Transcript macdonagh_aidan_paul_elizabeth_sol _sm

Advanced Fuel Fusion
Reactors
Aidan MacDonagh
Elizabeth Paul
Friday, October 4th
Field Reversed Configuration
PFRC Group - Samuel Cohen
Advantages of PFRC
Aneutronic fusion
- D + He3 ➟ He4(3.6 MeV) + p(14.7 MeV)
- less shielding required -> less demanding
materials engineering
Small-scale reactor
Tritium breeding is non-issue
Constraints on Reactor
Power density
- Lower power density from D-He3 reaction
Reactor conditions
- High T and p
- Low power
Where to get He3?
- Tritium decay
- Tritium extraction from water
- the moon
Fusion & Our Energy Future
Safe, clean reactants and products
- No radioactive waste or greenhouse gas
emissions
- Potentially readily available fuel sources
Fusion Product Slowing Down in
Scrape off Layer
- Predicted time for energetic protons to deposit
energy to plasma electrons is not well known
for regime of PFRC
- Want to find small t_s (ts ~ 1/P_fusion)
- Possibility for exciting plasma modes ->
potential for decreasing t_s
Method - Particle-in-cell-simulations (LSP)
Calculated Slowing Down vs.
Theoretical Predictions
tS (Stix) = 4.05 x 10-5 s
tS (fast) = 2.14 x 10-2 s
tS = 1.35 x 10-6 s
Wake Formation & Wave
Excitation
Magnetic Nozzles and Plasma
Detachment
Magnetic nozzles:
- convert thermal E to directed KE
- accelerate plasma
Applications:
- Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generator
- Plasma propulsion for space flight
Image credit: Justin Little, EPPDyL
Image credit: Dr. Samuel Cohen, PPPL
Image credit: Electropaedia
LSP PIC Code Simulations
Simulations of magnetic nozzle, varying
important parameters, producing data
and visualizations, looking for detachment.
Top right: B field lines
Bottom left: ion density, 6000 ns
Bottom right: electron density, 6000 ns
Outcomes and Conclusions
- Thesis, JP, and future independent work
- Future research
- Technical skills
- data analysis
- simulations
- Literature review
- General plasma physics knowledge
- Research group experience