scholarly journals Advanced fuel layering in line-moving, high-gain direct-drive cryogenic targets

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. V. Aleksandrova ◽  
E. R. Koresheva
Keyword(s):  
Solid Fuel ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
Excellent Result ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Inertial Fusion Energy ◽  
Direct Drive ◽  
Central Importance ◽  
Free Standing ◽  
Plasma Generation ◽  
Advanced Fuel

In inertial fusion energy (IFE) research, a number of technological issues have focused on the ability to inexpensively fabricate large quantities of free-standing targets (FSTs) by developing a specialized layering module with repeatable operation. Of central importance for the progress towards plasma generation with intense thermonuclear reactions is the fuel structure, which must be isotropic to ensure that fusion will take place. In this report, the results of modeling the FST layering time, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{\text{Form}}$ , are presented for targets which are shells of ${\sim}4~\text{mm}$ in diameter with a wall made from compact and porous polymers. The layer thickness is ${\sim}200~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ for pure solid fuel and ${\sim}250~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$ for in-porous solid fuel. Computation shows $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{\text{Form}}<23$  s for $\text{D}_{2}$ fuel and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}_{\text{Form}}<30$  s for D–T fuel. This is an excellent result in terms of minimizing the tritium inventory, producing IFE targets in massive numbers ( ${\sim}$ 1 million each day) and obtaining the fuel as isotropic ultrafine layers. It is shown experimentally that such small layering time can be realized by the FST layering method in line-moving, high-gain direct-drive cryogenic targets using $n$ -fold-spiral layering channels at $n=2,3$ .

scholarly journals Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy: an introduction to the first special edition

2020 ◽  
Vol 378 (2184) ◽  
pp. 20200006 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Norreys ◽  
C. Ridgers ◽  
K. Lancaster ◽  
M. Koepke ◽  
G. Tynan
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Inertial Fusion ◽  
Inertial Fusion Energy ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Energy Part ◽  
Confinement Fusion ◽  
Alternative Approaches ◽  
Basic Studies

A European consortium of 15 laboratories across nine nations have worked together under the EUROFusion Enabling Research grants for the past decade with three principle objectives. These are: (a) investigating obstacles to ignition on megaJoule-class laser facilities; (b) investigating novel alternative approaches to ignition, including basic studies for fast ignition (both electron and ion-driven), auxiliary heating, shock ignition etc.; and (c) developing technologies that will be required in the future for a fusion reactor. The Hooke discussion meeting in March 2020 provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in inertial confinement fusion research world-wide to date. This first edition of two special issues seeks to identify paths forward to achieve high fusion energy gain. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)’.

Cost Modeling for Fabrication of Direct Drive Inertial Fusion Energy Targets

2003 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 353-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Samuel Rickman ◽  
Daniel T. Goodin
Keyword(s):  
Fusion Energy ◽  
Cost Modeling ◽  
Inertial Fusion ◽  
Inertial Fusion Energy ◽  
Direct Drive

scholarly journals Direct drive with the argon fluoride laser as a path to high fusion gain with sub-megajoule laser energy

2020 ◽  
Vol 378 (2184) ◽  
pp. 20200031 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. P. Obenschain ◽  
A. J. Schmitt ◽  
J. W. Bates ◽  
M. F. Wolford ◽  
M. C. Myers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Beam ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
Coupling Efficiency ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Inertial Fusion ◽  
Naval Research ◽  
Inertial Fusion Energy ◽  
Argon Fluoride

Argon fluoride (ArF) is currently the shortest wavelength laser that can credibly scale to the energy and power required for high gain inertial fusion. ArF's deep ultraviolet light and capability to provide much wider bandwidth than other contemporary inertial confinement fusion (ICF) laser drivers would drastically improve the laser target coupling efficiency and enable substantially higher pressures to drive an implosion. Our radiation hydrodynamics simulations indicate gains greater than 100 are feasible with a sub-megajoule ArF driver. Our laser kinetics simulations indicate that the electron beam-pumped ArF laser can have intrinsic efficiencies of more than 16%, versus about 12% for the next most efficient krypton fluoride excimer laser. We expect at least 10% ‘wall plug' efficiency for delivering ArF light to target should be achievable using solid-state pulsed power and efficient electron beam transport to the laser gas that was demonstrated with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's Electra facility. These advantages could enable the development of modest size and lower cost fusion power plant modules. This would drastically change the present view on inertial fusion energy as being too expensive and the power plant size too large. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)'.

scholarly journals Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy: an introduction to the second edition

2020 ◽  
Vol 379 (2189) ◽  
pp. 20200028
Author(s):  
Peter A. Norreys ◽  
Christopher Ridgers ◽  
Kate Lancaster ◽  
Mark Koepke ◽  
George Tynan
Keyword(s):  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Inertial Fusion ◽  
Inertial Fusion Energy ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Fusion Research ◽  
Confinement Fusion

Part II of this special edition contains the remaining 11 papers arising from a Hooke discussion meeting held in March 2020 devoted to exploring the current status of inertial confinement fusion research worldwide and its application to electrical power generation in the future, via the development of an international inertial fusion energy programme. It builds upon increased coordination within Europe over the past decade by researchers supported by the EUROFusion Enabling Research grants, as well as collaborations that have arisen naturally with some of America's and Asia's leading researchers, both in the universities and national laboratories. The articles are devoted to informing an update to the European roadmap for an inertial fusion energy demonstration reactor, building upon the commonalities between the magnetic and inertial fusion communities’ approaches to fusion energy. A number of studies devoted to understanding the physics barriers to ignition on current facilities are then presented. The special issue concludes with four state-of-the-art articles describing recent significant advances in fast ignition inertial fusion research. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)’.

Recent progress in quantifying hydrodynamics instabilities and turbulence in inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density experiments

2020 ◽  
Vol 379 (2189) ◽  
pp. 20200021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Casner
Keyword(s):  
Energy Density ◽  
Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽  
Fusion Energy ◽  
High Gain ◽  
High Energy ◽  
High Energy Density ◽  
Inertial Confinement ◽  
Direct Drive ◽  
Energy Part ◽  
Confinement Fusion

Since the seminal paper of Nuckolls triggering the quest of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) with lasers, hydrodynamic instabilities have been recognized as one of the principal hurdles towards ignition. This remains true nowadays for both main approaches (indirect drive and direct drive), despite the advent of MJ scale lasers with tremendous technological capabilities. From a fundamental science perspective, these gigantic laser facilities enable also the possibility to create dense plasma flows evolving towards turbulence, being magnetized or not. We review the state of the art of nonlinear hydrodynamics and turbulent experiments, simulations and theory in ICF and high-energy-density plasmas and draw perspectives towards in-depth understanding and control of these fascinating phenomena. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)’.

scholarly journals A simplified economic model for inertial fusion

2020 ◽  
Vol 378 (2184) ◽  
pp. 20200053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Hawker
Keyword(s):  
Fusion Energy ◽  
High Gain ◽  
Inertial Fusion ◽  
Inertial Fusion Energy ◽  
Energy Yield ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Important Conclusion ◽  
Fusion Power ◽  
Target Cost ◽  
Energy Part

A simple model for the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of an inertial fusion power plant is developed. The model has 14 parameters. These have been designed to be technology agnostic, such that the model may be applied broadly to all variants of inertial fusion. It is also designed to allow easy use of proxies from existing technology. The variables related most intimately to the physics challenges of inertial fusion, such as gain and target cost, are treated as parameters such that requirements can be found without bringing complex physics into the model. A Monte Carlo approach is taken to explore the parameter space. The most important conclusion is that a combination of high gain (greater than 500) and high fusion energy yield per shot (greater than 5 GJ) together appear to unlock more cost competitive designs than those in the existing literature. Designs with LCOE as low as $25/MWh are found with optimistic but not obviously unrealistic inputs. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)'.

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