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This Defense Intelligence Agency reference document, dated 10 March 2010, covers inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) fusion. It was produced in FY 2009 under the DIA's Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) program. The report focuses on work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and reviews IEC basics, experiments, theory and applications such as neutron sources, explosives detection and space propulsion. It concludes by proposing a breakeven experiment for p-11B fusion that uses a hydrogen plasma simulation.
“Works”29 pages
UNCLASSIFIED//509 QFFI~llk WEE e•lklf predict fusion rates. This latter achievement makes spectroscopic measurements simpler to carry out since hydrogen can be used to predict these fusion rates, which excludes the radiation hazard in a laboratory situation where shielding is not possible. In follow-on work, they simplified the modeling of charge exchange with an analytical approach to charge exchange modeling based on Markov chain theory. Table 4.1. Comparison of Analytical and Numerical Estimates of Q-values in a beam-Dominated Solution -- for a SO-kV Square Well. Analytical BAFP (Chacon) With co-moving ions Q ~ 0.21 - Ref. 4.1, Nevins - Without co-moving ions Q ~ 1.3 - Ref. 4.2, Chacon Q~ 1 The movement of neutrals moving away from the cathode seen from the spectroscopic measurements was also confirmed by carrying out a dusty plasma measurement to show charged micron sized insulating spheres (dust) experience a force away from the cathode centre (Reference 3.13). The explanation of this was attributed to a local potential maximum established at the center of the cathode, which accelerates ions at that point away from the center. Due to charge exchange, ions become neutrals and are able to leave along the microchannels out to the anode. The ion drag force on the dust moved the dust particles away from the center. Based on this observation, Khachan has engineered the collimated beam of exiting neutrals from the cathode to make a simple electric propulsion thruster where a unidirectional micro-channel emerges from a conical cathode (Reference 3.14). He claims that the specific impulse of the thruster and its efficiency greatly exceed existing electric propulsion thrusters. Note that this concept, while having some similarities, differs in some details from Miley's jet thrusts describe earlier. CONCLUDING REMARKS The primary focus of this section has been on two key alternate geometries: The cylindrical and jet IECs. Both provide unique capabilities for applications using IEC sources and IEC space thruster, respectively. These uses, however, require competition in commercial markets with other options. This IEC technology is just now emerging, so its success in commercialization has yet to be established. More about such applications is discussed in Section V. In conclusion, the DaIEC is a very interesting alternate IEC configuration. However, it has received little experimental study to date, so much more needs to be done to fully evaluate its potential. REFERENCES 3.1 B. Bromley, L. Chacon, and G. Miley, "Approximate Modeling of Cylindrical Inertial Electrostatic Confinement, (IEC) Fusion Neutron Generator," Proc. 16th International 32 UNCLASSIFIED/ 1«F81it 8FFIIIAI!: 1!181! &••1::Y
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Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 72 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.