Livermore Inertial Fusion Energy References

The potential application of Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) to energy production has been pursued by the community, including LLNL, since the recognition that it might be possible to achieve high gain ICF in the laboratory. Over the decades, LLNL has contributed to multiple IFE studies, with significant efforts, including the High Average Power Laser (HAPL) program, in the 1990’s and 2000’s for both laser and heavy ion driven concepts.

A substantive recent effort was the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) study, which aimed to develop an accelerated path towards commercialization of IFE in anticipation of ignition (breakeven) on the National Ignition Facility (NIF). As a relatively recent effort (~2008 to ~2014) that studied, preliminarily developed, and integrated many aspects of what might be required to achieve IFE, the results from LIFE can provide one viewpoint and help inform the IFE community as we work to develop an appropriate path forward.

This web page provides a list of references for potential follow up.