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Adaptation of Lee Code for characterization of NX-3 Dense Plasma Focus (DPF) and theoretical optimization of reaction parameters
Author
He, Jiaen
Supervisor
Lee, Paul Choon Keat
Abstract
Dense Plasma Focus are a class of nuclear fusion devices, which may be used to produce neutrons for various industrial, research and medical purposes. Since the plasma focus makes use of fusion processes, it is possible to harness the energy from the resulting reaction. It was proposed in the past, that it is possible to operate the dense plasma focus as an energy source. Today, there are still by some active research groups that hold this view. In order to effectively use the plasma focus as an energy source, the plasma focus must produce more energy than it consumes during operation. The fusion reaction within the dense plasma focus takes place under two different mechanisms, namely beam target fusion and thermonuclear fusion. Based on conventional wisdom, for the fusion reaction to be energetically favorable, thermonuclear fusion is the mechanism required. This is the mechanism which the more conventional and well funded fusion programmes aims to achieve. Therefore, in the design of a dense plasma focus, it is also important investigate the ways to set the machine and operating parameters such that maximum amount of fusion reactions takes place through the thermonuclear mechanism. This dissertation seeks to understand the impact of the design parameters of the dense plasma focuses on the reaction cross-section of thermonuclear fusion. This is achieved by fitting the simulation of Lee Code to experimental data of NX-3 machine. This allows us to obtain some fitted parameters which are critical to the subsequent use the of the fitted parameters to carry out simulated runs under various cathode/anode diameter and length, as well as the working gas pressure. The results of the simulation are analyzed to establish conditions favorable for thermonuclear reactions. Additionally, the absolute thermonuclear yield are compared to the beam target yields to establish the significance, thus the viability of energy production. The speed factor is commonly used in literature to describe the effect of the optimization of neutron yield of the dense plasma focus operation. This dissertation also examines its relevance to thermonuclear reactions. The simulations results suggest that a long electrode improve the yield of the thermonuclear fusion when the operating pressure is optimized. However, throughout realistic operation boundaries of the NX-3 dense plasma focus, the thermonuclear neutron yield is insignificant compared to the beam target neutron yield. In order to achieve net energy gain from fusion, a novel design may be required. On the other hand, the simulated data also show that, unlike beam target neutron production, speed factor either cannot be used to optimize thermonuclear neutron production or the optimized value of speed factor is unrealistically high and in an operation regime of the plasma focus which has not been thoroughly, experimentally investigated.
Date Issued
2017
Call Number
QC718.5.D38 He
Date Submitted
2017