A high density field reversed configuration (FRC) target for magnetized target fusion: First internal profile measurements of a high density FRC

Intrator, T.; Zhang, S. Y.; Degnan, J.H.; Furno, I.; Grabowski, C.; Hsu, S. C.; Ruden, E. L.; Sanchez, P.G.; Taccetti, J. M.; Tuszewski, M.; Waganaar, W. J.; Wurden, G. A.

doi:10.1063/1.1689666

Cited by 73 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…These configurations, which were originally developed as magnetic confinement fusion systems, 17 can be self-sustaining for tens of microseconds, which is long enough to move them to within a metal liner for subsequent compression. 18 FRCs can have 19 plasma densities of ϳ0.1 g / cc and temperatures of 250 eV, and are thus suitable for liner compression with implosion times of ϳ10 s. An interesting feature of FRCs is that the field geometry is believed to remain nearly fixed during an implosion driven by a cylindrical liner. Thus the plasma density and temperature could scale more favorably than for a purely cylindrical implosion.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pulsed-power-driven cylindrical liner implosions of laser preheated fuel magnetized with an axial field

Slutz¹,

Herrmann²,

Vesey³

et al. 2010

Physics of Plasmas

531

328

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The radial convergence required to reach fusion conditions is considerably higher for cylindrical than for spherical implosions since the volume is proportional to r2 versus r3, respectively. Fuel magnetization and preheat significantly lowers the required radial convergence enabling cylindrical implosions to become an attractive path toward generating fusion conditions. Numerical simulations are presented indicating that significant fusion yields may be obtained by pulsed-power-driven implosions of cylindrical metal liners onto magnetized (>10 T) and preheated (100–500 eV) deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel. Yields exceeding 100 kJ could be possible on Z at 25 MA, while yields exceeding 50 MJ could be possible with a more advanced pulsed power machine delivering 60 MA. These implosions occur on a much shorter time scale than previously proposed implosions, about 100 ns as compared to about 10 μs for magnetic target fusion (MTF) [I. R. Lindemuth and R. C. Kirkpatrick, Nucl. Fusion 23, 263 (1983)]. Consequently the optimal initial fuel density (1–5 mg/cc) is considerably higher than for MTF (∼1 μg/cc). Thus the final fuel density is high enough to axially trap most of the α-particles for cylinders of approximately 1 cm in length with a purely axial magnetic field, i.e., no closed field configuration is required for ignition. According to the simulations, an initial axial magnetic field is partially frozen into the highly conducting preheated fuel and is compressed to more than 100 MG. This final field is strong enough to inhibit both electron thermal conduction and the escape of α-particles in the radial direction. Analytical and numerical calculations indicate that the DT can be heated to 200–500 eV with 5–10 kJ of green laser light, which could be provided by the Z-Beamlet laser. The magneto-Rayleigh-Taylor (MRT) instability poses the greatest threat to this approach to fusion. Two-dimensional Lasnex simulations indicate that the liner walls must have a substantial initial thickness (10–20% of the radius) so that they maintain integrity throughout the implosion. The Z and Z-Beamlet experiments are now being planned to test the various components of this concept, e.g., the laser heating of the fuel and the robustness of liner implosions to the MRT instability.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pulsed-power-driven cylindrical liner implosions of laser preheated fuel magnetized with an axial field

Slutz¹,

Herrmann²,

Vesey³

et al. 2010

Physics of Plasmas

531

328

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…[16][17][18] Researchers involved in magnetized target fusion experiments at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and Air Force Research Laboratory generated preheated plasmas confined in a closed-field-line magnetic topology called the field-reversed configuration, which were intended to be translated into and compressed by a magnetically-driven liner implosion system on the ls timescale. [19][20][21][22] The Laboratory for Laser Energetics performed radiation-driven implosions of spherical capsules, and diagnosed higher hot-spot temperatures, magnetic flux compression, and enhanced fusion yields when the target was pre-magnetized. [23][24][25] A team at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory computationally investigated pre-magnetization of indirect-drive ignition targets for the National Ignition Facility and found the imposed field may improve capsule stability and hot-spot formation, while relaxing the conditions needed for ignition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of magnetized liner inertial fusion experiments using the Z facility

et al. 2014

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The magnetized liner inertial fusion concept has been presented as a path toward obtaining substantial thermonuclear fusion yields using the Z accelerator [S. A. Slutz et al., Phys. Plasmas 17, 056303 (2010)]. We present the first integrated magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the inertial fusion targets, which self-consistently include laser preheating of the fuel, the presence of electrodes, and end loss effects. These numerical simulations provided the design for the first thermonuclear fusion neutron-producing experiments on Z using capabilities that presently exist: peak currents of Imax = 18–20 MA, pre-seeded axial magnetic fields of Bz0=10 T, laser preheat energies of about Elas = 2 kJ delivered in 2 ns, DD fuel, and an aspect ratio 6 solid Be liner imploded to 70 km/s. Specific design details and observables for both near-term and future experiments are discussed, including sensitivity to laser timing and absorbed preheat energy. The initial experiments measured stagnation radii rstag<75 μm, temperatures around 3 keV, and isotropic neutron yields up to YnDD=2×1012, with inferred alpha-particle magnetization parameters around rstag/rLα=1.7 [M. R. Gomez et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. (submitted)].

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“…The Los Alamos National Laboratory has been a proponent of field reversed configurations and what they call magnetized target fusion [54][55][56]. They produce rather dense field reversed plasmas, n * 2 9 10 22 /m 3 with a large magnetic field, about 5 T, and electron and ion temperatures of about 300 eV.…”

Section: Field Reversed Configurations and Magnetized Target Fusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fusion Breeding for Mid-Century Sustainable Power

Manheimer

2014

J Fusion Energ

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This article is an editorial, which makes the case that fusion breeding (that is using fusion neutrons to breed nuclear fuel for use in conventional nuclear reactors) is the best objective for the fusion program. To make the case, it reviews a great deal of plasma physics and fusion data. Fusion breeding could potentially play a key role in delivering large-scale sustainable carbon-free commercial power by mid-century. There is almost no chance that pure fusion can do that. The leading magnetic fusion concept, the tokamak, is subject to well-known constraints, which we have called conservative design rules, and review in this paper. These constraints will very likely prevent tokamaks from ever delivering economical pure fusion. Inertial fusion, in pure fusion mode, may ultimately be able to deliver commercial power, but the failure to date of the leading inertial fusion experiment, the National Ignition Campaign, shows that there are still large gaps in our understanding of laser fusion. Fusion breeding, based on either magnetic fusion or inertial fusion, greatly relaxes the requirements on the fusion reactor. It is also a much better fit to today's and tomorrow's nuclear infrastructure than is its competitor, fission breeding. This article also shows that the proposed fusion and fission infrastructure, 'The Energy Park', reviewed here, is sustainable, economically and environmentally sound, and poses little or no proliferation risk.

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A high density field reversed configuration (FRC) target for magnetized target fusion: First internal profile measurements of a high density FRC

Cited by 73 publications

References 24 publications

Pulsed-power-driven cylindrical liner implosions of laser preheated fuel magnetized with an axial field

Pulsed-power-driven cylindrical liner implosions of laser preheated fuel magnetized with an axial field

Design of magnetized liner inertial fusion experiments using the Z facility

Fusion Breeding for Mid-Century Sustainable Power

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