Lattice Confinement Fusion-Fast-Fission U.S. Space Disrupters Day December 18, 2024 Washington, D.C. Lawrence P. Forsley1,2 CTO, Global Energy Corporation, Annandale, VA; San Diego, CA PI, Lattice Confinement Fusion Fast-Fission Project, NASA GRC, Cleveland, OH Co-PI, Naval Surface Warfare Centers Research Fellow, UT Austin, Nuclear Engineering Teaching Laboratory Extended Electrodynamics (EED) Working Group Dr. Pamela A. Mosier-Boss Chief Scientist, Global Energy Corporation, San Diego, CA Dr. Theresa L. Benyo PI, Lattice Confinement Fusion Project, NASA GRC Cleveland, OH 1. [email protected] 2. [email protected] V1.2 Nuclear Fusion Without Large Magnets or Lasers • Lattice Confinement Fusion (LCF)1 • Fusion of hydrogen isotopes into helium • No tokamak magnets or laser power supplies • Nuclear fuel is confined and triggered within lattice • Nuclear reactions enhanced by electron screening • Extended Electrodynamics role • NASA published results in Physical Review C 2,3 • Locally hot but globally cold • Commercialized in 2024 to produce medical radioisotopes • Lattice Confinement Fusion Fast-Fission Hybrid Reaction • Fusion neutrons fission uranium, spent fuel rods or thorium • No enriched uranium, cleaner fission! • Demonstrated with US Navy and GEC • Application • LEO and Deep Space • Terrestrial Diagram Labels: - Green electron screened lattice - Red deuterium nuclear fuel - Reaction pathway: T + D -> alpha + 14.1 MeV neutron -> target nucleus -> fission products + neutrons + gamma Footnotes: 1. US Patent 8,419,919, “System and Method to Generate Particles” 2. V. Pines, et al, “Nuclear Fusion Reactions in Deuterated Metals”, Phys Rev C, 101, (20Apr2020) 044609. 3. B. M. Steinetz, et al, “Novel Nuclear Reactions Observed in Bremsstrahlung-Irradiated Deuterated Metals”, Phys Rev C, 101, (20Apr2020) 044610. Application • Deep space Power • Melt through 45 km of Ice shells of Icy worlds • Nuclear Electric Propulsion • Planetary Surface Power • 10 – 100 kWe Lunar and Mars Power • Fabricate fuel rods in situ, “living off the land” • LEO Power • No LEU, HALEU or HEU • Untended operation 5+ years • Terrestrial • DoD Operational Energy < 1 MWe • Small Modular Reactors: Data Centers > 1 MWe • Going Forward • NIAC supported LANL MCNP modeling finished • NSF Supported scaling on-going at NASA GRC If It’s safe enough to launch from Florida, its safe enough to use in Florida!™ Comparison: Nuclear Electric Power and Propulsion (NEP) heat dissipation panels (300 kW NEP: 33.7 m) as compared to Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP)1 solar panels (300 kW SEP: 68.6 m). Mass, volume, lifetime matter! Footnote: 1. L. Mason, “High Power NEP Power Concepts”, NASA GRC, (2017) where the 300 kW NEP was for JIMO/Project Prometheus.