The applicability of tokamak, helical and laser fusion reactors as a volumetric fusion neutron source has been examined using the systems codes that have been utilised for the conceptual design of DEMO and commercial reactors in Japan. This study has clarified the characteristics of reactor-based volumetric neutron sources that can be designed based on the current physics and engineering basis with a reasonable running cost (∼5B Yen/year). Although the achievable neutron flux is 2–3 orders lower than that of accelerator driven neutron sources, tokamak and helical neutron sources can provide a much larger irradiation area for the test of large components. Laser neutron sources have both high operability and tritium breeding capacity. These reactor-based neutron sources also serve as an integrated test bed of the entire reactor system.
Capabilities of a DT tokamak fusion neutron source for driving a spent nuclear fuel transmutation reactor