A proof of concept study for a fusion-fission hybrid reactor has been conducted. Such reactors offer the possibility of providing a significant energy source that reduces the safety and waste related issues associated with fission reactors whilst also avoiding CO2 emissions. The hybrid fusion-fission system is based on coupling a laser driven Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) source to a subcritical fission blanket; this arrangement has been termed the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) Engine. The system is a logical extension to the NIF experiment, a laserbased ICF experiment currently being conducted at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the USA. Modelling of the LIFE system was undertaken using the MCNP4c2 code. Various fission fuel options, including spent nuclear fuel, were investigated and their energy gain and criticality characterised. A major hurdle facing fusion reactors is the scarcity of tritium; this problem may be solved, however, by breeding tritium in the reactor coolant. Therefore, the breeding capability of two coolants, FLiBe and Pb83Li17 was also investigated. This study demonstrated that a fusion-fission hybrid reactor is capable of providing the required
operating parameters and may be used to burn spent nuclear fuel. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that tritium breeding is strongly influenced by the 6Li enrichment in coolant lithium content.
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