High efficiency ICF driver employing magnetically confined plasma rings

Conference · Mon Mar 04 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5709318

Meeker, D J; Hammer, J H; Hartman, C W

We discuss the possibility of achieving energy, power and power density necessary for ICF by magnetically accelerating plasma confined by a compact torus (CT) field configuration. The CT, which consists of a dipole (poloidal) field and imbedded toroidal field formed by force-free, plasma current, is compressed and accelerated between coaxial electrodes by B/sub THETA/ fields as in a coaxial railgun. Compression and acceleration over several meters by a 9.4 MJ capacitor bank is predicted to give a 5.7 cm radius, 0.001 gm CT 5 MJ kinetic energy (10/sup 7/ m/sec). Transport and focussing several meters by a disposable lithium pipe across the containment vessel is predicted to bring 4.8 MJ into the pellet region in 0.5 cm/sup 2/ area in 0.3 ns. The high efficiency (approx.50%) and high energy delivery of the CT accelerator could lead to low cost, few hundred MW power plants that are economically viable.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5709318
• Report Number(s): UCRL-91693; CONF-850310-114; ON: DE85012939
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

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