Observed Multi-Decade DD and DT Z-Pinch Fusion Rate Scaling in 5 Dense Plasma Focus Fusion Machines
- National Security Technologies, LLC
- University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Dense Plasma Focus (DPF) machines are in use worldwide or a wide variety of applications; one of these is to produce intense, short bursts of fusion via r-Z pinch heating and compression of a working gas. We have designed and constructed a series of these, ranging from portable to a maximum energy storage capacity of 2 MJ. Fusion rates from 5 DPF pulsed fusion generators have been measured in a single laboratory using calibrated activation detectors. Measured rates range from ~ 1015 to more than 1019 fusions per second have been measured. Fusion rates from the intense short (20 – 50 ns) periods of production were inferred from measurement of neutron production using both calibrated activation detectors and scintillator-PMT neutron time of flight (NTOF) detectors. The NTOF detectors are arranged to measure neutrons versus time over flight paths of 30 Meters. Fusion rate scaling versus energy and current will be discussed. Data showing observed fusion cutoff at D-D fusion yield levels of approximately 1*1012, and corresponding tube currents of ~ 3 MA will be shown. Energy asymmetry of product neutrons will also be discussed. Data from the NTOF lines of sight have been used to measure energy asymmetries of the fusion neutrons. From this, center of mass energies for the D(d,n)3He reaction are inferred. A novel re-entrant chamber that allows extremely high single pulse neutron doses (> 109 neutrons/cm2 in 50 ns) to be supplied to samples will be described. Machine characteristics and detector types will be discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Nevada Test Site (NTS), Mercury, NV (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC52-06NA25946
- OSTI ID:
- 1087698
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/NV/25946-1807
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 19th IEEE Pulsed Power Conference (PPC) and the 40th IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS), June 16-21, 2013, San Francisco, CA USA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Tests and Calibration of the NIF Neutron Time of Flight Detectors
Neutron time-of-flight detectors (nTOF) used at Sandia’s Z-Machine