Abstract Details
Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) Formation and Compression Modeling and Experiments
Author: M.T. Domonkos
Requested Type: Oral Only
Submitted: 2009-04-26 20:57:16
Co-authors: J.H. Degnan, P. Adamson, D.J. Amdahl, R. Delaney, G. Gruen, F.M. Lehr, E.L. Ruden, W. Tucker, C. Grabowski, J. Beach, D. Brown, D. Gale, J. Parker, D. Ralph, W. Sommars, M.H. Frese, S.D. Frese, J.F. Camacho, S.K. Coffey, J.D. Letterio, T.P. Intrator, G.A. Wurden, S.C. Hsu, P. Sieck, P.J. Turchi, and W.J. Waganaar, R.E. Siemon, T.J. Awe, B.S. Bauer, A.G. Lynn, N.F. Roderick
Contact Info:
Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB
High Power Microwaves Technolo
Kirtland AFB, NM 87117
USA
Abstract Text:
Magnetized target fusion (MTF) involves the compression and heating of closed field plasmas to achieve burn. The field reversed configuration (FRC) has a poloidal magnetic field and is well suited to compression and heating by a tall cylindrical liner. The effort to generate, translate, compress, and heat a FRC is described. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations have been performed to guide the experimental investigation. The experimental effort is incrementally progressing toward a fully integrated FRC formation-translation-capture-compression. Initially, the focus was on the production of the FRC. More recently, a set of three experiments have become the focus: magnetic field compression, FRC formation-translation- capture, and FRC formation-translation-capture-compression. All involve the generation of primarily axial guide and mirror magnetic fields with ~2 Tesla peak fields, using ~5 ms rise time discharges into 9 pulsed magnet coils surrounding the liner implosion portion of the device. The field compression and FRC compression experiments use 12 MA, 4.5 MJ Shiva Star capacitor bank axial discharges to drive implosions of 30 cm tall, 10 cm diameter, 1 mm thick Al shells or liners. All FRC experiments use 3 capacitor discharges into a segmented theta coil surrounding the FRC formation region to establish a bias field, accomplish preionization of deuterium gas, and provide the reverse field main theta discharge (~1 MA) which forms the FRC. This is aided by two cusp field discharges. The guide and mirror fields enable translation of the FRC and its capture in the liner interior region. Diagnostics include pulsed power (current and voltage), magnetic field, field exclusion, laser interferometry, imaging and spectroscopy, radiography, and both activation and time-of-flight neutron detection. Design features and operating parameters are guided by 2D-MHD simulations. Supported by DOE-OFES.
Comments: