Compact torus accelerator: a driver for ICF. Revision 1

Conference · Thu Jul 31 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5308265

Tobin, M T; Morse, E C

We have carried out further investigations of technical issues associated with using a compact torus (CT) accelerator as a driver for inertial confinement fusion (ICF). In a CT accelerator, a magnetically-confined torus-shaped plasma is compressed, accelerated and focused by two concentric electrodes. Here, we evaluate an accelerator point design with a capacitor bank energy of 9.2 MJ. Modeled by a O-D code, the system produces a xenon plasma ring with a radius of 0.73 cm, a velocity of 4 x 10/sup 7/ m/s, and a mass of 4.4 ..mu..g. The plasma ring energy available for fusion is 3.8 MJ, a 40% driver efficiency. Ablation and magnetic pressures of the point design, a due to CT acceleration, are analyzed. Pulsed-power switching limitations and driver cost analysis are also presented. Our studies confirm the feasibility of producing a ring to induce fusion with acceptable gain. However, some uncertainties must be resolved to establish viability.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA); California Univ., Berkeley (USA). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5308265
• Report Number(s): UCRL-93901-R1; CONF-860610-31-R1; ON: DE86014785
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700208* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Inertial Confinement Technology
ACCELERATION
CAPACITORS
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
COMPACT TORUS
CONFINEMENT
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRODES
EQUIPMENT
INERTIAL CONFINEMENT
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
TARGETS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TORI