Ignition of deuterium-tritium fuel targets
Abstract
Disclosed is a method of igniting a deuterium-tritium ICF fuel target to obtain fuel burn in which the fuel target initially includes a hollow spherical shell having a frozen layer of DT material at substantially uniform thickness and cryogenic temperature around the interior surface of the shell. The target is permitted to free-fall through a target chamber having walls heated by successive target ignitions, so that the target is uniformly heated during free-fall to at least partially melt the frozen fuel layer and form a liquid single-phase layer or a mixed liquid/solid bi-phase layer of substantially uniform thickness around the interior shell surface. The falling target is then illuminated from exteriorly of the chamber while the fuel layer is at substantially uniformly single or bi-phase so as to ignite the fuel layer and release energy therefrom. 5 figures.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- KMS Fusion Inc
- OSTI Identifier:
- 7171191
- Patent Number(s):
- 5043131
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-451607
- Assignee:
- KMS Fusion, Inc., Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-87DP10560
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 18 Dec 1989
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY; THERMONUCLEAR FUELS; THERMONUCLEAR IGNITION; CONFIGURATION; DEUTERIUM; INERTIAL CONFINEMENT; TARGETS; TRITIUM; BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES; CONFINEMENT; FUELS; HYDROGEN ISOTOPES; ISOTOPES; LIGHT NUCLEI; NUCLEI; ODD-EVEN NUCLEI; ODD-ODD NUCLEI; PLASMA CONFINEMENT; RADIOISOTOPES; STABLE ISOTOPES; YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES; 700411* - Inertial Confinement Devices- (1992-)
Citation Formats
Musinski, D L, and Mruzek, M T. Ignition of deuterium-tritium fuel targets. United States: N. p., 1991.
Web.
Musinski, D L, & Mruzek, M T. Ignition of deuterium-tritium fuel targets. United States.
Musinski, D L, and Mruzek, M T. Tue .
"Ignition of deuterium-tritium fuel targets". United States.
@article{osti_7171191,
title = {Ignition of deuterium-tritium fuel targets},
author = {Musinski, D L and Mruzek, M T},
abstractNote = {Disclosed is a method of igniting a deuterium-tritium ICF fuel target to obtain fuel burn in which the fuel target initially includes a hollow spherical shell having a frozen layer of DT material at substantially uniform thickness and cryogenic temperature around the interior surface of the shell. The target is permitted to free-fall through a target chamber having walls heated by successive target ignitions, so that the target is uniformly heated during free-fall to at least partially melt the frozen fuel layer and form a liquid single-phase layer or a mixed liquid/solid bi-phase layer of substantially uniform thickness around the interior shell surface. The falling target is then illuminated from exteriorly of the chamber while the fuel layer is at substantially uniformly single or bi-phase so as to ignite the fuel layer and release energy therefrom. 5 figures.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1991},
month = {8}
}