Zero-dimensional calculations of magnetic flux compression by plasma liners

Abstract

Summary form only given. Magnetic flux compression by plasma liners was used to investigate the possibility of power and current amplification in experiments on MIG generator1. A seed azimuthal magnetic field was not preliminarily injected in the compress ion region, while it was done on Saturn pulsed power generator2. Instead, this generator was combined with plasma erosion opening switch (PEOS), and the main generator current was switched (and then trapped) to the compression chamber by PEOS at the final stage of the plasma liner implosion. This current switching method can increase the efficiency of the primary current, so we concentrate on this generator to begin our research. 0D numerical model with the parameters of MIG was used to calculate the shape of the load current wave, and the wave shape was compared with the experimental one on MIG. It indicated that the calculation result was close to the experimental one. We did this to try to find proper theories of all the three stages of the plasma liner implosion and influence of different parameters on the amplification properties of th is flux compression generator, and confirm them with the comparison. This calculation will be used to optimize the generator design together with 2D MHD calculation and 2D PIC simulation which we will do in our future research.