Compact Fusion Reactors
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Chapter 3 Dynamics of the Electromagnetic Fields
Chapter 3 Dynamics of the Electromagnetic Fields 3.1 Maxwell Displacement Current In the early 1860s (during the American civil war!) electricity including induction was well established experimentally. A big row was going on about theory. The warring camps were divided into the • Action-at-a-distance advocates and the • Field-theory advocates. James Clerk Maxwell was firmly in the field-theory camp. He invented mechanical analogies for the behavior of the fields locally in space and how the electric and magnetic influences were carried through space by invisible circulating cogs. Being a consumate mathematician he also formulated differential equations to describe the fields. In modern notation, they would (in 1860) have read: ρ �.E = Coulomb’s Law �0 ∂B � ∧ E = − Faraday’s Law (3.1) ∂t �.B = 0 � ∧ B = µ0j Ampere’s Law. (Quasi-static) Maxwell’s stroke of genius was to realize that this set of equations is inconsistent with charge conservation. In particular it is the quasi-static form of Ampere’s law that has a problem. Taking its divergence µ0�.j = �. (� ∧ B) = 0 (3.2) (because divergence of a curl is zero). This is fine for a static situation, but can’t work for a time-varying one. Conservation of charge in time-dependent case is ∂ρ �.j = − not zero. (3.3) ∂t 55 The problem can be fixed by adding an extra term to Ampere’s law because � � ∂ρ ∂ ∂E �.j + = �.j + �0�.E = �. j + �0 (3.4) ∂t ∂t ∂t Therefore Ampere’s law is consistent with charge conservation only if it is really to be written with the quantity (j + �0∂E/∂t) replacing j. -
The Fork in the Road to Electric Power from Fusion US Navy Compact
The Fork in the Road to Electric Power From Fusion US Navy compact fusion reactors Peter Lobner, 1 February 2021 1. Background For at least the past 40 years, the US Navy has been funding fusion power research and development in considerable secrecy. In this article, we’ll take a brief look at the following US Navy fusion programs, focusing on the two most recent programs. • LINUS - pulsed stabilized liquid liner compressor (SLC) • Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR, aka cold fusion) • Polywell fusion - inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) • NIKE & Electra krypton fluoride direct-drive laser inertial confinement fusion (ICF) • Plasma compression fusion device (2019) • Argon fluoride direct-drive laser ICF (2020) 2. LINUS - pulsed stabilized liquid liner compressor (SLC) In the 1970s, this Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)-sponsored project developed and tested several pulsed stabilized liquid liner compressor (SLC) machines: LINUS-0, SUZY-II and HELIUS. A plasma is injected into a void space in a flowing molten lead-lithium liner. The liquid liner is then imploded mechanically, using high- pressure helium-driven pistons. The imploding liner compresses and adiabatically heats the plasma to fusion conditions. While the SLC concept was abandoned by the US Navy in the 1970s, it was revived in the 2000s as the basis for the small fusion reactor designs being developed by Compact Fusion Systems (US) and General Fusion (Canada). 3. Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR, aka cold fusion) From the mid 1990s to at least the mid-2000s the US Navy sponsored research into cold fusion. You’ll find a list of cold fusion papers by Navy researchers from NRL, China Lake Naval Weapons 1 The Fork in the Road to Electric Power From Fusion Laboratory, and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) here: https://lenr-canr.org/wordpress/?page_id=952 4. -
STATUS of FUSION ENERGY Impact & Opportunity for Alberta Volume II
STATUS OF FUSION ENERGY Impact & Opportunity for Alberta Volume II Appendices Prepared by Alberta/Canada Fusion Energy Program March 2014 ALBERTA COUNCIL OF TECHNOLOGIES Gratefully acknowledges the support of: Alberta Energy Stantec Corporation University of Alberta Alberta/Canada Fusion Energy Advisory Committee Gary Albach Nathan Armstrong Brian Baudais Will Bridge Robert Fedosejevs Peter Hackett Chris Holly Jerry Keller Brian Kryska Axel Meisen Rob Pitcairn Klaas Rodenburg John Rose Glenn Stowkowy Martin Truksa Gary Woloshyniuk Perry Kinkaide Allan Offenberger A special thank you is extended to the institutions (identified in this report) that were visited and to the many persons who so graciously hosted our site visits, provided the briefing material presented in this status report and thereby assisted our fusion assessment. Report Authors Allan Offenberger Robert Fedosejevs Klaas Rodenburg Perry Kinkaide Contact: Dr. Perry Kinkaide [email protected] 780-990-5874 Dr. Allan Offenberger [email protected] 780-483-1740 i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Acronyms ………………………………………………………………………….. iii List of Figures……………………………………………………………………………… iv Appendix A: Assessment of Major Global Fusion Technologies 1.0 Context - Global Energy Demand……………………………………………………… 1 1.0.1 Foreward ……………………………………………………………………… 1 1.0.2 Energy Trends………………………………………………………………… 2 1.0.3 Energy From Fusion Reactions……………………………………………… 4 1.1 Major Approaches to Fusion Energy………………………………………………….. 7 1.1.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………. 7 1.1.2 Fusion Reactions & the Fuel Cycle………………………………………….. 8 1.1.3 IFE Approaches to Fusion…………………………………………………… 11 1.1.3.1 Introduction………………………………………………………….. 11 1.1.3.2 Indirect Drive…………………………………………………………14 1.1.3.3 Direct Drive…………………………………………………………. 16 1.1.3.4 Fast Ignition………………………………………………………… 17 1.1.3.5 Shock Ignition………………………………………………………..19 1.1.3.6 IFE Power Reactor Systems……………………………………….20 1.1.3.7 Modeling Codes……………………………………………………. -
Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusor Cody Boyd Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Scholars Compass Capstone Design Expo Posters College of Engineering 2015 Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusor Cody Boyd Virginia Commonwealth University Brian Hortelano Virginia Commonwealth University Yonathan Kassaye Virginia Commonwealth University See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone Part of the Engineering Commons © The Author(s) Downloaded from https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/40 This Poster is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Engineering at VCU Scholars Compass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Capstone Design Expo Posters by an authorized administrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Authors Cody Boyd, Brian Hortelano, Yonathan Kassaye, Dimitris Killinger, Adam Stanfield, Jordan Stark, Thomas Veilleux, and Nick Reuter This poster is available at VCU Scholars Compass: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/40 Team Members: Cody Boyd, Brian Hortelano, Yonathan Kassaye, Dimitris Killinger, Adam Stanfield, Jordan Stark, Thomas Veilleux Inertial Electrostatic Faculty Advisor: Dr. Sama Bilbao Y Leon, Mr. James G. Miller Sponsor: Confinement Fusor Dominion Virginia Power What is Fusion? Shielding Computational Modeling Because the D-D fusion reaction One of the potential uses of the fusor will be to results in the production of neutrons irradiate materials and see how they behave after and X-rays, shielding is necessary to certain levels of both fast and thermal neutron protect users from the radiation exposure. To reduce the amount of time and produced by the fusor. A Monte Carlo resources spent testing, a computational model n-Particle (MCNP) model was using XOOPIC, a particle interaction software, developed to calculate the necessary was developed to model the fusor. -
Conceptual Design Report on JT-60SA ___1. JT-60SA
Conceptual Design Report on JT-60SA ________ 1. JT-60SA Mission and Program 1.1 Introduction Realization of fusion energy requires long-term research and development. A schematic of fusion energy development is shown in Fig. 1.1-1. Fusion energy development is divided into 3 phases before commercialization. The large Tokamak phase achieved equivalent break-even plasmas in JET and JT-60 and significant DT Power productions in TFTR and JET. A programmatic objective of the ITER phase is demonstration of scientific and technical feasibility of fusion energy. A primary objective of the DEMO phase is to demonstrate power (electricity) production in a manner leading to commercialization of fusion energy. The fast track approach to fusion energy is to shorten its development period for fusion energy utilization by adding appropriate programs (BA program) in parallel with ITER. Program elements are advanced tokamak/simulation studies and fusion technology/material development. Fig. 1.1-1 Schematic of fusion energy development To specify program elements needed in parallel with ITER, we have to identify the concept of DEMO. Typical DEMO concepts of Japan and EU are shown in Fig.1.1-2. Although size spans widely, operation mode is unanimously “steady-state”. Ranges of the normalized beta are pretty close each other, βN=3.5 to 4.3 for JA DEMO and 3.4 to 4.5 for EU DEMO. Fig. 1.1-2 Cross section and parameters of JA-EU DEMO studies ave 2 The neutron wall load of DEMO exceeds that of ITER (Pn =0.57MW/m ) by a factor of 3-6. -
Nuclear Fusion
Copyright © 2016 by Gerald Black. Published by The Mars Society with permission NUCLEAR FUSION: THE SOLUTION TO THE ENERGY PROBLEM AND TO ADVANCED SPACE PROPULSION Gerald Black Aerospace Engineer (retired, 40+ year career); email: [email protected] Currently Chair of the Ohio Chapter of the Mars Society Presented at Mars Society Annual Convention, Washington DC, September 22, 2016 ABSTRACT Nuclear fusion has long been viewed as a potential solution to the world’s energy needs. However, the government sponsored megaprojects have been floundering. The two multi-billion- dollar flagship programs, the International Tokamak Experimental Reactor (ITER) and the National Ignition Facility (NIF), have both experienced years of delays and a several-fold increase in costs. The ITER tokamak design is so large and complex that, even if this approach succeeds, there is doubt that it would be economical. After years of testing at full power, the NIF facility is still far short of achieving its goal of fusion ignition. But hope is not lost. Several private companies have come up with smaller and simpler approaches that show promise. This talk highlights the progress made by one such private company, namely LPPFusion (formerly called Lawrenceville Plasma Physics). LPPFusion is developing focus fusion technology based on the dense plasma focus device and hydrogen-boron 11 fuel. This approach, if it works, would produce a fusion power generator small enough to fit in a truck. This device would produce no radioactivity, there would be no possibility of a meltdown or other safety issues, and it would be more economical than any other source of electricity. -
Thermonuclear AB-Reactors for Aerospace
1 Article Micro Thermonuclear Reactor after Ct 9 18 06 AIAA-2006-8104 Micro -Thermonuclear AB-Reactors for Aerospace* Alexander Bolonkin C&R, 1310 Avenue R, #F-6, Brooklyn, NY 11229, USA T/F 718-339-4563, [email protected], [email protected], http://Bolonkin.narod.ru Abstract About fifty years ago, scientists conducted R&D of a thermonuclear reactor that promises a true revolution in the energy industry and, especially, in aerospace. Using such a reactor, aircraft could undertake flights of very long distance and for extended periods and that, of course, decreases a significant cost of aerial transportation, allowing the saving of ever-more expensive imported oil-based fuels. (As of mid-2006, the USA’s DoD has a program to make aircraft fuel from domestic natural gas sources.) The temperature and pressure required for any particular fuel to fuse is known as the Lawson criterion L. Lawson criterion relates to plasma production temperature, plasma density and time. The thermonuclear reaction is realised when L > 1014. There are two main methods of nuclear fusion: inertial confinement fusion (ICF) and magnetic confinement fusion (MCF). Existing thermonuclear reactors are very complex, expensive, large, and heavy. They cannot achieve the Lawson criterion. The author offers several innovations that he first suggested publicly early in 1983 for the AB multi- reflex engine, space propulsion, getting energy from plasma, etc. (see: A. Bolonkin, Non-Rocket Space Launch and Flight, Elsevier, London, 2006, Chapters 12, 3A). It is the micro-thermonuclear AB- Reactors. That is new micro-thermonuclear reactor with very small fuel pellet that uses plasma confinement generated by multi-reflection of laser beam or its own magnetic field. -
Europe for Inertial Confinement Fusion
EuropeEurope forfor InertialInertial ConfinementConfinement FusionFusion Technology Watch Workshop on IFE-KIT Madrid March 22, 2010 Jiri Ullschmied Association EURATOM IPP.CR PALS Research Centre, a joint laboratory of the Institute of Physics and Institute of Plasma Physics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic www.pals.cas.cz Paper Layout State of the art - where are we now Lasers on the path to fusion National Ignition Facility Indirect drive / direct drive European lasers, LMJ Coordinated European effort in the laser research Various ignition scenarios - EU KIT contributions SWOT Summary State of the art - where are we now Steadily increasing progress in laser technology since 1960, lasers becoming the most dynamic field of physical research in the last decade. Megajoule and multi-PW lasers have become reality, laser beam focused intensity has been increased up to 1022 W/cm2 (Astra, UK). Last-generation high-power lasers - an unmatched tool for high-energy density physical research and potential fusion drivers. High-energy lasers worldwide Lasers on the path to Fusion Max output energy of single beam systems (Nd-glass, iodine, KrF) in the 1-10 kJ range, while EL > 1 MJ is needed for central ignition => multi-beam laser systems. Various fast ignition schemes are have been proposed, which should decrease the required energy by an order of magnitude. History and future of IFE lasers HiPER Three main tasks demonstrate ignition and burn demonstrate high energy gain develop technology for an IFE power plant Ignition to be demonstrated at NIF (2010?) and LMJ lasers. The natural next step: HiPER. National Ignition Facility NIF is a culmination of long line of US Nd-glass laser systems Nova, OMEGA and NIF shot rates measured in shots/day. -
Digital Physics: Science, Technology and Applications
Prof. Kim Molvig April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) DDD-T--TT FusionFusion D +T → α + n +17.6 MeV 3.5MeV 14.1MeV • What is GOOD about this reaction? – Highest specific energy of ALL nuclear reactions – Lowest temperature for sizeable reaction rate • What is BAD about this reaction? – NEUTRONS => activation of confining vessel and resultant radioactivity – Neutron energy must be thermally converted (inefficiently) to electricity – Deuterium must be separated from seawater – Tritium must be bred April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) ConsiderConsider AnotherAnother NuclearNuclear ReactionReaction p+11B → 3α + 8.7 MeV • What is GOOD about this reaction? – Aneutronic (No neutrons => no radioactivity!) – Direct electrical conversion of output energy (reactants all charged particles) – Fuels ubiquitous in nature • What is BAD about this reaction? – High Temperatures required (why?) – Difficulty of confinement (technology immature relative to Tokamaks) April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) DTDT FusionFusion –– VisualVisualVisual PicturePicture Figure by MIT OCW. April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) EnergeticsEnergetics ofofof FusionFusion e2 V ≅ ≅ 400 KeV Coul R + R V D T QM “tunneling” required . Ekin r Empirical fit to data 2 −VNuc ≅ −50 MeV −2 A1 = 45.95, A2 = 50200, A3 =1.368×10 , A4 =1.076, A5 = 409 Coefficients for DT (E in KeV, σ in barns) April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) TunnelingTunneling FusionFusion CrossCross SectionSection andand ReactivityReactivity Gamow factor . Compare to DT . April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) ReactivityReactivity forfor DTDT FuelFuel 8 ] 6 c e s / 3 m c 6 1 - 0 4 1 x [ ) ν σ ( 2 0 0 50 100 150 200 T1 (KeV) April 20, 2006: 22.012 Fusion Seminar (MIT) Figure by MIT OCW. -
Inertial Fusion Power Development:Path for Global Warming Suppression
Inertial Fusion Power Development:Path for Global Warming Suppression EU:France, UK,etc. US: LLNL, SNL, U. Rochester East Asia: Japan, China,etc. Kunioki Mima Institute of Laser Engineering, Osaka University IAEA- FC 2008, 50 years’ Ann. of Fusion Res. , Oct.15, 2008, Geneva, SW Outline • Brief introduction and history of IFE research • Frontier of IFE researches Indirect driven ignition by NIF/LMJ Ignition equivalent experiments for fast ignition • IF reactor concept and road map toward power plant IFE concepts Several concepts have been explored in IFE. Driver Irradiation Ignition Laser Direct Central hot spark Ignition HIB Indirect Fast ignition Impact ignition Pulse power Shock ignition The key issue of IFE is implosion physics which has progressed for more than 30 years Producing 1000times solid density and 108 degree temperature plasmas Plasma instabilities R Irradiation non-uniformities Thermal transport and ablation surface of fuel pellet ΔR R-M Instability ΔR0 R-T instability R0 R Feed through R-M and R-T Instabilities in deceleration phase Turbulent Mixing Canter of fuel pellet t Major Laser Fusion Facilities in the World NIF, LLNL, US. LMJ, CESTA, Bordeaux, France SG-III, Menyang,CAEP, China GXII-FIREX, ILE, Osaka, Japan OMEGA-EP, LLE, Rochester, US HiPER, RAL, UK Heavy Ion Beam Fusion: The advanced T-lean fusion fuel reactor Test Stand at LBNL NDCX-I US HIF Science Virtual National Lab.(LBNL, LLNL,PPPL) has been established in 1990. (Directed by G Logan) • Implosion physics by HIB • HIB accelerator technology for 1kA, 1GeV, 1mm2 beam: Beam brightness, Neutralization, NDCX II Collective effects of high current beam, Stripping.(R.Davidson etal) • Reactor concept with Flibe liquid jet wall (R.Moir: HYLIF for HIF Reactor) History of IFE Research 1960: Laser innovation (Maiman) 1972: Implosion concept (J. -
Simultaneous Ultra-Fast Imaging and Neutron Emission from a Compact Dense Plasma Focus Fusion Device
instruments Article Simultaneous Ultra-Fast Imaging and Neutron Emission from a Compact Dense Plasma Focus Fusion Device Nathan Majernik, Seth Pree, Yusuke Sakai, Brian Naranjo, Seth Putterman and James Rosenzweig * ID Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; [email protected] (N.M.); [email protected] (S.P.); [email protected] (Y.S.); [email protected] (B.N.); [email protected] (S.P.) * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +310-206-4541 Received: 12 February 2018; Accepted: 5 April 2018; Published: 11 April 2018 Abstract: Recently, there has been intense interest in small dense plasma focus (DPF) devices for use as pulsed neutron and X-ray sources. Although DPFs have been studied for decades and scaling laws for neutron yield versus system discharge current and energy have been established (Milanese, M. et al., Eur. Phys. J. D 2003, 27, 77–81), there are notable deviations at low energies due to contributions from both thermonuclear and beam-target interactions (Schmidt, A. et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 2012, 109, 1–4). For low energy DPFs (100 s of Joules), other empirical scaling laws have been found (Bures, B.L. et al., Phys. Plasmas 2012, 112702, 1–9). Although theoretical mechanisms to explain this change have been proposed, the cause of this reduced efficiency is not well understood. A new apparatus with advanced diagnostic capabilities allows us to probe this regime, including variants in which a piston gas is employed. Several complementary diagnostics of the pinch dynamics and resulting X-ray neutron production are employed to understand the underlying mechanisms involved. -
This Chapter Deals with Conservation of Energy, Momentum and Angular Momentum in Electromagnetic Systems
This chapter deals with conservation of energy, momentum and angular momentum in electromagnetic systems. The basic idea is to use Maxwell’s Eqn. to write the charge and currents entirely in terms of the E and B-fields. For example, the current density can be written in terms of the curl of B and the Maxwell Displacement current or the rate of change of the E-field. We could then write the power density which is E dot J entirely in terms of fields and their time derivatives. We begin with a discussion of Poynting’s Theorem which describes the flow of power out of an electromagnetic system using this approach. We turn next to a discussion of the Maxwell stress tensor which is an elegant way of computing electromagnetic forces. For example, we write the charge density which is part of the electrostatic force density (rho times E) in terms of the divergence of the E-field. The magnetic forces involve current densities which can be written as the fields as just described to complete the electromagnetic force description. Since the force is the rate of change of momentum, the Maxwell stress tensor naturally leads to a discussion of electromagnetic momentum density which is similar in spirit to our previous discussion of electromagnetic energy density. In particular, we find that electromagnetic fields contain an angular momentum which accounts for the angular momentum achieved by charge distributions due to the EMF from collapsing magnetic fields according to Faraday’s law. This clears up a mystery from Physics 435. We will frequently re-visit this chapter since it develops many of our crucial tools we need in electrodynamics.