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Fusion Science and Technology
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Playing the “bad guy” to enhance next-generation safety
Sometimes, cops and robbers is more than just a kid’s game. At the Department of Energy’s national laboratories, researchers are channeling their inner saboteurs to discover vulnerabilities in next-generation nuclear reactors, making sure that they’re as safe as possible before they’re even constructed.
M. J. Grosskopf, D. C. Marion, R. P. Drake, C. C. Kuranz, F. W. Doss, A. J. Visco, C. M. Huntington, C. M. Krauland, C. A. Di Stefano, E. C. Harding
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 59 | Number 1 | January 2011 | Pages 250-256
Technical Paper | Nineteenth Target Fabrication Meeting | doi.org/10.13182/FST11-A11532
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
At the University of Michigan (U-M), we have successfully fabricated and characterized targets for our experimental campaigns since 2003. Because of the unique production environment, we iterate many models in the course of a single-shot plan and have the flexibility to test and alter target designs as needed throughout the build process. Over the past few years, many advances in target design and fabrication have allowed greater degrees of design complexity while retaining the high level of build precision necessary for microscale experiments on facilities such as the OMEGA laser. Extensive target metrology is carried out during and after the fabrication process to allow for full knowledge of experimental conditions and to ensure that all targets are within required specifications. Analysis of the variability in metrology measurements over the multiple-shot campaigns allows for the quantification of improvements in the target build quality and metrology measurements. We present a summary of the capabilities and recent developments of target fabrication at U-M, as well as progress and analysis of build repeatability.