Inertial-Electrostatic Confinement: An Approach to Burning Advanced Fuels

Miley, George H.; Nadler, J.; Hochberg, T.; Gu, Yibin; Barnouin, O.; Lovberg, John A.

doi:10.13182/fst91-3

Cited by 53 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…NPR ∝ σ fus,DD (E i ), with E i = V cat . This observed scaling is consistent with past experiments performed in this voltage range at lower densities and power [1][2][3][4][5].…”

Section: Cathode Power and Neutral Background Pressure Scalingssupporting

confidence: 92%

“…2(b), the NPR shows a linear dependence (indicated by the solid lines) on cathode current up to the maximum 250 mA for a variety of pressure ranges. The higher pressure discharges (P > 100 mPa) are similar to the 'star' modes studied at lower density by Miley et al, where a self-sustaining, normal glow discharge forms [1][2][3][4][5]. A tight ion core and beamlets of light are observed as electrons are focused out of the cathode region by local asymmetries in the electrostatic potential.…”

Section: Cathode Power and Neutral Background Pressure Scalingssupporting

confidence: 58%

“…In the same manner, cold electrons emitted from the cathode are thought to converge and form a virtual cathode inside the virtual anode. It is then suggested that this virtual cathode may trap energetic ions, resulting in an enhanced ion core density; since it is perfectly transparent, the ion lifetime in the energetic core region would be longer than that expected for ions flowing through the grids [4,12,13].…”

Section: Multiple Well Structure In the Core Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fusion reactivity characterization of a spherically convergent ion focus

et al. 1998

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ABSTRACT. The deuterium-deuterium (D-D) fusion reaction rate in a spherically convergent ion focus is observed to significantly exceed the rate predicted by a collisionless flow model. However, a careful consideration of ion-neutral collisions and the trapped neutral density in the cathode account for the extra reactivity without invoking anomalous ion trapping in the converged core region. This conclusion is supported by proton collimation measurements, which indicate that the bulk of the observed reactivity originates outside the core region. In addition, a classical flow model, where charge exchange collisional effects on the ion and fast neutral distributions are included, provides fusion rate estimates that are quantitatively consistent with the observed D-D fusion neutron production rate.

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“…NPR ∝ σ fus,DD (E i ), with E i = V cat . This observed scaling is consistent with past experiments performed in this voltage range at lower densities and power [1][2][3][4][5].…”

Section: Cathode Power and Neutral Background Pressure Scalingssupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Cathode Power and Neutral Background Pressure Scalingssupporting

confidence: 58%

Section: Multiple Well Structure In the Core Regionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Fusion reactivity characterization of a spherically convergent ion focus

et al. 1998

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“…10 6 (s À1 ) for a spherical cathode and ellipsoidal anode; i.e., N c ¼1:0, N a ¼0:8 as shown by (2) in Fig. 11.…”

Section: Improvement With the Deformed Shape Of Electrodesmentioning

confidence: 97%

Shape of Electrodes for High Performance of Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion

Ohnishi¹,

Osawa²,

Tanaka³

et al. 2005

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology

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Inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) fusion is a scheme of producing deuterium, tritium, and helium-3 ions between the anode and the hollow cathode in the concentric sphere by glow discharge, accelerating the ions into the spherical center and giving rise to the fusion reactions between the accelerated ions or between the accelerated ions and the background neutrals. The current feed-through is connected to the cathode through the anode in order to apply the negative high potential. Some of accelerated ions directly bombard the feed-through as well as the cathode, and the ions, the orbits of which are deformed by lack of symmetry, hit the cathode after several bounce motions through it. The existence of the feed-through breaks the spherical symmetry of the device and shortens the lifetime of the accelerated ions. The hollow cathode also distorts a spherical potential near it. First, the effects of the structure of the spherical hollow cathode on the life are studied at various birth positions of the ions by numerically tracking the trajectory of ions in three dimensional spaces. Second, the effects of the shapes of the cathode and the anode on the life are investigated. The shapes of the cathode and the anode that assure a longer life are examined, and the virtual transparency of the cathode is numerically derived from the time dependent reduction of ions. It is revealed that the lifetime of accelerated ions becomes three times longer by deforming a hemisphere of the anode pierced by the feed-through into a hemi-ellipsoid. The results are useful in designing an anode and cathode to achieve high performance of an IEC fusion neutron source.KEYWORDS: inertial electrostatic confinement fusion, glow discharge neutron source, hollow cathode structure, hemi-spherical and hemi-elliptical anodes, lifetime of accelerated ion, virtual transparency of cathode

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“…In order to solve the heat load to cathode by ion beam, the cylindrical IECF device was developed to increase the cylindrical cathode area from the spherical device. This concept was proposed by Cu et al [2] based on the results in which almost all neutron productions in the experiments by means of glow discharge was explained by 0-0 fusion reaction between ion beam and background gas, which does not require spherical convergence but the principle fusion reaction is differ [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%