A High-Density Field Reversed Configuration Plasma for Magnetized Target Fusion

Intrator, T.; Park, Jaeyoung; 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.; Zhang, S.Y.; Wang, ‪Zhehui

doi:10.1109/tps.2004.823974

Cited by 36 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…In MIF, fuel magnetization relaxes the extreme pressure requirements characteristic of traditional ICF and enhances thermal insulation of the hot fuel from the colder pusher [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. We consider paradigmatically the radial compression of a long, thin cylinder of fuel magnetized with a uniform, axial field prior to compression [11][12][13][14][15][16][17].…”

Section: Pacs Numbersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Fuel Magnetization and Mix Using Secondary Nuclear Reactions in Magneto-Inertial Fusion

Schmit¹,

Knapp²,

Hansen³

et al. 2014

Phys. Rev. Lett.

113

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Magnetizing the fuel in inertial confinement fusion relaxes ignition requirements by reducing thermal conductivity and changing the physics of burn product confinement. Diagnosing the level of fuel magnetization during burn is critical to understanding target performance in magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) implosions. In pure deuterium fusion plasma, 1.01 MeV tritons are emitted during DD fusion and can undergo secondary DT reactions before exiting the fuel. Increasing the fuel magnetization elongates the path lengths through the fuel of some of the tritons, enhancing their probability of reaction. Based on this feature, a method to diagnose fuel magnetization using the ratio of overall DT to DD neutron yields is developed. Analysis of anisotropies in the secondary neutron energy spectra further constrain the measurement. Secondary reactions are also shown to provide an upper bound for volumetric fuel-pusher mix in MIF. The analysis is applied to recent MIF experiments [M. R. Gomez et al., to appear in PRL] on the Z Pulsed Power Facility, indicating that significant magnetic confinement of charged burn products was achieved and suggesting a relatively low-mix environment. Both of these are essential features of future ignition-scale MIF designs. PACS numbers:Introduction.-Magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) offers some key advantages over traditional inertial confinement fusion (ICF). In MIF, fuel magnetization relaxes the extreme pressure requirements characteristic of traditional ICF and enhances thermal insulation of the hot fuel from the colder pusher [1-10]. We consider paradigmatically the radial compression of a long, thin cylinder of fuel magnetized with a uniform, axial field prior to compression [11][12][13][14][15][16][17]. At stagnation, the compressed magnetic flux redirects charged burn products axially, increasing the effective fuel areal density from ρR to ρZ, where ρ is the fuel mass density, R is the fuel radius, Z is the fuel length, and A ≡ Z/R ≫ 1 is the aspect ratio.Sandia National Laboratories has fielded the first integrated experiments investigating Magnetized Liner I nertial F usion (MagLIF) [14][15][16][17], which involves direct compression of magnetized, preheated deuterium fuel by a solid metal (beryllium) liner, imploded on the 26 MA, 100 ns Z Pulsed Power Facility [18]. The imploding cylindrical liner compresses a pre-seeded axial magnetic field, B 0 (≈ 10 T in the first experiments), to high amplitude at stagnation, B, where perfect flux conservation would imply B = B 0 (R 0 /R) 2 , and R 0 = 2.325 mm is the initial fuel radius. However, detailed simulations suggest that multiple effects (e.g., resistive losses, Nerst effect) can lead to leakage of magnetic flux out of the hot fuel [14,17]. Thus, diagnosing the efficacy of flux compression in experiments is critical for understanding target performance and the viability of the concept.

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Section: Pacs Numbersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding Fuel Magnetization and Mix Using Secondary Nuclear Reactions in Magneto-Inertial Fusion

Schmit¹,

Knapp²,

Hansen³

et al. 2014

Phys. Rev. Lett.

113

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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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“…To show that P 2 c ¼ P c , take an arbitrary n c and denote v N À ¼ P N À c n c ; clearly, D ðhÞ v N À ¼ 0 on M À because of (30).…”

Section: Discrete Calderon's Operatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, the first condition of (33) follows from (30), while the second one is an implication of the BEP (32) itself. Conversely, let v N À satisfy the equation D ðhÞ v N À ¼ 0 on M À and vanish at infinity.…”

Section: Discrete Calderon's Operatorsmentioning

confidence: 99%