The Cryogenic Pressure Loader: a testbed for cryogenic ICF ignition targets
Abstract
The Cryogenic Pressure Loader (CPL) has been developed to be a flexible testbed for developing cryogenic Inertial Confinement Fusion ignition targets. Target designs for use at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics (UR/LLE) and the National Ignition Facility call for spherical layers of solid DT held below 20 K. The cryogenic solid layers are about 100 microns thick and are held in 1-2 mm diameter plastic shells. The inner DT surfaces must be smooth on a micron scale, and outer surface requirements prohibit the use of fill tubes, so the shells will be diffusion filled with DT. The CPL cryostat, housed within a tritium glovebox, is designed to fill plastic shells without fill tubes to 1000 atm DT and form cryogenic layers. The CPL shares elements with the Cryogenic Target Handling System at UR/LLE to allow advance testing of tritium issues. The CPL is able to test the beta-layering and thermal properties of a range of target and mount designs. The cryostat has been tested, system integration is being completed during summer 2000 and project status will be reported. This work is performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under contract number W7405-ENG36. LA-UR-00-3113.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 2000
- Bibcode:
- 2000APS..DPPVO1010E