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Defense Intelligence Reference Document Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion

Defense Intelligence Agency · 72 pages · text from the file's own layer

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.

  • p. 8 …This is important for long run times since 10n bombardment of the grids, hence grid wire…
  • p. 9 …This time can be restated in terms of the number of ion recirculations in the IEC…
  • p. 15 …This work and others on the small gridded systems at that time showed several important problems…
  • p. 17 …interesting concept is the idea of ion focusing, either in space or time, or some other…
  • p. 18 …confinement time for aneutronic fusion. This assumes, however, very precise control is maintained over the energy…
  • p. 23 …By selecting the pulse width to match or exceed the ion confinement time, typically order of…
  • p. 27 …This is the approach used at the UIUC. However, introduction of the source into the configuration…
  • p. 30 …The second jet would serve the integration purpose of the platform without having to expend time…
  • p. 35 …The issue then is how to achieve adequate confinement times. The approach being pursued at UIUC…
  • p. 36 …step in a timely fashion, however. The Dipole Assisted IEC (DaIEC) The dipole assisted IEC DaIEC…
  • p. 38 …in the current experiment. It is found that electron density increases about 17 times more than…
  • p. 41 …Namely, the time scale for collisional degradation of the beam-like ion distribution function is crucial…
  • p. 42 …would homogenize the speed within the ion beam a~er some time, making the speed difference…
  • p. 43 …1) The electrostatic well is deep enough (Eo > 100 kV); 2) Ion confinement time is long…
  • p. 44 …The source to sink issue noted several times here can be explained as follows. Two opposite…
  • p. 49 …The time convergence test suggests that employing the largest time step compatible with accuracy in a…
  • p. 50 …When an ion beam is hot, the waves excited by the instability are ion acoustic type…
  • p. 51 …used an analytical model of charge- exchange collisions in the IEC plasma to include ion time…
  • p. 53 …Nevins, Can inertial electrostatic confinement work beyond the ion-ion collisional time scale?" Phys. Plasmas, Vol…
  • p. 54 …This method uses a pulsed high-energy neutron source and the time-of-flight (TOF) diagnostics…
  • p. 57 …The longer the charge time, the higher the charge in the energy storage capacitor bank and…
  • p. 58 …The challenge in these systems is that the unloading time is short and the container is…
  • p. 59 …by the number of detectors, the detector configuration, the collimated beam size, the acquisition time, and…
  • p. 62 …The Tokamak has a shorter trip time by employing a power level that is six times…
  • p. 63 …In this fashion, an array of multiple IECs increase the overall confinement time roughly in proportion…
  • p. 64 …This recirculation significantly increases the confinement time verses that of a simple cusp devise, leading to…
  • p. 65 …This re-trapping greatly increases the confinement time of a MCSA fusion device. 58 UNCLASSIFIED/;CEiOAt…
  • p. 66 …in the IEC high power-to-weight of the MCSA enables fast trip times. The concept…
  • p. 67 …across the outer surface, so increased confinement times have been achieved by going to the massively…
  • p. 68 …Here n is the ion density and Tis the ion confinement time. Assuming the converged core…
  • p. 69 …A specially designed radio frequency (RF) ion gun is installed on the side of the chamber…
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Detector Array and Analysis System
The final imaging quality is determined by neutron source yield integrated over the area
of coverage by the number of detectors, the detector configuration, the collimated
beam size, the acquisition time, and other scan-related parameters. Scintillators such
as NaI, Csl, and BGO as well as Plastic Nal (Tl) are candidates for gamma and x-ray
detectors. Due to their small size, they can be used in a large array along with TOF
spectrometry to provide detailed special information. Recently, UIUC staff has studied
use of an advanced thick Hgb detector which appears to be particularly advantageous
for this application. Hgb is a room temperature semiconductor material with an
excellent stopping power and a relatively large photo-fraction for detecting high energy
gamma rays. Assuming successful development, Hgb detectors would provide superior
array performance.
With the combined sources, the detector array receives a vast amount of information in
a short scan time. To handle this flow of data most efficiently, a fuzzy logic system is
employed. The development of this advanced fuzzy logic system is patterned after a
methodology developed for the diagnosis of abnormal situations in nuclear reactor
safety analysis. The knowledge box employs a goal tree (and/or decision tree) for
representation. This system will use learning-based rules that evolve from extensive
simulation tests to provide training about the simultaneous occurrence of specific
elements and embedded object shapes. It will also learn to differentiate between
positive and negative data by creating rules from these test runs. Materials listed early
in the simulation study discussion would be employed. The advantage of this system is
twofold. The broad area scan analysis is optimized for fast through-put of objects while
the multiple neutron/x-ray identification reduces the probability of false identification.
The fuzzy logic system will pass the integrated item or sound an alert (suspicious object
in the container) automatically without human involvement. Humans will only be
involved when an alert is sounded. An alert occurs for a range of positive identification
of materials on to suspected identification. The multiple source detector array concept
is designed to minimize items that fall into the category of "in-between" positive
identification and clearance.
The overall concept described here is illustrated for an airplane luggage scan in Figure
5.3. Data from the detection system (TNA, PFNA and x-ray) is processed through fuzzy
logic system. If the item undergoing inspection passes this test, it continues on its way
to baggage claim. If an alert is sounded, the item can either be passed through the
machine for a second scan or be manually inspected, depending on the confidence level
of the alert.
Since the integrated system is modular, the basic components can easily be assembled
in a variety of configurations for use at different facilities. An example is the extension
to inspection of container ships being unloaded in port as illustrated in Figure 5.4.
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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.