Simulations of imploding solid liner melting and vaporization vs liner thickness
Abstract
We reported on experiments that successfully imploded (via magnetic pressure) cylindrical aluminum liners suitable for compressing field reversed configurations (FRC's) to magnetized target fusion (MTF) conditions (IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science 29, 93 (2001)). We have done 2D-MHD simulations of the resistive heating of imploding liners as a function of thickness. This gained insight on diffusion time effects that could lead to melt waves. Scaling the thickness of a liner for successful experiment parameters with the implosion discharge energy might be expected to preserve the timing of loss of material strength. Diffusion effects complicate this. Simulations indicate such effects for increasing the discharge energy and liner thickness a factor of 4, with the same current rise time, relative to experimentally successful implosion parameters. Such effects include earlier onset of melting and higher fractional melting for the thicker liner, higher energy cases, despite equal current action per unit cross section.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- October 2003
- Bibcode:
- 2003APS..DPPUO2009D