Studies to reduce material erosion in electrothermal launchers
- North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering
This paper reports that during the exposure of launcher components of high heat fluxes a vapor shield (plasma boundary layer) is formed which absorbs a fraction of the incoming energy, and thus naturally reduces the surface erosion. Computer simulation has shown that a strong externally applied magnetic field parallel to the surface may reduce the surface erosion, since the energy transport though the vapor shield will be reduced due to decreased turbulence. The experimental electrothermal launcher device SIRENS has been operated to measure the erosion of material surfaces subjected to high heat flux from a high density low temperature plasma (1-3 eV) with a strong applied magnetic field. The plasma is produced by the ablation of the insulator (Lexan), with currents up to 100 kA over a pulse length of 100{mu}s, and flows through a cylindrical barrel which serves as the material sample. Ablation and erosion for both the insulator and sample surfaces are caused by convection and radiation emitted from the plasma. The ablated thickness of the Lexan insulator compares favorably with predicted values. The key parameter is f, the fraction of total incident energy that is transmitted to the eroding surface which is flux and material dependent but in the range 5-20%.
- OSTI ID:
- 5655328
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9004136-; CODEN: IEMGA
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Transactions on Magnetics (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers); (United States), Vol. 27:1; Conference: 5. IEEE symposium on electromagnetic launcher technology, Destin, FL (United States), 1-5 Apr 1990; ISSN 0018-9464
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
PLASMA GUNS
MATERIALS TESTING
SHIELDING
PLASMA FLUID EQUATIONS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
EROSION
HEAT FLUX
MAGNETIC FIELDS
MULTI-CHANNEL ANALYZERS
OPTICALLY THICK PLASMA
PLASMA PRODUCTION
PLASMA SCRAPE-OFF LAYER
PLASMA SIMULATION
REACTOR COMPONENTS
SURFACES
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0065-0273 K
THERMAL CYCLING
BOUNDARY LAYERS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
LAYERS
PLASMA
PULSE ANALYZERS
SIMULATION
TEMPERATURE RANGE
TESTING
700411* - Inertial Confinement Devices- (1992-)
700430 - Fusion Technology- Magnet Coils & Fields- (1992-)