can be mentioned:

With suitable formulations it is not necessary to incorporate the tritium radioisotope or lithium into the reactor.

They generate more energy per kilogram of fuel than fission reactors and those in the deuterium-deuterium and deuterium-tritium cycles.

No neutrons are generated and therefore there is the possibility of direct energy conversion.

Reactors can be classified as clean.

It is not necessary to have special protection or enrichment layers inside the reactor.

The dimensions of the camera can be reduced.

Previously, the characteristics of fusion reactors with deuterium-tritium, deuterium-deuterium and hydrogen-hydrogen systems have been analyzed. The hydrogen-hydrogen cycle fusion reactors are a novelty since, so far, their study has been obviated by the difficulties of getting the corresponding reaction to be carried out in practice under the usual conditions. It is the objective of our invention, in this section, the proposal of a power reactor prototype, for energy generation by total conversion of matter (process me), maximum energy level and clean character, using a cheap, abundant fuel and easily accessible, such as hydrogen (water), which can be an unprecedented solution to achieve the world's population's energy supply for millions of years. With current knowledge and available equipment, this idea can become a reality.

Studies on the neutron have been carried out since 1920 by many researchers, including Ernest Rutherford. In 1932 James Chadwick thought that He had discovered the proton-electron junction system, the neutron. But in 1935, on the occasion of the Nobel Prize reading, Chadwick revealed that the proton-electron combination theory had died.

In 1935, the physicist Hideki Yukawa working at the University of Osaka, in Japan, discovered the causes of the union of the nucleons with each other. The nuclear force is different from the gravitational force or the electromagnetic force, since it has a very short range of the order of one or two fermis. Yukawa proposes a new class of particles, the mesons, that can travel a very short distance between nucleons and effectively unite them. The first type of inn, the pion, would not be observed until twelve years later. In 1950, it is generally accepted that there is a cloud of pions surrounding the nucleons. Pions are created and absorbed on the surface of protons and neutrons constantly.

In 1964, the idea of what happens inside the proton, the neutron and pion, changed radically when Murray Gell-Mann at the California Institute of Technology, and George Zweig at CERN, in Switzerland, independently proposed the quark model .

According to their theories, protons, neutrons, and other exotic particles belong to a group called barions, which are made up of three quarks. The inns are formed by a quark-antiquark. The antiquark are antimatter and have properties of the same magnitude but of opposite charge to the quarks. Light particles like electrons are called leptons. These are fundamental particles and therefore do not consist of quarks. There are six types of quarks, also called flavors, and many particles are made up of two quarks of the lighter types: the up-quarks and the down-quarks. The quark model is an important part in the theory of quantum chromodynamics.

A proton is formed by two up-quarks and a down-quark, which is written (uud); The neutron is made up of two down quarks and an up-quark, (udd). These groups are called Valencia quarks and provide the particle with its properties, which can be seen from the outside, such as the type of particle and its charge. There are also the gluons that come and go between the quarks and join them, as the pions do with the nucleons. Inside the nucleon there is also the quark-sea, an endless supply of quark-antiquark pairs that are born and remain in existence for a few moments and then fade away. The complete quantum-chromodynamic picture of what is happening inside a neutron is complex, important and difficult to calculate, therefore the nucleons are described in terms of the constituent quark model (CQM).

In the quark model that includes spin, there is a repulsion between quarks with parallel spins, so the quarks have slightly differentiated orbits. In the proton the effect of the charge on the radio is almost not noticeable. However, a slightly negative surface and a slightly positive center are produced in the neutron. This difference in the distribution of a zero charge density makes the neutron a particularly curious particle. Thus, the neutron is not a dead particle, since it shows a special dynamic, absorbing and expelling mesons. The surface is dominated by negative up-quarks, the interior has an area where the positive up-quark is located and the center is a region of strong relativistic effects. Possibly, with new research we may have to modify some of the concepts we currently have of protons and neutrons.

In the process of creating new particles there are certain laws, such as conservation of energy, momentum, charge and quantum rules, which impose certain behaviors on us. Thus, for example, colliding a proton with another proton generates a neutron, a positive pion and another proton. This is a usual creation process governed by strong interaction. Another kind of creation is when there is a collision of matter and antimatter, such as in the case of a proton and an antiproton, in what is known as the annihilation process, transforming all matter into energy.

If the barionic number is conserved strictly, the free proton can never disintegrate, since all possible aspirants as products of the possible reaction have a zero barionic number. The collision of a proton and an antiproton has a zero baryonic number, and therefore, the reaction must be consistent with this result. Likewise, the neutron, which disintegrates into a proton, an electron and an antineutrino, retains the barionic number, and also the proton within the nucleus, by disintegrating into a neutron, a positron and a neutrino. However, new unified field theories predicted that the barionic number is not strictly conserved. Theories of great unification (GUT) predict the existence of particles of a large mass, much higher than that of protons, and could justify the decay of protons. Thus, if the hydrogen nucleus could be converted into pure radiation, an energy much greater than that obtained by fission or fusion would be obtained per unit mass. The initial conditions force the water to heat up to GUT temperatures. 2012/000305

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A new idea is that space contains a field that extends throughout it and that generates all the rest mass, is the scalar field H, a single particle H or several families of H particles, since the quanta of a field They are a set of particles. The amount of mass that the particles in this field take varies in each case according to the different types of particles. In this theory, it is the particles of our standard model that are coupled to this field with different intensities, determining their masses. It is considered that the mass can be a fundamental attribute of the particles that is acquired by its relation with the environment. Likewise, the real process of increasing mass with movement is questioned.

It is estimated that it will be necessary to invest large amounts of energy to unravel the proton or the neutron. When the proton disintegrates, the interior structures collect the energy that has been invested, which can be shown in the form of high velocities and another in the form of large masses. Thus, the three quarks that had a total mass of 0.02 GeV / c2 within the proton, much lower than the proton mass (0.938 GeV / c2); Now, with the high energies provided, each of them can become a particle with more mass than the continent proton itself. The released quarks may have a great tendency to unite, due to the properties of a field whose nature is unknown. The new grouping of quarks would cause a reduction in mass. The grouping process would be carried out with a reduction in the mass of the quarks that together would have a mass lower than that of a proton. The evolution of the hydrogen ignition process by laser is currently being investigated, but the actual behavior is still unknown.

A comparative analysis of the energy obtained with different generation systems is then made in order to determine the effectiveness of each of them, in terms of energy produced per unit mass of fuel.

In fission reactors that use uranium as fuel, only a small part of the physical material (U 235) is converted into energy, releasing 0.8 ^χ 10 (14) J in the fission of one kilogram of this material; equivalent to the production of 1, 000 MW.d of thermal energy, and one gram of me.

When the fusion of one kilogram of fuel in a deuterium-tritium cycle occurs, the energy generated is 3.31 * 10 (14) J; equivalent to 4.13 grams of me. To produce 1, 000 MW. d, 242 grams of fuel are needed. In a deuterium-deuterium cycle, the fusion of one kilogram of fuel produces 3.38 ^χ 10 (14) J; equivalent to 4.23 grams of me. To generate 1, 000 MW. d, 236 grams of fuel are necessary.

The fusion of one kilogram of fuel in a hydrogen-hydrogen process generates 6.15 x 10 (14) J, equivalent to 7.69 grams of m-e. Thus, 130 grams of fuel are needed to generate 1, 000 MW. d.

In a process of generating energy by total conversion of the matter of one kilogram of hydrogen fuel, 0.8 ^χ 10 (17) J are obtained, and obviously equivalent to 1 000 grams of me. In this system the energy of 1, 000 MW. d can be provided with a gram of fuel.

By comparison, the reaction of one kilogram of matter with one kilogram of antimatter would produce 1.6 χ 10 (17) J of energy. It is estimated that in this process, with current technologies, all the energy produced would not be usable.

This invention has been made based on a system of total conversion of matter into energy applied to a hydrogen fuel, as it is the simplest fuel to obtain large energies with minimum amounts of mass, by undoing the hydrogen atoms with the sequenced ignition method using exawatts laser equipment (ISUE), or with other equivalent procedures that can show the same effect. In the calculations made above to determine the energy generated by the fuels analyzed in the various fusion systems studied, the external energy supplied to start and maintain the fusion process, currently under investigation, has not been taken into account, and therefore , this contribution must be properly assessed to determine the final energy balance. The invention is also applicable to other elements and compounds following the same methodology.

As more significant characteristics of the reactor object of the present invention, there may be mentioned:

Hydrogen fuel is the most abundant chemical element in the universe and on Earth it can be found in ordinary conditions as a diatomic gas.

Hydrogen production can be carried out in several different ways, the most economical process being extraction from hydrocarbons.

Neutrons do not form in this reactor and therefore it is a clean reactor.

It is possible to design a process for direct conversion of energy to the grid.

This nuclear reactor, with an estimated consumption of 4,320 grams of hydrogen, can deliver for one year the energy of 3,000 MWt (1, 000 MWe), equivalent to the 2012/000305

-31- energy supplied by many of the current nuclear fission reactors, with an approximate consumption of 1,080 kilograms of uranium 235, and higher amounts of uranium in the reactor.

A schematic of the general layout of a nuclear plant with two fusion reactors is shown in Fig. 8.

In particular, it is about determining the general characteristics of two naval fusion reactors, of 100 MWe each, for the nuclear propulsion of a state-of-the-art aircraft carrier. Although in this application it has been assumed that the electrical energy necessary for other ship services, including the consumption of the laser equipment and the auxiliary machinery necessary for the operation of the reactors, is supplied by conventional means, this energy can also be generated by the reactors themselves with a new design that takes into account the total power required from the initial moment of the project.

The dimensions of the fusion chamber 21 of a 1,000 MWe reactor, which have been calculated according to the neutron flow incident on the inner wall 1 of the interior of the vessel 20, have been indicated in the exposition made earlier in this invention. The interior radius of this wall varies according to the indicated factors. In a 100 MWe fusion reactor operated with a deuterium tritium system, the value of this radius would be 100 centimeters, which could be reduced using other fusion systems. The design of the fusion chamber 21 in nuclear-powered ships can be carried out in accordance with the proposed models. Due to the nature of the service, melting chambers 21 with cascading liquid 22 would not be applicable to nuclear-powered vessels. The vessels 20 can be placed vertically (Fig. 9) or horizontal (Fig. 10), a situation that is more compromised, as in the case of nuclear submarines.

Furthermore, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the nuclear fusion reactor has a modular structure, and can be formed by a plurality of vessels 20 connected in line, or another modular arrangement.

In Fig. 11 a scheme of the design of a modular structure of a 100 MWe fusion reactor is shown, which has in line in a single unit, in vertical position, five equal vessels 20 (Fig. 12), with a radius interior of the fusion chamber 21 of 20 centimeters. These provisions allow greater versatility. Thus, for example, the energy generated in the vessels 20 can be varied by modifying the firing rate of the ignition laser and / or the weight of the capsules. 2012/000305

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The laser equipment 17 and the storage of fuel pellets are two very important aspects of the design of a fusion plant. Currently, the dimensions of the laser units 17 have been considerably reduced for incorporation into mobile installations. The general equipment and accessories necessary for the operation of fusion reactors on nuclear-powered ships must be placed in continuous areas in the reactor room and their knowledge is generally in the state of the art.

Claims

1. Nuclear fusion reactor, characterized in that it comprises

at least one steel vessel (20) in which the melting of fuel pellets (23) occurs, which in turn comprises

a fusion chamber (21) in which the fusion occurs, delimited by an internal wall (1),

a plurality of chambers (2,4,6) through which fluid circulates, separated from each other by respective

- shielding walls (3,5),

and an external wall (8), which in turn comprises a graphite coating (7),

having internal (1) and external walls (8), and shielding walls (3,5) openings for the introduction of pipes that allow the introduction of fuel pads (23) and the necessary fluids,

at least one retaining wall (10) surrounding the vessel (20), there being between said retaining wall (10) and the outer wall (8) of the vessel (20) a separation space (9),

a pumping equipment, for pumping fluids to the vessel (20) and circulation of said fluids through it,

a fluid treatment equipment for the treatment of fluids circulating in the vessel (20),

a pressure control unit of the fusion chamber (21),

a fuel dispenser that provides fuel pellets (23) inside the fusion chamber (21) through the inlet (11)

a plurality of laser equipment (17) that affect the fusion chamber on the fuel pellets (23), and that produce an interior point (P) of the fusion chamber (21) inside a conical vertex zone ) where the fusion is carried out by sequential ultra-energy ignition, and another equivalent process, and its symmetrical conical zone with respect to said interior point (P), directing the fusion products of the fuel pellets (23) to the central zone of the vessel (20) and avoiding the impact on the laser equipment (17).

2. Nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner wall (1) of the vessel (20) comprises a solid coating (19).

3. Nuclear fusion reactor according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the solid coating (19) is made of porous solid lithium.

4. Nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner wall (1) of the vessel (20) comprises a liquid coating (22).

5. Nuclear fusion reactor, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inner (1) and outer (8) walls, and the shielding walls (3,5) of the vessel (20) are cylindrical in shape. central part and spherical cap shape in its upper and lower part.

6. Nuclear fusion reactor according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that

- the retaining wall 10 is connected to a support structure by means of first flanges (15),

and why the different chambers (2,4,6) of the vessel (20) are joined together by second flanges (16).

7. Nuclear fusion reactor, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the retaining wall (10) is made of an epoxy resin matrix and graphite reinforcement.

8. Nuclear fusion reactor according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the laser equipment (17) is arranged in the upper and lower area of the vessel (20).

9. Nuclear fusion reactor according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fuel pellets (23) are deuterium and tritium.

10. Nuclear fusion reactor according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the fuel pellets (23) are deuterium and deuterium.

11. Nuclear fusion reactor according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the fuel pellets (23) are hydrogen and hydrogen.

12. Nuclear fusion reactor according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it is of total conversion, and the fuel pellets (23) are selected from hydrogen and another element, and are subjected to a special process selected from sequencing Ultra-energy laser, and other equivalent process.

13. Nuclear fusion reactor, according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that it carries out the propulsion of nuclear ships.

14. Nuclear fusion reactor according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that

It has modular structure,

and because it comprises a plurality of vessels (20) whose arrangement is selected between in-line connection and any other modular arrangement.