Addressing Short Trapped-Flux Lifetime in High-Density Field-Reversed Configuration Plasmas in FRCHX

Grabowski, C.; Degnan, J.H.; Amdahl, D.J.; Domonkos, Matthew T.; Ruden, E.L.; White, W.; Wurden, G. A.; Frese, S.D.; Camacho, F.; Coffey, S.K.; Kiuttu, G.F.; Kostora, M.; McCullough, J.; Sommars, W.; Lynn, A. G.; Yates, Kevin; Bauer, Bruno; Fuelling, S.; Siemon, R. E.

doi:10.1109/tps.2014.2305402

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…37 It is worth noting that, in parallel with plasma gun development at MSX, a similar technique was attempted on FRCHX using a capacitively coupled axial RF discharge combined with a much larger puff-fill in which the leading edge of the gas pulse was used to form the FRC. Results showed that the RF discharge had a marginal effect on fluxtrapping (producing a $3% increase in excluded flux radius corresponding to a $10% increase in trapped flux), 38 and while the absence of neutral gas downstream enables higher translation velocities, the non-uniformity of the gas fill within the h-coil 8 makes comparison with previously established scaling laws difficult.…”

Section: Apparatus and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Plasma-gun-assisted field-reversed configuration formation in a conical θ-pinch

2015

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Injection of plasma via an annular array of coaxial plasma guns during the pre-ionization phase of field-reversed configuration (FRC) formation is shown to catalyze the bulk ionization of a neutral gas prefill in the presence of a strong axial magnetic field and change the character of outward flux flow during field-reversal from a convective process to a much slower resistive diffusion process. This approach has been found to significantly improve FRC formation in a conical h-pinch, resulting in a $350% increase in trapped flux at typical operating conditions, an expansion of accessible formation parameter space to lower densities and higher temperatures, and a reduction or elimination of several deleterious effects associated with the pre-ionization phase. V C 2015 AIP Publishing LLC.

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Section: Apparatus and Methodsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Plasma-gun-assisted field-reversed configuration formation in a conical θ-pinch

2015

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“…http://engine.scichina.com/doi/10.1360/SSPMA2016-00279 [26] (Magnetized Target Fusion, MTF). 该聚变方案可分为 3 个过程 (如图 3 [27] ): (1) 磁化等离子体靶的形成阶段, 初始磁化靶的密度要求大于 [28] , 该装置的主要目标是形成高温高密的磁化等离子体靶; 第二阶段在 AFRL 建造了 FRCHX 装置 [29] (Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment), 通过 FRCHX 进行磁化靶聚变的集成实验, 并验证磁化靶聚变方案的可行性. 反场构型 (FRC) 作为磁化等离子体靶具有如下优点 [30,31] : 磁场拓扑结构简单, 容易传输, 高能量密度及高等离子体 β 值.…”

Section: -5unclassified

Magneto-inertial fusion: A new approach towards fusion energy

Yang¹,

Li²

2016

Sci. Sin.-Phys. Mech. Astron.

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Magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) and inertial confinement fusion (ICF) are two typical approaches of controlled fusion. The energy gain of magnetic confinement fusion achieved unity already, and inertial confinement fusion also made a big progress recently. However, the parameter spaces of two methods are different with 11 magnitudes, and their facilities are very large with fancy cost. Magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) combines both features of MCF and ICF, whose parameter space intermediates between the two extremes of MCF and ICF. The capital cost of MIF is much lower than either of the two, and it has large potential for commercial applications. With advantages of low cost, compact facility, and short time of construction, MIF draws more and more attention recently. In this paper, the status and recent progress of MIF research will be introduced. magneto inertial fusion, magnetized target fusion, field reversed configuration

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“…The first integrated plasma/liner engineering test of the Field-Reversed Configuration Heating Experiment, or FRCHX, on Shiva Star was performed in April 2010, but for this test the plasma lifetime was too short compared to the compression time (23 ls). After extensive diagnostic studies and a series of improvements were implemented, most notably the inclusion of a longer capture region, the lifetime of trapped flux within the FRC was improved such that it was now comparable to the implosion time [33], and an integrated compression test was conducted in Oct. 2013. The FRC was compressed cylindrically by more than a factor of ten, with density increasing more than 100-fold, to [10 18 cm -3 (a world FRC record), but temperatures were only in the range of 300-400 eV, compared to the expected several keV.…”

Section: Recent Progressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magneto-Inertial Fusion

et al. 2015

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In this community white paper, we describe an approach to achieving fusion which employs a hybrid of elements from the traditional magnetic and inertial fusion concepts, called magneto-inertial fusion (MIF). The status of MIF research in North America at multiple institutions is summarized including recent progress, research opportunities, and future plans.Keywords Magneto-inertial fusion Á Magnetized target fusion Á Liner Á Plasma jets Á Fusion energy Á MagLIF DescriptionMagneto-inertial fusion (MIF) (aka magnetized target fusion) [1][2][3] is an approach to fusion that combines the compressional heating of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) with the magnetically reduced thermal transport and magnetically enhanced alpha heating of magnetic confinement fusion (MCF). From an MCF perspective, the higher density, shorter confinement times, and compressional heating as the dominant heating mechanism reduce the impact of instabilities. From an ICF perspective, the primary benefits are potentially orders of magnitude reduction in the difficult to achieve qr parameter (areal density), and potentially significant reduction in velocity requirements and hydrodynamic instabilities for compression drivers. In fact, ignition becomes theoretically possible from qr B 0.01 g/cm 2 up to conventional ICF values of qr * 1.0 g/cm 2 , and as in MCF, Br rather than qr becomes the key figure-of-merit for ignition because of the enhanced alpha deposition [4]. Within the lower-qr parameter space, MIF exploits lower required implosion velocities (2-100 km/s, compared to the ICF minimum of 350-400 km/s) allowing the use of much more efficient (g C 0.3) pulsed power drivers, while at the highest (i.e., ICF) end of the qr range, both higher gain G at a given implosion velocity as well as lower implosion velocity and reduced hydrodynamic instabilities are theoretically possible. To avoid confusion, it must be emphasized that the wellknown conventional ICF burn fraction formula does not apply for the lower-qr ''liner-driven'' MIF schemes, since it is the much larger mass and qr of the liner (and not that of the burning fuel) that determines the ''dwell time'' and fuel burnup fraction. In all cases, MIF approaches seek to satisfy/ exceed the inertial fusion energy (IFE) figure-of-merit gG * 7-10 required in an economical plant with reasonable recirculating power fraction. A great advantage of MIF is indeed its extremely wide parameter space which allows it greater versatility in overcoming difficulties in implementation or technology, as evidenced by the four diverse approaches and associated implosion velocities shown in Fig. 1.MIF approaches occupy an attractive region in thermonuclear q-T parameter space, as shown in a paper by

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Addressing Short Trapped-Flux Lifetime in High-Density Field-Reversed Configuration Plasmas in FRCHX

Cited by 15 publications

References 34 publications

Plasma-gun-assisted field-reversed configuration formation in a conical θ-pinch

Plasma-gun-assisted field-reversed configuration formation in a conical θ-pinch

Magneto-inertial fusion: A new approach towards fusion energy

Magneto-Inertial Fusion

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