Laser drive

Using laser light as the energy source that compresses an inertial-confinement fusion target, either striking the fuel capsule directly (direct drive) or heating a surrounding hohlraum that then compresses the capsule with X-rays (indirect drive). The laser's own efficiency, how much electricity it takes to put a given amount of light on target, multiplies directly into wall-plug gain. NIF, built for research rather than efficiency, stores about 400 MJ of electricity to deliver about 2 MJ of light, roughly half a per cent. A power plant needs a far more efficient laser and a far higher target gain together: the laser efficiency multiplied by the target gain and by the efficiency of turning fusion heat into electricity must comfortably exceed 1 before the plant returns any electricity.

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concept:laser-drive

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