Magnetically Driven Metal Liners for Plasma Compression

Shearer, J. W.; Condit, W. C.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4684-2214-6_12

Cited by 8 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities which could conceivably destroy the plasma configuration and quench thermonuclear reactions. It might then be argued [7] that energy production should really be stopped at maximum compression; the corresponding results are shown in Fig. 2; in this case, energy ratios never become much above 10, which is probably insufficient for energy production, when other efficiencies are taken into account.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

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Thermonuclear energy production of a cylindrical plasma imploded by a heavy liner

Jablon

Rioux

1976

Nucl. Fusion

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The production of thermonuclear energy by the adiabatic compression of a ß ≫ 1-dense plasma by a cylindrical heavy liner is investigated. Energy yields and compression ratios are optimized as functions of the initial conditions (plasma temperature and nτ-product, liner inertia). D-T α-self–heating is computed by dividing the α-population into a Maxwellian cold part and a flat hot part. High-energy amplification requires α-self-heating and stability of the liner-plasma interface well after the turn-around time.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Other implosion studies have considered the compression of a 0-pinch-like plasma, assuming that the high-magnetic field sheet is thin enough for its energy to be negligible [7,12,13]. The pressure balance is then magnetic, but the global value of 3 j3= fdVn(T e J is still very large.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermonuclear energy production of a cylindrical plasma imploded by a heavy liner

Jablon

Rioux

1976

Nucl. Fusion

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“…T T [(l/2)p 1 vf/B 1 ] 1 / 5 where E L is the initial kinetic energy per unit length in GJm" 1 , Pj is the initial liner density in gem" 3 , Vj is the initial liner velocity in cm-s" 1 , and Bi is the initial bulk modulus of the liner material in dyn • cm" 2 . For a nickel liner with an initial cross-sectional ring-area of 10 cm 2 , this expression predicts break-even when E L = 0 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adiabatic plasma heating and fusion-energy production by a compressible fast liner

Gerwin¹,

Malone²

1979

Nucl. Fusion

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Adiabatic plasma heating by the implosion of a compressible, cylindrical, end-plugged liner is studied by means of an approximate analytical model and by a computer code that employs sophisticated equation-of-state tables for the metal liner. The model contains cylindrical convergence effects and an approximate but realistic equation-of-state. Analytic expressions are derived for the pressure profile in the liner, for the internal energy of the liner, for the maximized fusion energy output of the enclosed D-T plasma, for the corresponding optimized initial conditions, and for the resulting peak pressure, final radius and thickness, and burn time. In this idealized model that ignores losses, energy transfer efficiencies (liner to plasma) of 70% are found, and a gain of 4 (ratio of fusion energy to liner energy) can occur with an initial liner energy of 300 MJ · m−1. Finally, losses from the plasma are briefly discussed.

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“…Referring to Fig. II-l, fresh liner/leads assemblies [1] coming from a refabrication facility (not shown) are transported to the FLR core as spent liner/leads assemblies [2], and are removed for reprocessing by the rotating liner manipulator [3]. A liner/leads assembly is inserted through a port in the blast-containment header, and the plasma source and the connector module for the energy transfer and storage (ETS) system [4], which is attached to the external ETS leads arm [5J, is moved into place [6l The liner/leads assembly is clamped to the containment vessel by a latching assembly [7].…”

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confidence: 99%

Conceptual design of the Fast-Liner Reactor (FLR) for fusion power

Moses¹,

Krakowski²,

Miller³

1979

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The generation of fusion power from the Fast-Liner Reactor (FLR) concept envisages the implosion of a thin (3mm) metallic cylinder (0.2-m radius by 0.2-m length) onto a preinjected plasma. This plasma would be heated to thermonuclear temperatures by adiabatic compression, pressure confinement would be provided by the liner inertia, and thermal insulation of the wall-confined plasma would be established by an embedded azimuthal magnetic field. A 2-to 3-ys burn would follow the ^10 4 m/s radial implosion and would result in a thermonuclear yield equal to 10-15 times the energy initially invested into the liner kinetic energy. For implosions occurring once every 10 s a gross thermal power of 430 MWt would be generated. The results of a comprehensive systems study of both physics and technology (economics) optima are presented. Despite unresolved problems associated with both the physics and technology of the FLR, a conceptual power plant design is presented. Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory has proposed and is conducting experiments on ^10 m/s imploding liners; this approach is similar to that followed ten years ago by Alikhanov et al. Consideration of liner buckling and Rayleigh-Taylor stability, particle and energy confinement, and the desire for very compact systems exhibiting high power densities nave led to the choice of the fast mode. Fast implosions that are driven by an azimuthal field should alleviate the Rayleigh-Taylor instability and supress the plastic-elastic (buckling) instability in addition to allowing wallconfinement of the plasma pressure. The technological problems associated with GJ-level energy transfers and releases over microsecond time intervals g are severe, and to a great extent the magnitude of these problems is related directly to the non-ideal behavior of a fast-liner/plasma system (i.e., liner compressibility, liner stability, field diffusion, plasma turbulence, thermal conduction, and radiation) as reflected by constraints imposed by a realistic engineering energy balance. The Fast-Liner Reactor (FLR) concept combines the favorable aspects of inertia! confinement and heating with the more efficient energy transfer associated with magnetic approaches to yield a conceptual fusion system based on the pulsed burn of a \iery dense D-T plasma. A thin metal cylinder or "liner" of ^0.2-m initial radius, ^3-rnm initial thickness, and ^0.2-m length is imploded radially to a velocity of ^ 10 m/s by self-magnetic fields resulting from large currents driven axially through the liner. The liner implodes onto a ^0.5-keV, ^10-m~° D-T plasma that is initially formed in or injected into the liner. As the liner implodes in ^20-40 us, adiabatic compression raises the plasma to thermonuclear temperatures, and a vigorous fusion burn ensues for ^2-3 JJS. During the implosion the plasma pressure is confined inertially by the metal liner and endplug walls. An imbedded azimuthal magnetic field, generated by an axial current driven through the plasma, provides magnetic insulation against radial and axial therma...

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Magnetically Driven Metal Liners for Plasma Compression

Cited by 8 publications

References 11 publications

Thermonuclear energy production of a cylindrical plasma imploded by a heavy liner

Thermonuclear energy production of a cylindrical plasma imploded by a heavy liner

Adiabatic plasma heating and fusion-energy production by a compressible fast liner

Conceptual design of the Fast-Liner Reactor (FLR) for fusion power

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