Mirror advanced reactor study engineering overview

Abstract

The Mirror Advanced Reactor Study (MARS) was the first comprehensive conceptual design of a commercial tandem mirror reactor with thermal barriers. The design exploited the inherent attractive features of a tandem mirror: steady state operation, linear central cell, simple high performance blankets, low first wall heat fluxes, natural impurity diversion by the halo plasma, no driven plasma currents or associated disruptions, and direct conversion of the charged particle power lost out the ends. The study introduced new design concepts in high field magnets, neutral beams, ECRH systems, drift pumping, direct conversion, lithium—lead blankets and plant safety. The MARS design would produce 1200 MW c net and more than 1500 MW c gross from only 2600 MW of fusion power. This high efficiency is achieved through a combination of blanket design and direct conversion. Special emphasis was placed on fusion's potential for inherent safety, lower activation and simpler disposal of radioactive waste as compared with fission. The blanket has a very low tritium inventory, cannot melt in loss-of-coolant and/or loss-of-flow accidents and can be disposed of as low level waste subject to near-surface burial. MARS would produce busbar electricity at about 7 cents per kilowatthour (constant 1983 dollars). This value is near the upper end of the cost range for new generation capability being installed in the late 1980's. Significant cost reductions can be gained by further improvements in the engineering designs combined with a simplified end cell. The largest cost reductions from engineering can be attained through redesigned magnets, heat transport system and electrical system. The combination of engineering and physics improvements are projected to lower the cost of electricity by about 40% without sacrificing the environmental, safety and maintainability attributes of MARS. This work is now being pursued in the MINIMARS study.