Dynamics of Liquid-Protected Fusion Chambers

Abstract

This paper presents an update of the work done at University of California, Berkeley (UCB) on thick-liquid protection of inertial fusion energy (IFE) chambers. UCB is focusing on microsecond, millisecond, and quasi-steady phenomena. Over microsecond time scales, numerical simulations, performed with the code TSUNAMI permit modeling of IFE chambers gas dynamics. For the millisecond range, the liquid jets response to the fusion reaction impulse loading is being studied for both Z-Pinch and HYLIFE-II-type chambers. A new mineral oil has been identified that allows scaled molten salt experiments with low distortion. Vortex tube flow, a key liquid structure of the 2002 Robust Point Design has been investigated in scaled experiments using the mineral oil, while a new design for thick liquid wall protection is under development. In quasi-steady phenomena, recent work has measured the Flibe vapor pressure and composition at near melting point temperature using mass spectrometry.