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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.
Philippe M. Bardet, Ryan P. Abbott, Chris Campen, James Franklin, Haihua Zhao, Per F. Peterson
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 52 | Number 4 | November 2007 | Pages 932-937
Technical Paper | Inertial Fusion Technology: Drivers and Advanced Designs | doi.org/10.13182/FST07-A1613
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Z-Pinch IFE chamber fluid mechanics can be studied using simulant fluids such as water in reduced scale facilities. The use of porous liquid and solid blanket materials provides the key to mitigating blast effects from fusion reaction. The UCB Vacuum Hydraulics Experiment (VHEX) was recently upgraded with a large, annular inlet nozzle system to produce an annular porous liquid curtains to study Z-Pinch IFE chamber response. Explosives experiments in VHEX studied the response of the liquid structure to the detonation of high explosive C-4. The experiments demonstrated that the crushing of porous liquid structures is effective in transferring momentum uniformly into the blanket mass. No significant high-speed jetting or spall was observed exiting the shocked liquid structure. Independent measurement of the transient pressure history, coupled with high-speed video of the blanket response and final velocity, will provide the basis to validate gas dynamics and blanket response models.