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Title: High efficiency ICF driver employing magnetically confined plasma rings

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5709318

We discuss the possibility of achieving energy, power and power density necessary for ICF by magnetically accelerating plasma confined by a compact torus (CT) field configuration. The CT, which consists of a dipole (poloidal) field and imbedded toroidal field formed by force-free, plasma current, is compressed and accelerated between coaxial electrodes by B/sub THETA/ fields as in a coaxial railgun. Compression and acceleration over several meters by a 9.4 MJ capacitor bank is predicted to give a 5.7 cm radius, 0.001 gm CT 5 MJ kinetic energy (10/sup 7/ m/sec). Transport and focussing several meters by a disposable lithium pipe across the containment vessel is predicted to bring 4.8 MJ into the pellet region in 0.5 cm/sup 2/ area in 0.3 ns. The high efficiency (approx.50%) and high energy delivery of the CT accelerator could lead to low cost, few hundred MW power plants that are economically viable.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
5709318
Report Number(s):
UCRL-91693; CONF-850310-114; ON: DE85012939
Resource Relation:
Conference: 6. topical meeting on the technology of fusion energy, San Francisco, CA, USA, 3 Mar 1985
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English