One-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of low convergence ratio direct-drive inertial confinement fusion implosions

Indirect drive inertial confinement fusion experiments with convergence ratios below 17 have been previously shown to be less susceptible to Rayleigh–Taylor hydrodynamic instabilities, making this regime highly interesting for fusion science. Additional limitations imposed on the implosion velocity, in-flight aspect ratio and applied laser power aim to further reduce instability growth, resulting in a new regime where performance can be well represented by one-dimensional (1D) hydrodynamic simulations. A simulation campaign was performed using the 1D radiation-hydrodynamics code HYADES to investigate the performance that could be achieved using direct-drive implosions of liquid layer capsules, over a range of relevant energies. Results include potential gains of 0.19 on LMJ-scale systems and 0.75 on NIF-scale systems, and a reactor-level gain of 54 for an 8.5 MJ implosion. While the use of 1D simulations limits the accuracy of these results, they indicate a sufficiently high level of performance to warrant further investigations and verification of this new low-instability regime. This potentially suggests an attractive new approach to fusion energy. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)’.

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Developing one-dimensional implosions for inertial confinement fusion science

High Power Laser Science and Engineering ◽

10.1017/hpl.2016.43 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

J. L. Kline ◽

S. A. Yi ◽

A. N. Simakov ◽

R. E. Olson ◽

D. C. Wilson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽

Liquid Fuel ◽

Hot Spot ◽

High Gain ◽

Limiting Factors ◽

Inertial Confinement ◽

Trade Off ◽

One Dimensional ◽

Confinement Fusion ◽

Fusion Implosions

Experiments on the National Ignition Facility show that multi-dimensional effects currently dominate the implosion performance. Low mode implosion symmetry and hydrodynamic instabilities seeded by capsule mounting features appear to be two key limiting factors for implosion performance. One reason these factors have a large impact on the performance of inertial confinement fusion implosions is the high convergence required to achieve high fusion gains. To tackle these problems, a predictable implosion platform is needed meaning experiments must trade-off high gain for performance. LANL has adopted three main approaches to develop a one-dimensional (1D) implosion platform where 1D means measured yield over the 1D clean calculation. A high adiabat, low convergence platform is being developed using beryllium capsules enabling larger case-to-capsule ratios to improve symmetry. The second approach is liquid fuel layers using wetted foam targets. With liquid fuel layers, the implosion convergence can be controlled via the initial vapor pressure set by the target fielding temperature. The last method is double shell targets. For double shells, the smaller inner shell houses the DT fuel and the convergence of this cavity is relatively small compared to hot spot ignition. However, double shell targets have a different set of trade-off versus advantages. Details for each of these approaches are described.

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Recent progress in quantifying hydrodynamics instabilities and turbulence in inertial confinement fusion and high-energy-density experiments

Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences ◽

10.1098/rsta.2020.0021 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 379 (2189) ◽

pp. 20200021 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

A. Casner

Keyword(s):

Energy Density ◽

Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽

Fusion Energy ◽

High Gain ◽

High Energy ◽

High Energy Density ◽

Inertial Confinement ◽

Direct Drive ◽

Energy Part ◽

Confinement Fusion

Since the seminal paper of Nuckolls triggering the quest of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) with lasers, hydrodynamic instabilities have been recognized as one of the principal hurdles towards ignition. This remains true nowadays for both main approaches (indirect drive and direct drive), despite the advent of MJ scale lasers with tremendous technological capabilities. From a fundamental science perspective, these gigantic laser facilities enable also the possibility to create dense plasma flows evolving towards turbulence, being magnetized or not. We review the state of the art of nonlinear hydrodynamics and turbulent experiments, simulations and theory in ICF and high-energy-density plasmas and draw perspectives towards in-depth understanding and control of these fascinating phenomena. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 2)’.

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Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy: an introduction to the first special edition

Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences ◽

10.1098/rsta.2020.0006 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 378 (2184) ◽

pp. 20200006 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

P. A. Norreys ◽

C. Ridgers ◽

K. Lancaster ◽

M. Koepke ◽

G. Tynan

Keyword(s):

Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽

Fusion Energy ◽

High Gain ◽

Inertial Fusion ◽

Inertial Fusion Energy ◽

Inertial Confinement ◽

Energy Part ◽

Confinement Fusion ◽

Alternative Approaches ◽

Basic Studies

A European consortium of 15 laboratories across nine nations have worked together under the EUROFusion Enabling Research grants for the past decade with three principle objectives. These are: (a) investigating obstacles to ignition on megaJoule-class laser facilities; (b) investigating novel alternative approaches to ignition, including basic studies for fast ignition (both electron and ion-driven), auxiliary heating, shock ignition etc.; and (c) developing technologies that will be required in the future for a fusion reactor. The Hooke discussion meeting in March 2020 provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress made in inertial confinement fusion research world-wide to date. This first edition of two special issues seeks to identify paths forward to achieve high fusion energy gain. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)’.

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Modelling burning thermonuclear plasma

Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences ◽

10.1098/rsta.2020.0014 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 378 (2184) ◽

pp. 20200014 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S. J. Rose ◽

P. W. Hatfield ◽

R. H. H. Scott

Keyword(s):

Quantum Electrodynamics ◽

Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽

Fusion Energy ◽

High Gain ◽

Big Bang ◽

Inertial Confinement ◽

Energy Part ◽

Confinement Fusion ◽

The Usa ◽

The Big Bang

Considerable progress towards the achievement of thermonuclear burn using inertial confinement fusion has been achieved at the National Ignition Facility in the USA in the last few years. Other drivers, such as the Z-machine at Sandia, are also making progress towards this goal. A burning thermonuclear plasma would provide a unique and extreme plasma environment; in this paper we discuss (a) different theoretical challenges involved in modelling burning plasmas not currently considered, (b) the use of novel machine learning-based methods that might help large facilities reach ignition, and (c) the connections that a burning plasma might have to fundamental physics, including quantum electrodynamics studies, and the replication and exploration of conditions that last occurred in the first few minutes after the Big Bang. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)’.

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Irradiation uniformity at the Laser MegaJoule facility in the context of the shock ignition scheme

High Power Laser Science and Engineering ◽

10.1017/hpl.2014.12 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Mauro Temporal ◽

Benoit Canaud ◽

Warren J. Garbett ◽

Rafael Ramis ◽

Stefan Weber

Keyword(s):

Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Inertial Confinement ◽

Direct Drive ◽

Azimuthal Component ◽

Hydrodynamic Simulations ◽

Available Energy ◽

Confinement Fusion ◽

Hydrodynamic Calculations ◽

Shock Ignition

AbstractThe use of the Laser MegaJoule facility within the shock ignition scheme has been considered. In the first part of the study, one-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations were performed for an inertial confinement fusion capsule in the context of the shock ignition scheme providing the energy gain and an estimation of the increase of the peak power due to the reduction of the photon penetration expected during the high-intensity spike pulse. In the second part, we considered a Laser MegaJoule configuration consisting of 176 laser beams that have been grouped providing two different irradiation schemes. In this configuration the maximum available energy and power are 1.3 MJ and 440 TW. Optimization of the laser–capsule parameters that minimize the irradiation non-uniformity during the first few ns of the foot pulse has been performed. The calculations take into account the specific elliptical laser intensity profile provided at the Laser MegaJoule and the expected beam uncertainties. A significant improvement of the illumination uniformity provided by the polar direct drive technique has been demonstrated. Three-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations have been performed in order to analyse the magnitude of the azimuthal component of the irradiation that is neglected in two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations.

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Direct-Drive Inertial Confinement Fusion Implosions on Omega

High Energy Density Laboratory Astrophysics ◽

10.1007/1-4020-4162-4_32 ◽

2005 ◽

pp. 227-233

Author(s):

S.P. Regan ◽

T.C. Sangster ◽

D.D. Meyerhofer ◽

K. Anderson ◽

R. Betti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽

Inertial Confinement ◽

Direct Drive ◽

Confinement Fusion ◽

Fusion Implosions

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Double-cone ignition scheme for inertial confinement fusion

Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences ◽

10.1098/rsta.2020.0015 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 378 (2184) ◽

pp. 20200015 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

J. Zhang ◽

W. M. Wang ◽

X. H. Yang ◽

D. Wu ◽

Y. Y. Ma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽

Energy Requirement ◽

Fusion Energy ◽

Laser Pulses ◽

High Gain ◽

Double Cone ◽

Inertial Confinement ◽

Fast Heating ◽

Isentropic Compression ◽

Confinement Fusion

While major progress has been made in the research of inertial confinement fusion, significant challenges remain in the pursuit of ignition. To tackle the challenges, we propose a double-cone ignition (DCI) scheme, in which two head-on gold cones are used to confine deuterium–tritium (DT) shells imploded by high-power laser pulses. The scheme is composed of four progressive controllable processes: quasi-isentropic compression, acceleration, head-on collision and fast heating of the compressed fuel. The quasi-isentropic compression is performed inside two head-on cones. At the later stage of the compression, the DT shells in the cones are accelerated to forward velocities of hundreds of km s –1 . The head-on collision of the compressed and accelerated fuels from the cone tips transfer the forward kinetic energy to the thermal energy of the colliding fuel with an increased density. The preheated high-density fuel can keep its status for a period of approximately 200 ps. Within this period, MeV electrons generated by ps heating laser pulses, guided by a ns laser-produced strong magnetic field further heat the fuel efficiently. Our simulations show that the implosion inside the head-on cones can greatly mitigate the energy requirement for compression; the collision can preheat the compressed fuel of approximately 300 g cm −3 to a temperature above keV. The fuel can then reach an ignition temperature of greater than 5 keV with magnetically assisted heating of MeV electrons generated by the heating laser pulses. Experimental campaigns to demonstrate the scheme have already begun. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)’.

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Inertial confinement fusion: a defence context

Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society A Mathematical Physical and Engineering Sciences ◽

10.1098/rsta.2020.0012 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 378 (2184) ◽

pp. 20200012 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Andrew Randewich ◽

Rob Lock ◽

Warren Garbett ◽

Dominic Bethencourt-Smith

Keyword(s):

Inertial Confinement Fusion ◽

High Performance ◽

Fusion Energy ◽

High Gain ◽

High Energy ◽

High Energy Density ◽

Inertial Confinement ◽

Science And Engineering ◽

Confinement Fusion ◽

The Uk

Almost 30 years since the last UK nuclear test, it remains necessary regularly to underwrite the safety and effectiveness of the National Nuclear Deterrent. To do so has been possible to date because of the development of continually improving science and engineering tools running on ever more powerful high-performance computing platforms, underpinned by cutting-edge experimental facilities. While some of these facilities, such as the Orion laser, are based in the UK, others are accessed by international collaboration. This is most notably with the USA via capabilities such as the National Ignition Facility, but also with France where a joint hydrodynamics facility is nearing completion following establishment of a Treaty in 2010. Despite the remarkable capability of the science and engineering tools, there is an increasing requirement for experiments as materials age and systems inevitably evolve further from what was specifically trialled at underground nuclear tests (UGTs). The data from UGTs will remain the best possible representation of the extreme conditions generated in a nuclear explosion, but it is essential to supplement these data by realizing new capabilities that will bring us closer to achieving laboratory simulations of these conditions. For high-energy-density physics, the most promising technique for generating temperatures and densities of interest is inertial confinement fusion (ICF). Continued research in ICF by the UK will support the certification of the deterrent for decades to come; hence the UK works closely with the international community to develop ICF science. UK Ministry of Defence © Crown Owned Copyright 2020/AWE. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Prospects for high gain inertial fusion energy (part 1)'.

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