A case for compact gross electricity producing pilot plant is presented. The feasibility of such a plant with a moderate fusion power that is capable of delivering gross electricity to the grid is investigated. The physics and engineering considerations of such power plants are elucidated. We show that for a fusion power of about 300 MW with fusion gain of 5, a moderate plasma β with improved confinement regime is required to prevent excessive transport power loss. The sensitivity analysis indicates a wide enough parameter range where, the fusion power and fusion gain can meet their target values. The constraints arising from the shielding, magnets and maintenance are discussed. The feasibility of steady-state gross electricity production of 160 MW is discussed using a helium-cooled solid breeder blanket with an intermediate energy storage system. It is argued that such a plant has all key technical elements of DEMO, albeit at a smaller scale, thereby providing strong technical basis for DEMO.
This paper explores the feasibility of a compact fusion pilot plant that can generate a significant amount of electricity for the grid. It discusses the physics and engineering considerations, showing that a fusion power of 300 MW with a fusion gain of 5 can produce 160 MW of steady-state gross electricity using a helium-cooled solid breeder blanket. This plant would serve as a technical basis for the future DEMO fusion reactor.