FUSION PROPULSION

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FUSION PROPULSION
Presented by:-
EBIN VALICKAL
Department Of Mechanical Engineering
College Of Engineering, Trivandrum
2007-11 batch

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WHAT IS FUSION?
Fusion occurs when two nuclei combine to from a new nucleus

Fusion fuels are mainly Deuterium and Tritium
Deuterium contains one proton and one neutron
Tritium has one proton and two neutrons


Deuterium-Tritium Fusion

Plasma

Plasma is made up of atoms

it is also called ionized gas

CONDITIONS SHOULD BE CREATED FOR THE FUSION TO OCCUR
The two nuclei should be bring in contact
High temperature

About 100 million C

Created by using Laser beams,
microwaves

High pressure

Pressure squeezes the hydrogen atoms together

Using intense magnetic fields, powerful lasers or ion beams
MANETIC CONFINEMENT FUSION

Electricity & neutral particle beams are used to heat the stream of gas

Plasma is squeezed by the super conducting magnets

Optimum for power generation

MANETIC CONFINEMENT FUSION PROPULSION
Reactions takes place in a magnetic bottle
Products exhausted through a magnetic
nozzle
Two primary problems
Prohibitively large weight
Difficult to create a magnetic bottle with magnetic rocket exhaust nozzle

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF)
Uses laser beam or ion beams to heat & squeeze the deuterium and tritium pellet
Pellet is bombarded on all sides by strong pulses from lasers or particle accelerators
Inertia of fuel holds it together long enough for most of it to undergo fusion

Beams explosively detonates the outer layer
Sending a shock wave in to the center which is powerful enough for achieving high enough density at center to cause some fusion reactions
This heats surrounding fuel creating a chain reaction that burns the fuel load

MUON-CATALYSED FUSION PROPULSION

Eliminates electric repulsion force & fusion take place
Fusion energy ejects the muon& goes of to another nucleus
thus catalyses many reactions till it decays

Muon has to be manufactured on the space craft

CONCLUSION
This concept increases the mission flexibility, enabling new science missions and greater flexibility in reaching & exploring distant planets
It reduces the time for the journey in space mission by 50% compared to the chemical rocket