Electrical Power Systems Technology

Alternative Power Systems 129

however, and the forces associated with them are tremendous. Control-

ling the fusion reaction is still one of the major problems of trying to use

this method; therefore, it remains to be studied further.

Laser-induced Fusion

aser-induced fusion L should also be mentioned. This method relies on

inertia rather than an intense magnetic field for the confinement of the nu-

clear fuel. In this method, a small pellet of frozen fuel is injected into a com-

bustion chamber. There, it is hit by several short, intense, laser beams com-

ing into the chamber from several directions. This process happens very

quickly and causes the pellet to collapse, due to the intensity of the beams.

The fuel is rapidly heated. The fusion reaction takes place at an instant just

before the material in the pellet can overcome its inertia and expand, due

to the intense heating effect. This process uses a laser beam to produce a

sufficient amount of heat to cause the nuclear-fusion reaction. A proposed

design for a laser-induced fusion power system is shown in Figure 5-7. As

with other fusion methods, this method has not been tested. It is being theo-

retically developed. However, since the magnetic-confinement method has

not been developed beyond the conceptual stage, other methods, such as

Figure 5-6. Proposed design of a magnetic-confinement nuclear fusion power

system