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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

PBFA-II energy storage system performance and operation

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5805100

PBFA-II is a thirty-six module ion beam accelerator constructed by Sandia National Laboratories for inertial confinement fusion feasibility studies. Each module of the machine is designed to deliver 2.8 terawatts to a central experimental chamber. The total power delivered to the ion diode (100 terawatts) is expected to permit ignition scaling studies beginning in the late 1980s. The PBFA-II energy storage system is located in an annular oil tank at the outer periphery of the accelerator. Its main component is a set of thirty-six 6.0 MV, 400 kJ Marx generators. In order to properly drive the machine's downline pulse-forming section and the accelerator load, the Marx generator set must erect with a first-to-last spread of less than 40 nsec. The energy storage section is triggered by a chain of pulse amplifiers, beginning with a low voltage trigger pulse from the main control system and culminating in thirty-six 540 kV, 80 nsec risetime pulses used to trigger the Marx generators. Each generator then erects to provide a 110 kA, 5.3 MV, 1.3 {mu}sec pulse to charge the pulse-forming section. The energy storage system is now operational and meeting performance specifications. The performance characteristics of the system are understood over the present operating range, and routine operation and maintenance procedures have been established.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
5805100
Report Number(s):
SAND-87-0190C; CONF-870656--13; ON: DE87011720
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
ENGLISH