China has unveiled plans to construct the world’s first fusion-fission hybrid nuclear reactor, named Xinghuo (“spark” in Mandarin).

• The fusion-fission hybrid reactor aims to significantly enhance nuclear energy efficiency and sustainability, marking a major shift in global energy production.
• China aims for a Q factor greater than 30 (the ratio of energy produced to energy consumed for plasma heating).
  • ITER (France) targets a Q factor of 10.
  • U.S. projects have reached a Q factor of 1.5.

• The project is expected to surpass current efforts in nuclear energy development, including those in the United States, by 2030.

About Fusion-Fission Hybrid Reactor

The Xinghuo fusion-fission hybrid reactor represents a pioneering approach to nuclear energy generation by merging two distinct nuclear processes—fusion and fission:

Concept

• The Xinghuo reactor uses the high-intensity neutron flux produced by a fusion reactor to drive a nuclear fission reaction.
• Additionally, the fusion neutrons help breed fissile fuel from fertile materials, ensuring a sustainable supply of fuel for the reactor.

Design

• The reactor contains a nuclear fusion reactor core, where deuterium and tritium nuclei are fused to form helium and high-energy neutrons.
• Surrounding the fusion core is a blanket of fertile material (such as uranium-238 or thorium-232), which is used to absorb the fusion neutrons and convert them into fissile materials (such as plutonium-239 or uranium-233), effectively enhancing the fuel supply and making the system more self-sustaining.

Key Features

• Capitalization on the Advantages of Fusion and Fission:
  • Fusion reactors are neutron-rich but power-poor, producing a large number of neutrons with relatively low energy output.
  • Fission reactors, on the other hand, are neutron-poor but power-rich, generating significant energy but fewer neutrons.
  • The Xinghuo reactor ingeniously combines both, using fusion to produce neutrons that can drive fission in a second stage, creating a more efficient, energy-maximized cycle.
• Low Power Requirements:
  • Fusion power requirements for the hybrid reactor are lower than for pure fusion reactors.
  • The primary purpose of fusion in this hybrid system is to generate neutrons (not energy), making the fusion component less power-demanding and more efficient.
• Reduced Radioactive Wastes:
  • The high neutron flux in the reactor’s blanket can transmute long-lived radioactive waste into short-lived and less harmful materials, reducing environmental concerns.
  • This process helps convert radioactive isotopes into more manageable waste, making disposal easier and reducing the long-term ecological impact of nuclear energy.
• Fuel Supply:
  • The Xinghuo reactor would be capable of producing sufficient fissile fuel through a process called breeding.
  • Fusion neutrons can convert fertile materials such as uranium-238 into fissile materials like plutonium-239 or uranium-233, 
• Continuous Energy Production: The plant will have a continuous production capacity of 100 megawatts, similar to a small-scale nuclear reactor.

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