Harold Lamb: Dschingis Khan, ... [Rezension]

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Potential common radiation problems for components and diagnostics in future magnetic and inertial confinement fusion devices

This work aims at identifying commonpotentialproblems that futurefusiondevices will encounter for both magnetic and inertialconfinement approaches in order to promote joint efforts and to avoid duplication of research. Firstly, a comparison of radiation environments found in both fusion reaction chambers will be presented. Then, wall materials, optical components, cables and electronics will be discussed, pointing to possible future areas of common research. Finally, a brief discussion of experimental techniques available to simulate the radiation effect on materials is included

Assessment of the behaviour of hidrogen isotopes and helio in the W armor for inertial confinement

After 10s the 90-99% of particles are released from the tungsten wall, mostly, towards the chamber. No element crosses the tungsten wall to the cooler. With 1x1022p/m2of He inside the W wall, He starts occasioning damages in the material. For case HiPER4a that is not a problem

High-efficiency Köhler photovoltaic concentrators with external light confinement

Metal grid lines are a vital element in multijunction solar cells in order to take out from the cell the generated photocurrent. Nevertheless all this implies certain shadowing factor and thus certain reflectivity on cells surface that lowers its light absorption. This reflectivity produces a loss in electrical efficiency and thus a loss in global energy production for CPV systems. We present here an optical design for recovering this portion of reflected light, and thus leading to a system efficiency increase. This new design is based on an external confinement cavity, an optical element able to redirect the light reflected by the cell towards its surface again. It has been possible thanks to the recent invention of the advanced Köhler concentrators by LPI, likely to integrate one of these cavities easily. We have proven the excellent performance of these cavities integrated in this kind of CPV modules offering outstanding results: 33.2% module electrical efficiency @Tcell=25ºC and relative efficiency and Isc gains of over 6%.

Towards 35% Efficient Concentrator Modules Based On LPI Köhler Concentrators With External Confinement Cavities

Multijunction solar cells present a certain reflectivity on its surface that lowers its light absorption. This reflectivity produces a loss in electrical efficiency and thus a loss in global energy production for CPV systems. We present here an optical design for recovering this portion of reflected light, and thus leading to a system efficiency increase. This new design is based on an external confinement cavity, an optical element able to redirect the light reflected by the cell towards its surface again. We have proven the excellent performance of these cavities integrated in CPV modules offering outstanding results: 33.2% module electrical efficiency @Tcell  =  25 °C and relative efficiency and Isc gains of over 6%

Hydrodynamic stability theory of double ablation front structures in inertial confinement fusion.

The aim of inertial confinement fusion is the production of energy by the fusion of thermonuclear fuel (deuterium-tritium) enclosed in a spherical target due to its implosion. In the direct-drive approach, the energy needed to spark fusion reactions is delivered by the irradiation of laser beams that leads to the ablation of the outer shell of the target (the so-called ablator). As a reaction to this ablation process, the target is accelerated inwards, and, provided that this implosion is sufficiently strong a symmetric, the requirements of temperature and pressure in the center of the target are achieved leading to the ignition of the target (fusion). One of the obstacles capable to prevent appropriate target implosions takes place in the ablation region where any perturbation can grow even causing the ablator shell break, due to the ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability. The ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability has been extensively studied throughout the last 40 years in the case where the density/temperature profiles in the ablation region present a single front (the ablation front). Single ablation fronts appear when the ablator material has a low atomic number (deuterium/tritium ice, plastic). In this case, the main mechanism of energy transport from the laser energy absorption region (low density plasma) to the ablation region is the electron thermal conduction. However, recently, the use of materials with a moderate atomic number (silica, doped plastic) as ablators, with the aim of reducing the target pre-heating caused by suprathermal electrons generated by the laser-plasma interaction, has demonstrated an ablation region composed of two ablation fronts. This fact appears due to increasing importance of radiative effects in the energy transport. The linear theory describing the Rayleigh-Taylor instability for single ablation fronts cannot be applied for the stability analysis of double ablation front structures. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to develop, for the first time, a linear stability theory for this type of hydrodynamic structures.

Ignition conditions for inertial confinement fusion targets with a nuclear spin-polarized DT fuel

The nuclear fusion cross-section is modified when the spins of the interacting nuclei are polarized. In the case of deuterium?tritium it has been theoretically predicted that the nuclear fusion cross-section could be increased by a factor d = 1.5 if all the nuclei were polarized. In inertial confinement fusion this would result in a modification of the required ignition conditions. Using numerical simulations it is found that the required hot-spot temperature and areal density can both be reduced by about 15% for a fully polarized nuclear fuel. Moreover, numerical simulations of a directly driven capsule show that the required laser power and energy to achieve a high gain scale as d-0.6 and d-0.4 respectively, while the maximum achievable energy gain scales as d0.9.

Self-consistent numerical dispersion relation of the ablative Rayleigh-Taylor instability of double ablation fronts in inertial confinement fusion

The linear stability analysis of accelerated double ablation fronts is carried out numerically with a self-consistent approach. Accurate hydrodynamic profiles are taken into account in the theoretical model by means of a fitting parameters method using 1D simulation results. Numerical dispersión relation is compared to an analytical sharp boundary model [Yan˜ez et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 052701 (2011)] showing an excellent agreement for the radiation dominated regime of very steep ablation fronts, and the stabilization due to smooth profiles. 2D simulations are presented to validate the numerical self-consistent theory.

Failure mechanism of reinforced concrete structural walls with and without confinement

This paper presents the results of cyclic loading tests on two large-scale reinforced concrete structural walls that were conducted at Purdue University. One of the walls had confinement reinforcement meeting ACI-318-11 requirements while the other wall did not have any confinement reinforcement. The walls were tested as part of a larger study aimed at indentifying parameters affecting failure modes observed to limit the drift capacity of structural walls in Chile during the Maule Earthquake of 2010. These failure modes include out-of-plane buckling (of the wall rather tan individual reinforcing bars), compression failure, and bond failure. This paper discusses the effects of confinement on failure mode. Distributions of unit strain and curvature obtained with a dense array of non-contact coordinate-tracking targets are also presented.

Nanocrystals in the manufacture of target for inertial confinement fusion

Systems inertial confinement fusion (ICF) need of a manufacturing process targets very accurate and efficient (Fig. A). Due to the frequency needed for energy production techniques are necessary to achieve high repetition rates, however it is also necessary to increase or maintain the quality and efficiency of these targets. In order to observe more resolution possible problems in the target manufacture (B), we propose the following theoretical methodology, by means of which analyze different phenomena present in the conditions which are fabrication and handled deuterium tritium target spheres (DT ice). Recent experiments show that addition of instabilities caused by the geometry of the solid layer of DT ice (C), and the cover (ablator), one can relate the loss of power delivery in the implosion due to different conformations of the solid layers with regarding handling conditions.

Plasmonic nanoparticles for the protection of the final optics in inertial confinement fusion facilities: capabilities and limitations

Final lenses in laser fusion plants. Challenges for the protection of the final lenses. Plasmonic nanoparticles. Radiation resistance

Optimal laser intensity profiles for a uniform target illumination in direct-drive inertial confinement fusion

A numerical method providing the optimal laser intensity profiles for a direct-drive inertial confinement fusion scheme has been developed. The method provides an alternative approach to phase-space optimization studies, which can prove computationally expensive. The method applies to a generic irradiation configuration characterized by an arbitrary number NB of laser beams provided that they irradiate the whole target surface, and thus goes beyond previous analyses limited to symmetric configurations. The calculated laser intensity profiles optimize the illumination of a spherical target. This paper focuses on description of the method, which uses two steps: first, the target irradiation is calculated for initial trial laser intensities, and then in a second step the optimal laser intensities are obtained by correcting the trial intensities using the calculated illumination. A limited number of example applications to direct drive on the Laser MegaJoule (LMJ) are described.

Packing of atermal polymers in the bulk and under confinement

Polymers constitute a distinct class of anisotropic particles with unique dynamical, rheological and mechanical properties.

Monte Carlo simulations of densely-packed athermal polymers in the bulk and under confinement

We review the main results from extensive Monte Carlo (MC) simulations on athermal polymer packings in the bulk and under confinement. By employing the simplest possible model of excluded volume, macromolecules are represented as freely-jointed chains of hard spheres of uniform size. Simulations are carried out in a wide concentration range: from very dilute up to very high volume fractions, reaching the maximally random jammed (MRJ) state. We study how factors like chain length, volume fraction and flexibility of bond lengths affect the structure, shape and size of polymers, their packing efficiency and their phase behaviour (disorder–order transition). In addition, we observe how these properties are affected by confinement realized by flat, impenetrable walls in one dimension. Finally, by mapping the parent polymer chains to primitive paths through direct geometrical algorithms, we analyse the characteristics of the entanglement network as a function of packing density.