Documents / Report

Defense Intelligence Reference Document Aneutronic Fusion Propulsion (2)

Defense Intelligence Agency · 36 pages · text from the file's own layer

This Defense Intelligence Agency reference document, dated 1 November 2010, is one of a series of advanced technology reports produced in FY 2010 under the Advanced Aerospace Weapons System Applications (AAWSA) Program. It covers fusion plasma physics, confinement methods, and propulsion concepts that use aneutronic fuels such as hydrogen and boron-11. It concludes that such thrusters may soon replace satellite ion thrusters. It also finds that they will not be practical beyond the solar system without breakthrough propulsion physics.

UNCLASSIFIED//F811. 8FFll!l*L 1!1!11! t!IHL"i'
Table 5: Emerging Technologies
Technoloqy Annlication Sunnorts Status
High-temperature Aiding confinement, ALL Need lightweight materials to
plasma supporting fusion withstand the fusion-burning
containers architecture, surviving environments repeatedly.
sustained reactions/
lifetime
Plasma injection To supply plasma for ALL There needs to be an efficient
schemes startup, sustained and effective way to get fuel
reactions, symmetry, stored, delivered, and ignited.
energy deposition
Stable magnet Needed for sufficient CBFR, Some experiments are in
configurations confinement times/ !EC, DPF progress, but designs will
ignition densities, evolve as limitations are
minimize instabilities, encountered.
optimal propulsion
□ rofiles
Lightweight high- Needed for aerospace !EC, CBFR High-temperature ceramics
strength magnets application, cost effect- still need to be molded to a
tive launch and deploy- launch and deployment
ment, thermal tolerance, survivable standard. Much
superconductivity at material science and testing
workable temoeratures. are needed.
Propulsion Optimizes efficiency of ALL This is the result of current
nozzles for propulsion, supports studies and is specific to
efficient energy direct conversion, design limitations and
channelina sunnort viable missions sunnort.
Lightweight For particle beam !EC, CBFR Most experiments are
particle injection, energy currently ground oriented -
accelerators for deposition, confinement, need to transition to flight.
aerospace and fusion support
annlications
Direct-energy Needed for high Q and ALL Currently under study for
conversion efficient propulsion recovering energy from
schemes schemes charged particle beams,
magnetic fields, thermal
recvclina.
High-energy- Needed for energy ALL Application of nano materials
density batteries storage and startup and thin film manufacturing
and operations have accelerated development
supercaoacitors
Fuel storage Cryogenic H2, D2 and B ALL Development of solid fuel
systems gas storage storage will reduce mass and
costs.
26
UNCLASSIFIED/ ,era A 8FFI&I.«1k Wfi&i a••k>t

Not linked to a story yet.

About this file

Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 36 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.