Implicit collisional three-fluid simulation of the plasma erosion opening switch

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1987 · IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/TPS.1987.4316783· OSTI ID:5309678

Mason, R J; Wallace, J M; Grossmann, J M; Ottinger, P F

The plasma erosion opening switch (PEOS) has been studied with the aid of the ANTHEM implicit simulation code. This switch consists of fill plasma injected into a transmission line. The plasma is ultimately removed by self-electrical forces, permitting energy delivery to a load. Here, ANTHEM treats the ions and electrons of the fill plasma and the electrons emitted from the transmission-line cathode as three distinct Eulerian fluids - with electron inertia retained. This permits analysis of charge separation effects, and avoids the singularities that plague conventional MHD codes at low density. E and BETA fields are computed by the implicit moment method, allowing for time steps well in excess of the electron plasma period ..delta..t >> ..omega../sub rho//sup -1/, and cells much wider than a Debye length, ..delta..chi >> lambda/sub D/. Switch dynamics are modeled as a function of the driving electrical pulse characteristics, the fill plasma parameters, and the emission properties of the transmission line walls - for both collisionless and anomalously collisional electrons. Our low-fill-density (n/sub e/ less than or equal to 4 X 10/sup 12/ electrons/cm/sup 3/) collisionless calculations are in accord with earlier particle code results. Our high-density computations (n/sub e/ greater than or equal to 2 X 10/sup 13/ electrons/cm/sup 3/) show the opening of the switch proceeding through both ion erosion and magnetic pressure effects. The addition of anomalous electron collisions is found to diffuse the driving BETA field into the fill plasma, producing broad current channels and reduced magnetic pressure effects, in some agreement with NRL experimental measurements.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab., Los Alamos, NM 87545 (US)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5309678
• Journal Information: IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.; (United States), Vol. PS-15:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
A CODES
PLASMA SWITCHES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
EROSION
FUNCTIONS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
OPERATION
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
COLLISIONS
COMPUTER CODES
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EQUIPMENT
FLUID MECHANICS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
PULSES
RADIATIONS
SIMULATION
SWITCHES
640430* - Fluid Physics- Magnetohydrodynamics
700103 - Fusion Energy- Plasma Research- Kinetics
990220 - Computers
Computerized Models
& Computer Programs- (1987-1989)