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Languages : en
Pages : 8
Book Description
The U.S. Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) Program is developing the physics and technology of ion induction accelerators, with the goal of electric power production by means of heavy ion beam-driven inertial fusion (commonly called heavy ion fusion, or HIF). Such accelerators are the principal candidates for inertial fusion power production applications, because they are expected to enjoy high efficiency, inherently high pulse repetition frequency (power plants are expected to inject and burn several fusion targets per second), and high reliability. In addition (and in contrast with laser beams, which are focused with optical lenses) heavy-ion beams will be focused onto the target by magnetic fields, which cannot be damaged by target explosions. Laser beams are used in present-day and planned near-term facilities (such as LLNUs Nova and the National Ignition Facility, which is being designed) because they can focus beams onto very small, intensely illuminated spots for scaled experiments and because the laser technology is already available. An induction accelerator works by passing the beam through a series of accelerating modules, each of which applies an electromotive force to the beam as it goes by; effectively, the beam acts as the secondary winding of a series of efficient one-turn transformers. The authors present plans for and progress toward the development of a small (4.5-m-diam) prototype recirculator, which will accelerate singly charged potassium ions through 15 laps, increasing the ion energy from 80 to 320 keV and the beam current from 2 to 8 mA. Beam confinement and bending are effected with permanent-magnet quadrupoles and electric dipoles, respectively. The design is based on scaling laws and on extensive particle and fluid simulations of the behavior of the space charge-dominated beam.
