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Fusion energy: Progress, partnerships, and the path to deployment
Over the past decade, fusion energy has moved decisively from scientific aspiration toward a credible pathway to a new energy technology. Thanks to long-term federal support, we have significantly advanced our fundamental understanding of plasma physics—the behavior of the superheated gases at the heart of fusion devices. This knowledge will enable the creation and control of fusion fuel under conditions required for future power plants. Our progress is exemplified by breakthroughs at the National Ignition Facility and the Joint European Torus.
S. Bhandarkar, T. Parham, J. Fair
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 59 | Number 1 | January 2011 | Pages 51-57
Technical Paper | Nineteenth Target Fabrication Meeting | doi.org/10.13182/FST10-3718
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
For the various tuning as well as ignition campaigns, targets on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) need to be filled with gases, typically with the different isotopes of H2 and He. Fill tubes that supply the two small chambers in the target, the capsule and the hohlraum, are microcapillaries that are only tens of microns in diameter and present significant impedance to flow. Knowledge of the exact pressures and gas compositions in the capsule and the hohlraum is critical for fielding targets on NIF. This requires modeling of the gas flow through the capillary tubes, at both room temperature and cryogenic temperatures. We present results from a comprehensive model and its experimental verification for a range of conditions such as temperature and pressure.