NASA Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is making significant progress in several areas related to the safety and
environmental (S and E) aspects of inertial fusion energy (IFE). A detailed accident analysis has been completed for the
HYLIFE-II power plant design. Additional accident analyses are underway for both the HYLIFE-II and Sombrero designs.
Other S and E work at LLNL has addressed the issue of the driver-chamber interface and its importance for both heavy-ion
and laser-driven IFE. Radiation doses and fluences have been calculated for final focusing mirrors and magnets and shielding
optimization is underway to extend the anticipated lifetimes for key components. Target designers/fabrication specialists have
been provided with ranking information related to the S and E characteristics of candidate target materials (e.g., ability to
recycle, accident consequences, and waste management). Ongoing work in this area will help guide research directions and
the selection of target materials. Published and continuing work on fast ignition has demonstrated some of the potentially
attractive S and E features of such designs.
NTIS
Safety; Waste Management; Accident Investigation
20040050187 Lawrence Livermore National Lab., Livermore, CA
Gaseous Laser Targets and Optical Diagnostics for Studying Compressible Hydrodynamic Instabilities
Edwards, J.; Robey, H.; Mackinnon, A.; Jun. 29, 2001; 12 pp.; In English
Report No.(s): DE2004-15006189; UCRL-ID-144268; No Copyright; Avail: Department of Energy Information Bridge
Explore the combination of optical diagnostics and gaseous targets to obtain important information about compressible
turbulent flows that cannot be derived from traditional laser experiments for the purposes of V and V of hydrodynamics models
and understanding scaling. First year objectives: Develop and characterize blast wave-gas jet test bed; Perform single pulse
shadowgraphy of blast wave interaction with turbulent gas jet as a function of blast wave Mach number; Explore double pulse
shadowgraphy and image correlation for extracting velocity spectra in the shock-turbulent flow interaction; and Explore the
use/adaptation of advanced diagnostics.
NTIS
Laser Targets; Diagnosis; Shadowgraph Photography
20040050190 Lawrence Livermore National Lab., Livermore, CA
Heavy-Ion Fusion Final Focus Magnet Shielding Designs
Latkowski, J. F.; Meier, W. R.; Oct. 11, 2000; 12 pp.; In English
Report No.(s): DE2004-15005855; UCRL-JC-138701; No Copyright; Avail: Department of Energy Information Bridge
At the Thirteenth International Symposium on Heavy Ion Inertial Fusion (HIF Symposium), we presented magnet
shielding calculations for 72-, 128, 200, and 288-beam versions of the HYLIFE-II power plant design. In all cases, we found
the radiation-limited lifetimes of the last set of final focusing magnets to be unacceptably short. Since that time, we have
completed follow-on calculations to improve the lifetime of the 72-beam case. Using a self-consistent final focusing model,
we vary parameters such as the shielding thicknesses and compositions, focusing length, angle-of-attack to the target, and the
geometric representation of the flibe pocket, chamber, and blanket. By combining many of these shielding features, we are able
to demonstrate a magnet shielding design that would enable the last set of final focusing magnets to survive for the lifetime
of the power plant.
NTIS
Heavy Ions; Magnets; Shielding
20040050255 Lawrence Livermore National Lab., Livermore, CA
Modeling the Effect of Drifts on the Edge, Scrape-Off Layer, and Divertor Plasma in DIII-D
Porter, G. D.; Boedo, J. A.; Groebner, R. J.; Carlstrom, T. N.; Rognlien, T. D.; Jun. 05, 2001; 10 pp.; In English
Report No.(s): DE2004-15006133; UCRL-JC-142107; No Copyright; Avail: Department of Energy Information Bridge
Simulations of plasmas with a DIII-D shape indicate plasma drifts are important at power levels near the L- to H-mode
plasma transition. In addition to enhancing plasma flows in the divertor region, drifts are found to play a key role in
establishing highly sheared radial electric fields in the edge of the confined plasma, for the physics of the high confinement
operating mode (H-mode). Measurements of the plasma structure in the vicinity of the X-point of DIII-D indicate the
importance of drifts on plasma flow between the scrape-off layer (SOL) and closed field lines. The large electric fields provide
large flows around the X-point, and these are conjectured to play a role in the transition from L- to H-mode confinement. These
results indicate the relevance of modeling the edge and SOL plasmas of present tokamak devices using models which include
E x B,(del)B, and pressure gradient drifts. The results of simulation of specific DIII-D discharges is reported in this paper. They
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