Micro‐thermonuclear AB‐reactors for aviation

Purpose – The paper's aim is to suggest a new micro‐thermonuclear reactor for aerospace.Design/methodology/approach – Methods of the thermonuclear physics are used for the research.Findings – The result is new micro‐thermonuclear reactor with very small fuel pellet that uses plasma confinement generated by multi‐reflection of laser beam or its own magnetic field. The Lawson criterion increases by hundreds of times. The author also suggests a new method of heating the power‐making fuel pellet by outer electric current as well as new direct method of transformation of ion kinetic energy into harvestable electricity. These offered innovations dramatically decrease the size, weight and cost of thermonuclear reactor, installation, propulsion system and electric generator.Practical implications – The author is researching the efficiency of these innovations for two types of the micro‐thermonuclear reactors: multi‐reflection reactor (inertial confinement fusion) and self‐magnetic reactor (magnetic confinement fu...