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Title: Design of a spheromak compressor driven by high explosives

Abstract

High energy density spheromaks can be used to accelerate a thin section of the flux conserver wall to high velocities. The energy density of a spheromak, formed by conventional helicity injection into a flux conserver, can be increased by reducing the flux conserver volume after the spheromak is formed. A method of accomplishing this is by imploding one wall of the flux conserver with high explosives. The velocity of a wall driven by high explosives is about 3--5 km/sec, which is not exceptionally fast. Magnetic equilibrium calculations show that for some imploding flux conserver geometries, the energy density of the spheromak can be suddenly increased on an Alfven time scale by the tendency of the spheromak to maintain a state of minimum energy per unit helicity, which is equivalent to minimizing {lambda} = {mu}{sub 0}j/B. In this process, as the initial flux conserver dimensions are reduced under the explosive drive, the characteristic {lambda} of the configuration increases. Then, if there is an attached flux conserver region whose dimensions are such that its {lambda} becomes lower than for the imploding region, the spheromak will quickly transfer to this region, even if its volume is smaller, thus increasing the energy per unitmore » volume. We call this the natural switching'' feature of spheromaks. The simplest such geometry is a cylindrical flux conserver with one end being driven by high explosives. An attached, smaller-diameter on-axis cylinder has a thin end wall which is accelerated when the spheromak switches into the smaller cylinder. 2 refs., 2 figs.« less

Authors:
; ; ; ; ; ;  [1]
  1. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
DOE/ER; DOE/MA
OSTI Identifier:
5167829
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-89-4006; CONF-8911130-8
ON: DE90003652
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 11. US/Japan workshop on field-reversed configurations and compact toroids, Los Alamos, NM (USA), 7-9 Nov 1989
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; PLATES; ACCELERATION; ALFVEN WAVES; COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS; COMPRESSION; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; DEFORMATION; DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS; DESIGN; DETONATIONS; DOMED STRUCTURES; ECONOMIC ANALYSIS; ENERGY DENSITY; EXPLOSIONS; IMPLOSIONS; MATERIALS TESTING; MEASURING METHODS; PERFORMANCE TESTING; PLASMA GUNS; SEALS; SPHEROMAK DEVICES; VELOCITY; CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES; ECONOMICS; HYDROMAGNETIC WAVES; MECHANICAL STRUCTURES; SIMULATION; TESTING; THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES; TOKAMAK DEVICES; 450500* - Military Technology, Weaponry, & National Defense- Strategic Defense Initiative- (1990-); 700200 - Fusion Energy- Fusion Power Plant Technology

Citation Formats

Henins, I, Fernandez, J C, Jarboe, T R, Marsh, S P, Marklin, G J, Mayo, R M, Wysocki, F J, Washington Univ., Seattle, WA, and Los Alamos National Lab., NM. Design of a spheromak compressor driven by high explosives. United States: N. p., 1989. Web.
Henins, I, Fernandez, J C, Jarboe, T R, Marsh, S P, Marklin, G J, Mayo, R M, Wysocki, F J, Washington Univ., Seattle, WA, & Los Alamos National Lab., NM. Design of a spheromak compressor driven by high explosives. United States.
Henins, I, Fernandez, J C, Jarboe, T R, Marsh, S P, Marklin, G J, Mayo, R M, Wysocki, F J, Washington Univ., Seattle, WA, and Los Alamos National Lab., NM. 1989. "Design of a spheromak compressor driven by high explosives". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5167829.
@article{osti_5167829,
title = {Design of a spheromak compressor driven by high explosives},
author = {Henins, I and Fernandez, J C and Jarboe, T R and Marsh, S P and Marklin, G J and Mayo, R M and Wysocki, F J and Washington Univ., Seattle, WA and Los Alamos National Lab., NM},
abstractNote = {High energy density spheromaks can be used to accelerate a thin section of the flux conserver wall to high velocities. The energy density of a spheromak, formed by conventional helicity injection into a flux conserver, can be increased by reducing the flux conserver volume after the spheromak is formed. A method of accomplishing this is by imploding one wall of the flux conserver with high explosives. The velocity of a wall driven by high explosives is about 3--5 km/sec, which is not exceptionally fast. Magnetic equilibrium calculations show that for some imploding flux conserver geometries, the energy density of the spheromak can be suddenly increased on an Alfven time scale by the tendency of the spheromak to maintain a state of minimum energy per unit helicity, which is equivalent to minimizing {lambda} = {mu}{sub 0}j/B. In this process, as the initial flux conserver dimensions are reduced under the explosive drive, the characteristic {lambda} of the configuration increases. Then, if there is an attached flux conserver region whose dimensions are such that its {lambda} becomes lower than for the imploding region, the spheromak will quickly transfer to this region, even if its volume is smaller, thus increasing the energy per unit volume. We call this the natural switching'' feature of spheromaks. The simplest such geometry is a cylindrical flux conserver with one end being driven by high explosives. An attached, smaller-diameter on-axis cylinder has a thin end wall which is accelerated when the spheromak switches into the smaller cylinder. 2 refs., 2 figs.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5167829}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989}
}

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