Confinement Fusion Driver Research Articles

Study on intensity distribution inside the frequency conversion crystals for continuous phase plate front-located in inertialconfinement fusion driver

This paper studies the intensity distribution inside the frequency conversion crystals when the continuous phase plate (CPP) is placed in 1ω light of final optics assembly for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) driver. Our study shows that the modulation of 1ω light caused by CPP makes the frequency conversion efficiency and the uniformity of intensity field inside the frequency conversion crystals decrease. It leads to the possibility of laser induced damage for frequency conversion crystals to increase. What worth paying special attention to is: the modulation and maximum intensity in the vicinity of entrance and exit surface of frequency conversion crystal is much higher than in other areas, so the possibility of laser induced damage is also relatively greater there. However, if the intensity of 1ω light before the frequency conversion system becomes even greater, for the normal running of final optics assembly the modulation and maximum intensity inside the frequency conversion crystals should be confined within the permitted range.

A novel pre-amplifier for ICF driver

The design and performance of a novel array preamplifier prototype are described in this paper. A new and simple architecture is adopted in this preamplifier; uniformity gain profile and higher storage efficiency are obtained. Other preamplifier modules are compared with this preamplifier. Based on the results, an array preamplifier will satisfy a modern inertial confinement fusion (ICF) driver.

Intense ion beams for inertial confinement fusion

Intense beams of light and heavy ions are being studied as inertial confinement fusion (ICF) drivers for high yield and energy. Heavy and light ions have common interests in beam transport, targets, and alternative accelerators. Self-pinched transport is being jointly studied. This article reviews the development of intense ion beams for ICF. Light-ion drivers are highlighted because they are compact, modular, efficient and low cost. Issues facing light ions are: (1) decreasing beam divergence; (2) increasing beam brightness; and (3) demonstrating self-pinched transport. Applied-B ion diodes are favored because of efficiency, beam brightness, perceived scalability, achievable focal intensity, and multistage capability. A light-ion concept addressing these issues uses: (1) an injector divergence of /spl les/24 mrad at 9 MeV; (2) two-stage acceleration to reduce divergence to /spl les/12 mrad at 35 MeV; and (3) self-pinched transport accepting divergences up to 12 mrad. Substantial progress in ion-driven target physics and repetitive ion diode technology is also presented. Z-pinch drivers are being pursued as the shortest pulsed power path to target physics experiments and high-yield fusion. However, light ions remain the pulsed power ICF driver of choice for high-yield fusion energy applications that require driver standoff and repetitive operation.

U.S. Heavy-Ion Fusion Systems Assessment Project Overview

A multi-institutional study was conducted to evaluate the potential of heavy-ion induction Linacs as inertial confinement fusion (ICF) drivers. This Heavy-Ion Fusion Systems Assessment (HIFSA) study was a U.S. effort to evaluate a wide range of possible system configurations for electric power plants driven by induction Linacs, as opposed to the radio-frequency accelerators used in previous heavy-ion fusion (HIF) power plant conceptual designs. In contrast to these earlier studies, the HIFSA project specifically avoided concentrating on a point design. Rather, cost/performance models of the major systems in an HIF power plant were devised by the institutions with expertise in the applicable technologies (e.g., Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory for induction accelerators and beam transport/focus; McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company for cost scaling and systems modeling/intergration). (Detailed descriptions of these systems and associated integration/trade-off studies appear in other papers in this special issue.) Some of the key results of the HIFSA study are summarized and their significance assessed. The cardinal conclusions of the study are twofold: (a) Conceptual HIF power plants have estimated cost-of-electricity (COE) values that, at 1 GW (electric), are roughly comparable to those from other ICF and magnetic fusion system studies; and (b) HIF technology is robust in that there existsmore » a large parameter space region in which the COE is close to the minimum; i.e., the minima in COE are broad.« less

Inertial Confinement Fusion

The progress inertial confinement fusion (ICF) physics experiments and driver development is put in perspective by looking at the performance required to perform various military and commercial applications. Both the military and commercial applications require increasingly more-powerful drivers and a better understanding of target-coupling physics. However, it is expected that the military applications will be achieved much earlier because they do not require such efficient drivers and high average power. A reactor design concept being developed at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory was selected to present a view of an inertial fusion power plant. This conceptual design was sufficiently detailed to allow a reasonable assessment of the social and economic costs associated with inertial fusion electricity production. The development of inertial fusion as a commercial source of energy represents a sophisticated and challenging problem whose solution will require an enormous commitment of human and financial resources over the next 25 years. The technical hurdles promise to be as demanding as the scientific groundwork. Nevertheless, the problems and the efforts required to solve them are dwarfed by the significance of the payoff-an affordable source of energy that is safe and compatible with our environment. 33 references, 6 figures, 2 tables.