AN UPDATE ON NIF PULSED POWER

Conference · Mon Jun 22 04:00:00 EDT 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/PPC.2009.5386291· OSTI ID:964505

Arnold, P A; James, G F; Petersen, D E; Pendleton, D L; McHale, G B; Barbosa, F; Runtal, A S; Stratton, P L

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is a 192-beam laser fusion driver operating at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. NIF relies on three large-scale pulsed power systems to achieve its goals: the Power Conditioning Unit (PCU), which provides flashlamp excitation for the laser's injection system; the Power Conditioning System (PCS), which provides the multi-megajoule pulsed excitation required to drive flashlamps in the laser's optical amplifiers; and the Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell (PEPC), which enables NIF to take advantage of a fourpass main amplifier. Years of production, installation, and commissioning of the three NIF pulsed power systems are now complete. Seven-day-per-week operation of the laser has commenced, with the three pulsed power systems providing routine support of laser operations. We present the details of the status and operational experience associated with the three systems along with a projection of the future for NIF pulsed power.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 964505
• Report Number(s): LLNL-PROC-414201
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
AMPLIFIERS
COMMISSIONING
ELECTRODES
EXCITATION
LASERS
LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY
PLASMA
POCKELS CELL
POWER CONDITIONING CIRCUITS
POWER SYSTEMS
PRODUCTION
US NATIONAL IGNITION FACILITY