Tritium-Lean Fusion Power Plants with Asymmetric Deuterium-Tritium Transport and Pumping

Abstract

Asymmetries in deuterium-tritium (D-T) particle transport and divertor pumping speeds are shown to enhance tritium self-sufficiency in fusion power plants. Using a diffusive particle transport model that links the plasma core, separatrix, and divertor regions, it is shown that reducing tritium transport while increasing deuterium transport improves both tritium burn efficiency and overall fusion power. By selectively increasing deuterium transport, tritium burn efficiency can be further optimized, assuming the availability of asymmetric D-T fueling and advanced divertor technologies. These asymmetries become especially beneficial at high tritium burn efficiency. In one example, by increasing the D-T particle diffusivity ratio and decreasing the D-T divertor pump speed ratio, each by a factor of five, the tritium burn efficiency increases eleven-fold from 0.026 to 0.29 at fixed fusion power. We propose a novel approach to achieve asymmetric D-T pumping using either an isotope separation and divertor re-injection approach or a partial ionization plasma centrifuge. In an ARC-class power plant, this approach could yield an order-of-magnitude improvement in tritium burn efficiency and/or increases in fusion power output. These findings motivate the development of techniques and technologies to reduce core tritium transport and increase tritium divertor pumping speeds.