Use of tritium-rich fuel to improve the yield of layered deuterium/tritium inertial fusion capsules

Albright, Brian James; Daughton, William Scott; Haines, Brian Michael; Hoffman, Nelson M.; Kuczek, John Joseph; Lester, Ryan Stuart; Meaney, Kevin Daniel; Sauppe, Joshua Paul

doi:10.1016/j.hedp.2024.101118

Use of tritium-rich fuel to improve the yield of layered deuterium/tritium inertial fusion capsules

Journal Article · Tue Jun 04 04:00:00 EDT 2024 · High Energy Density Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hedp.2024.101118· OSTI ID:2406643

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Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

In deuterium–tritium (DT) ice layered implosions, nearly all hot spot mass at peak burn comes from the dense fuel. Accurate prediction of the fuel mass ablation, including the enthalpy associated with mass inflow into the hot spot from the dense fuel, is essential to understanding the energetics and ignition of the hot spot in layered implosions. A recently published boundary layer analysis (Daughton et al., 2023) indicates a faster mass ablation rate than in previous analyses of layered implosions. Inclusion of this effect provides a better match to simulations and leads to a new ignition threshold where the temperature of the dense fuel plays a critical role. This analysis motivates possible new directions for improved capsule performance. Here, the authors present evidence in support of one such approach: the use of tritium-rich ice to decrease 14 MeV neutron scattering and heating of the dense fuel, resulting in less mass ablation and more robust burn of the hot spot. It is found from numerical simulations that despite a less favorable D:T ratio in the ice, the use of a 40:60 D:T ratio leads to an increase in capsule yield of 17% percent compared with that of a 50:50 D:T ratio fuel for capsules resembling those of the recent N210808 ignition experiment on the NIF (Abu-Shawareb et al., 2022) and an increase of 74% compared with that of a 60:40 D:T ratio fuel capsule. Finally, these results are potentially important for modeling all layered implosions, since some degree of DT fractionization may arise naturally during the beta layering process. In addition, this physics is important for the feasibility of high-gain capsule designs that seek to minimize tritium usage, as in some inertial fusion energy concepts.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Programs (DP)

Grant/Contract Number:: 89233218CNA000001

OSTI ID:: 2406643

Report Number(s):: LA-UR--23-33980

Journal Information:: High Energy Density Physics, Journal Name: High Energy Density Physics Vol. 52; ISSN 1574-1818

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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