Compact torus accelerator as a driver for ICF

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1986 · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5576892

Tobin, M T; Meier, W R; Morse, E C

The authors have carried out further investigations of the 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. After its initial formation, the torus shape is maintained for lifetimes exceeding 1 ms by inherent poloidal and toroidal currents. Hartman suggests acceleration and focusing of such a plasma ring will not cause dissolution within certain constraints. In this study, we evaluated a point design based on an available capacitor bank energy of 9.2 MJ. This accelerator, which was modeled by a zero-dimensional code, produces a xenon plasma ring with a 0.73-cm radius, a velocity of 4.14 x 10/sup 9/ cm/s, and a mass of 4.42 ..mu..g. The energy of the plasma ring as it leaves the accelerator is 3.8 MJ, or 41% of the capacitor bank energy. Our studies confirm the feasibility of producing a plasma ring with the characteristics required to induce fusion in an ICF target with a gain greater than 50. The low cost and high efficiency of the CT accelerator are particularly attractive. Uncertainties concerning propagation, accelerator lifetime, and power supply must be resolved to establish the viability of the accelerator as an ICF driver.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA
• OSTI ID: 5576892
• Report Number(s): CONF-860610-; TRN: 88-008258
• Journal Information: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States), Vol. 52; Conference: American Nuclear Society annual meeting, Reno, NV, USA, 15 Jun 1986
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ICF DEVICES
IMPACT FUSION DRIVERS
DESIGN
PERFORMANCE
COMPACT TORUS
COPPER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR MATERIALS
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
ELEMENTS
MATERIALS
METALS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
TORI
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
700208* - Fusion Power Plant Technology- Inertial Confinement Technology