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Title: Axial magnetic field injection in magnetized liner inertial fusion

Abstract

MagLIF is a fusion concept using a Z-pinch implosion to reach thermonuclear fusion. In current experiments, the implosion is driven by the Z-machine using 19 MA of electrical current with a rise time of 100 ns. MagLIF requires an initial axial magnetic field of 30 T to reduce heat losses to the liner wall during compression and to confine alpha particles during fusion burn. This field is generated well before the current ramp starts and needs to penetrate the transmission lines of the pulsed-power generator, as well as the liner itself. Consequently, the axial field rise time must exceed hundreds of microseconds. Any coil capable of being submitted to such a field for that length of time is inevitably bulky. The space required to fit the coil near the liner, increases the inductance of the load. In turn, the total current delivered to the load decreases since the voltage is limited by driver design. Yet, the large amount of current provided by the Z-machine can be used to produce the required 30 T field by tilting the return current posts surrounding the liner, eliminating the need for a separate coil. However, the problem now is the field penetration time, acrossmore » the liner wall. This paper discusses why skin effect arguments do not hold in the presence of resistivity gradients. Numerical simulations show that fields larger than 30 T can diffuse across the liner wall in less than 60 ns, demonstrating that external coils can be replaced by return current posts with optimal helicity.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [2]
  1. Univ. of Rochester, Rochester, NY (United States)
  2. Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)
OSTI Identifier:
1515030
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1406140
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0016252; AR000056
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physics of Plasmas
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 24; Journal Issue: 10; Journal ID: ISSN 1070-664X
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Citation Formats

Gourdain, P. -A., Adams, M. B., Davies, J. R., and Seyler, C. E. Axial magnetic field injection in magnetized liner inertial fusion. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1063/1.4986640.
Gourdain, P. -A., Adams, M. B., Davies, J. R., & Seyler, C. E. Axial magnetic field injection in magnetized liner inertial fusion. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4986640
Gourdain, P. -A., Adams, M. B., Davies, J. R., and Seyler, C. E. Tue . "Axial magnetic field injection in magnetized liner inertial fusion". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4986640. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1515030.
@article{osti_1515030,
title = {Axial magnetic field injection in magnetized liner inertial fusion},
author = {Gourdain, P. -A. and Adams, M. B. and Davies, J. R. and Seyler, C. E.},
abstractNote = {MagLIF is a fusion concept using a Z-pinch implosion to reach thermonuclear fusion. In current experiments, the implosion is driven by the Z-machine using 19 MA of electrical current with a rise time of 100 ns. MagLIF requires an initial axial magnetic field of 30 T to reduce heat losses to the liner wall during compression and to confine alpha particles during fusion burn. This field is generated well before the current ramp starts and needs to penetrate the transmission lines of the pulsed-power generator, as well as the liner itself. Consequently, the axial field rise time must exceed hundreds of microseconds. Any coil capable of being submitted to such a field for that length of time is inevitably bulky. The space required to fit the coil near the liner, increases the inductance of the load. In turn, the total current delivered to the load decreases since the voltage is limited by driver design. Yet, the large amount of current provided by the Z-machine can be used to produce the required 30 T field by tilting the return current posts surrounding the liner, eliminating the need for a separate coil. However, the problem now is the field penetration time, across the liner wall. This paper discusses why skin effect arguments do not hold in the presence of resistivity gradients. Numerical simulations show that fields larger than 30 T can diffuse across the liner wall in less than 60 ns, demonstrating that external coils can be replaced by return current posts with optimal helicity.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4986640},
journal = {Physics of Plasmas},
number = 10,
volume = 24,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 31 00:00:00 EDT 2017},
month = {Tue Oct 31 00:00:00 EDT 2017}
}

Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
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Cited by: 12 works
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Figures / Tables:

FIG. 1 FIG. 1: Overall geometry used in the simulation showing the liner, the anode (A), the cathode (K), and the A-K gap. The lineout used in in other figures is also indicated. The liner radius is 3 mm.

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Works referenced in this record:

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Works referencing / citing this record:

The generation of mega-gauss fields on the Cornell beam research accelerator
journal, September 2018

  • Gourdain, P. -A.; Brent, G.; Greenly, J. B.
  • Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 89, Issue 9
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.5041946

Enhancing cylindrical compression by reducing plasma ablation in pulsed-power drivers
journal, April 2019

  • Gourdain, P. -A.; Adams, M. B.; Evans, M.
  • Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 26, Issue 4
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.5086305

Design of dynamic screw pinch experiments for magnetized liner inertial fusion
journal, October 2019

  • Shipley, G. A.; Jennings, C. A.; Schmit, P. F.
  • Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 26, Issue 10
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.5120529

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