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

Journal Article · Tue Dec 01 04:00:00 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), Journal Name: IEEE Trans. Plasma Sci.; (United States) Vol. PS-15:6; ISSN ITPSB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
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99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990220 -- Computers
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& Computer Programs-- (1987-1989)
A CODES
COLLISIONS
COMPUTER CODES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON COLLISIONS
EQUIPMENT
EROSION
FLUID MECHANICS
FUNCTIONS
HYDRODYNAMICS
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
OPERATION
PLASMA SWITCHES
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
PULSES
RADIATIONS
SIMULATION
SWITCHES