Saturday, June 23, 2012

Could D-T Fusion Reactors have produced the Helium that could have prevented the explosion of the Hindenburg Zeppelin if practical D-T fusion technology had been available in 1937?




Math Monday - The Hindenburg Zeppelin had an internal gas cell volume of 200,000 cubic meters. D-T Fusion reactors produce no fission products but only non-radioactive helium as their waste product.
If the Hindenburg had been filled with helium from D-T fusion reactors, instead of hydrogen, might the terrible explosion of 1937  have been averted.



How many 1 GW(e) D-T fusion reactors would have been needed to completely fill the Hindenburg Zeppelin with non-radioactive helium in one year?

Hint:
D-T Fusion Reaction
D + T -> n (14.1 MeV) + He4 (3.5 MeV)
 A 1 GW(e)-year D-T fusion power plant would consume about 100 kilograms of Deuterium and 150 grams of Tritium nuclear fuel producing 1 GW(e)-year of energy while producing about 199 grams of non-radioactive helium (and 50 kilograms of neutrons) as waste products.

ANS: About three hundred and sixty 1 GW(e) fusion power plants are needed to fill the Zepplin in one year.



What percentage of America's total energy consumption from all sources of 100 quads would be produced by the D-T fusion reactors needed to fill the Hindenburg Zepplin with helium in one year?

ANS: Three hundred and sixty 1 GW(e) fusion power plants would produce about 11% (10.76 quads) of the total energy consumed in the US while filling the Zepplin with helium (He)2 gas.



What mass of fission products would 360 1GW(e) LFTRs produce while producing the same amount of energy (100 quads)?



What mass of long half life transuranic waste would be produced by 360 1GW(e) LFTRs operating for a year?