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From: "attenberger stan%d.mfenet"@LLL-MFE.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: fusion reactors in space
Message-ID: <8603071544.AA09430@s1-b.arpa>
Date: Fri, 7-Mar-86 10:39:00 EST
Article-I.D.: s1-b.8603071544.AA09430
Posted: Fri Mar  7 10:39:00 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 9-Mar-86 00:06:44 EST
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     Concerning Mike Knudsen's claim that you will never see
fusion reactors in space due to their large size:  "Conventional"
designs for tokamak reactors call for doughnut shaped plasmas about
eight meters across.  Energy conversion devices, shielding,
stabilizing structures, and peripheral equipment take up more space,
but I don't think that you can justify the statement that the
smallest possible reactor may not fit in the Astrodome.  Alternate
designs such as "spherical tokamaks" would be more compact,
possibly about 2.4 meters across.  That would probably fit
in your office, including the vacuum vessel.  Of course, the
peripherals would still occupy several offices.
     Barring a major breakthrough, I don't see fusion being used
as a power source for a rocket.  But how about as a power
plant for an orbiting industrial lab?  You would have free vacuum,
reduced shielding and structure requirements...  I don't know of
anyone who is actually working on fusion reactors for space (let's
do it on the ground please, first) but I wouldn't rule out their
possible use in space.
disclaimer:  the above personal opinion should not be construed
to be a statement of the ORNL Fusion Energy Division.