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Plasma Physics

Development Path for Z-Pinch IFE

Profile image of G. KulcinskiG. Kulcinski

2005, Fusion Science and Technology

https://doi.org/10.13182/FST05-A757
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Abstract

IFE target studies for multi-GJ yield targets, and ( ) z-pinch IFE power plant engineering and technology development. Initial results from all areas of this research are discussed.

Related papers

Progress on Z-pinch Inertial Fusion Energy
S. Abdel-khalik

2004 International Conference on High-Power Particle Beams (BEAMS 2004), 2004

The long-range goal of the Z-pinch IFE program is to produce an economically-attractive power plant using high-yield Z-pinch-driven targets (~3 GJ) with low rep-rate per chamber (~0.1 Hz). He present mainline choice for a Z-pinch IFE power plant uses an LTD (Linear Transformer Driver) repetitive pulsed power driver, a Recyclable Transmission Line (RTL), a dynamic hohlraum Z-pinch-driven target, and a thick-liquid wall chamber. The RTL connects the pulsed power driver directly to the Z-pinch-driven target, and is made from frozen coolant or a material that is easily separable from the coolant (such as low activation ferritic steel). The RTL is destroyed by the fusion explosion, but the RTL materials are recycled, and a new RTL is inserted on each shot. The RTL concept eliminates the problems of a final optic, high-speed target injection, and pointing and tracking N beams (N~100). Instead, the RTL concept must be shown to be feasible and economically attractive. Results of Z-pinch IFE...

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Recyclable Transmission Line (RTL) and Linear Transformer Driver (LTD) Development for Z-Pinch Inertial Fusion Energy (Z-IFE) and High Yield
Joe Schumer

2007

Z-Pinch Inertial Fusion Energy (Z-IFE) complements and extends the single-shot zpinch fusion program on Z to a repetitive, high-yield, power plant scenario that can be used for the production of electricity, transmutation of nuclear waste, and hydrogen production, all with no CO 2 production and no long-lived radioactive nuclear waste. The Z-IFE concept uses a Linear Transformer Driver (LTD) accelerator, and a Recyclable Transmission Line (RTL) to connect the LTD driver to a high-yield fusion target inside a thick-liquid-wall power plant chamber. Results of RTL and LTD research are reported here, that include: (1) The key physics issues for RTLs involve the power flow at the high linear current densities that occur near the target (up to 5 MA/cm). These issues include surface heating, melting, ablation, plasma formation, electron flow, magnetic insulation, conductivity changes, magnetic field diffusion changes, possible ion flow, and RTL mass motion. These issues are studied theoretically, computationally (with the ALEGRA and LSP codes), and LTD Research in this FY06 LDRD Report: This LDRD has investigated repetitive operation with LTD cavities at the 0.5 MA level, and voltage adding with multiple cavities at the 1 MA level. Repetitive switching operation, electrode erosion effects, and heating effects due to the high average power, are issues that are being addressed. The complete power flow includes the LTD driver, the intermediate adder/transmission lines, and the RTL. Particle-in-cell codes have been used to study the electron flow losses produced near the magnetic nulls that occur when coax LTD lines are added together. Circuit model codes have been used to model the complete power flow circuit. LTD architectures have been proposed for drivers for high yield and for IFE. All of the goals proposed for this FY06 LDRD have been exceeded: Goal 1: Operate 0.5 MA LTD cavity at SNL repetitively at up to once every 25 seconds for 1000 shots or more. Results: At SNL, this 0.5 MA cavity has been fired in repetitive mode for ∼3000 shots; the last set of 50 shots with one shot every 10.25 seconds (∼0.1 Hz)-we are already at the desired goal of 0.1 Hz for Z-IFE. At HCEI, Tomsk, a single switch has been fired 37,000 shots with one shot every 12 seconds (∼0.08 Hz) Goal 2: Combine four SNL LTD 1.0 MA cavities at HCEI, Tomsk, Russia to produce a 400 kV, 1 MA pulse to a load. Results: Five 1 MA LTD cavities (four belong to SNL and one belongs to U. Michigan) have been successfully tested in a voltage-adder configuration at HCEI, Tomsk. Goal 3: Perform detailed study of the power flow in an RTL near the load at high linear current densities (up to 5 MA/cm). Results: Analytic results, code simulation results (LSP and other codes), and experiments have been used to study power flow at high linear current densities above 5 MA/cm.

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Analyses in Support of Z-IFE LLNL Progress Report for FY-05
Wayne Meier

2005

A.1 Thermal stress during insertion and casting of RTL A.2 Tritium inventory in Z-IFE carbon composite chamber wall A.3 Flibe vapor pressure and evaporation (condensation) rates A.4 Flibe processing A.5 Flat plate heat exchanger based on carbon composites with SiC barriers A.6 Thermal stress in carbon-carbon (C-C) first wall 1. Summary The FY-04 LLNL study of Z-IFE [1] emphasized system studies, shock mitigation, stress in the first wall, neutronics and gave findings and recommendations. In FY-05, the subject of this report, we build on our work and the theme of last year. Our emphasis continues to be on alternatives that hold promise of considerable improvements in design and economics compared to the base-line design. Our key results are summarized here.

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The staged z-pinch as a potential high gain fusion energy source: An independent review, a negative conclusion
MOHAMMAD H A F I Z U R RAHMAN

Physics of Plasmas, 2018

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1 OV/3-5Ra Progress on Z-Pinch Inertial Fusion Energy*
S. Abdel-khalik

2015

The goal of z-pinch inertial fusion energy (IFE) is to extend the single-shot z-pinch inertial confinement fusion (ICF) results on Z to a repetitive-shot z-pinch power plant concept for the economical production of electricity. Z produces up to 1.8 MJ of x-rays at powers as high as 230 TW. Recent target experiments on Z have demonstrated capsule implosion convergence ratios of 14-21 with a double-pinch driven target, and DD neutron yields up to 8x10exp10 with a dynamic hohlraum target. For z-pinch IFE, a power plant concept is discussed that uses high-yield IFE targets (3 GJ) with a low rep-rate per chamber (0.1 Hz). The concept includes a repetitive driver at 0.1 Hz, a Recyclable Transmission Line (RTL) to connect the driver to the target, high-yield targets, and a thick-liquid wall chamber. Recent funding by a U.S. Congressional initiative for $4M for FY04 is supporting research on RTLs, repetitive pulsed power drivers, shock mitigation, full RTL cycle planned experiments, high-yield IFE targets, and z-pinch power plant technologies. Recent results of research in all of these areas are discussed, and a Road Map for Z-Pinch IFE is presented.

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IFE plant technology overview and contribution to HiPER proposal
Ana Victoria Cuesta Fernández

2011

HiPER is the European Project for Laser Fusion that has been able to join 26 institutions and signed under formal government agreement by 6 countries inside the ESFRI Program of the European Union (EU). The project is already extended by EU for two years more (until 2013) after its first preparatory phase from 2008. A large work has been developed in different areas to arrive to a design of repetitive operation of Laser Fusion Reactor, and decisions are envisioned in the next phase of Technology Development or Risk Reduction for Engineering or Power Plant facilities (or both). Chamber design has been very much completed for Engineering phase and starting of preliminary options for Reactor Power Plant have been established and review here.

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Z-pinch driven fusion energy
mark derzon

2000

The Z machine at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is the most powerful multi-module synchronized pulsed-power accelerator in the world. Rapid development of z-pinch loads on Z has led to outstanding progress in the last few years, resulting in radiative powers of up to 280 TW in 4 ns and a total radiated x-ray energy of 1.8 MJ. The present goal

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The prospects for high yield ICF with a -pinch driven dynamic hohlraum
M. Derzon, S. Slutz

Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences - Series IV - Physics, 2000

Recent success with the Sandia Z machine has renewed interest in utilizing fast Z-pinches for ICF. One promising concept places the ICF capsule internal to the imploding Z-pinch. At machine parameters relevant to achieving high yield, the imploding Z-pinch mass has sufficient opacity to trap radiation giving rise to a 'dynamic hohlraum'. Our concept utilizes a 12 MJ, 54 MA Z-pinch driver producing a capsule drive temperature exceeding 300 eV to realize a 550 MJ thermonuclear yield. We present the current high-yield design and its development that supports high-yield ICF with a Z-pinch driven dynamic hohlraum. © 2000 Académie des sciences/Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS

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Status of IFE safety and environmental activities in the US
Wayne Meier

Nuclear Fusion, 2007

This paper presents an overview of recent progress in the area of Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) safety and environment (S&E) in the US. Over the past several years, a significant effort has been devoted towards the development of S&E analyses for future IFE power plants. We have completed the safety assessment of various baseline IFE power plant concepts, including simulation of accident scenarios and accident consequences analyses, S&E studies of candidate target materials and discussions on waste management issues. The results from this work have allowed for a better understanding of the behaviour of radioactive sources and hazardous materials within the IFE power plant, identification of the energy sources that could mobilize those materials in case of an accident, and assessment of waste management options for IFE. Currently, ongoing S&E studies for IFE are focusing on emerging design concepts, which include support to the High Average Power Laser (HAPL) program for development of a dry-wall, laser-driven IFE power plant, and collaboration with the Z-Pinch IFE program for the production of an economically-attractive power plant using high-yield z-pinch-driven targets. In this paper, the main safety issues related to the HAPL and Z-IFE programs are reviewed, some recent safety highlights are presented, and future directions in the IFE safety and environmental area are proposed.

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<title>IFE plant technology overview and contribution to HiPER proposal</title>
nuria gordillo

Diode-Pumped High Energy and High Power Lasers; ELI: Ultrarelativistic Laser-Matter Interactions and Petawatt Photonics; and HiPER: the European Pathway to Laser Energy, 2011

HiPER is the European Project for Laser Fusion that has been able to join 26 institutions and signed under formal government agreement by 6 countries inside the ESFRI Program of the European Union (EU). The project is already extended by EU for two years more (until 2013) after its first preparatory phase from 2008. A large work has been developed in different areas to arrive to a design of repetitive operation of Laser Fusion Reactor, and decisions are envisioned in the next phase of Technology Development or Risk Reduction for Engineering or Power Plant facilities (or both). Chamber design has been very much completed for Engineering phase and starting of preliminary options for Reactor Power Plant have been established and review here.

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References (50)

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Related papers

Nuclear design considerations for Z-IFE chambers
S. Reyes

Fusion Engineering and Design, 2006

Z-pinch driven IFE (Z-IFE) requires the design of a repetitive target insertion system that allows coupling of the pulsed power to the target with adequate standoff, and a chamber that can withstand blast and radiation effects from large yield targets. The present strategy for Z-IFE is to use high yield targets (~2-3 GJ/shot), low repetition rate per chamber (~0.1 Hz), and 10 chambers per power plant. In this study, we propose an alternative power plant configuration that uses very high yield targets (20 GJ/shot) in a single chamber operating at 0.1 Hz. A thick-liquid-wall chamber is proposed to absorb the target emission (x-rays, debris and neutrons) and mitigate the blast effects on the chamber wall. The target is attached to the end of a conical shaped Recyclable Transmission Line (RTL) made from a solid coolant (e.g., frozen flibe), or a material that is easily separable from the coolant (e.g., steel). The RTL/target assembly is inserted through a single opening at the top of the chamber for each shot. This study looks at the RTL material choice from a safety and environmental point of view. Materials were assessed according to waste disposal rating (WDR) and contact dose rate (CDR). Neutronics calculations, using the TART2002 Monte Carlo code from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), were performed for the RTL and Z-IFE chamber, and key results reported here.

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Z-inertial fusion energy: power plant final report FY 2006
Gerald Kulcinski, Craig craig, Wayne Meier

2006

This report summarizes the work conducted for the Z-inertial fusion energy (Z-IFE) late start Laboratory Directed Research Project. A major area of focus was on creating a roadmap to a z-pinch driven fusion power plant. The roadmap ties Z-IFE into the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) initiative through the use of high energy fusion neutrons to burn the actinides of spent fuel waste. Transmutation presents a near term use for Z-IFE technology and will aid in paving the path to fusion energy. The work this year continued to develop the science and engineering needed to support the Z-IFE roadmap. This included plant system and driver cost estimates, recyclable transmission line studies, flibe characterization, reaction chamber design, and shock mitigation techniques.

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An integrated research plan for IFE technology
Wayne Meier

In 1999, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (OFES) added an inertial fusion energy (WE) element to its Virtual Laboratory for Technology (VLT). The scope of the WE element of the VLT includes the fusion chamber, chamber/driver interface, target fabrication and injection, and safety and environmental assessments for WE. Previous IFE power plant conceptual design studies identified many different driver/chamber/target options and the critical technical issues associated with them. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in conjunction with other laboratories, universities and industry, has developed an R&D plan to address the critical issues in these areas in a coordinated manner. This paper provides an overview of the top-level critical issues and the current and proposed research activities to resolve them.

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Analyses in Support of Z-Pinch IFE and Actinide Transmutation - LLNL Progress Report for FY-06
Wayne Meier

2006

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Progress in Z-pinch research driven by the mega-ampere device SPEED2
Ariel Tarifeño

2008

Several pinch configurations have being studied at the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission using the SPEED2 generator: plasma focus, gas embedded z-pinch and wire arrays. SPEED2 is a generator based on Marx technology (4.1 µF equivalent Marx generator capacity, 300 kV, 4 MA in short circuit, 187 kJ, 400 ns rise time, dI/dt∼10 13 A/s). Currently the device is being operated at 70kJ stored energy producing a peak current of 2.4 MA in short circuit. In this work results related to studies in gas embedded z-pinch in deuterium and studies in wire arrays are presented.

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