Fluid Dynamic Pulsed Power for Low-Cost Fusion

Pulsed power for controlled fusion applications can be the dominant portion of the total capital cost. With potential stored-energy requirements on the order of 100 MJ, the energy density of high-voltage capacitors (~50 kJ/m³) can imply enormous laboratory facilities. For an actual power plant required to operate with billions of firings over thirty years, the energy density must be reduced (~3.6 kJ/m³), increasing the system size (and cost) further. Energy storage in high pressure (~25 kpsi) gas offers much higher energy densities (~255 MJ/m³) and can supply a pulsed power system completely analogous to an electrical one, but much smaller. Such an approach had been envisioned for controlled fusion based on stabilized imploding liner compression of plasma, but can also extend to repetitive manipulation of magnetic flux for other pulsed power needs.