Fusion energy - advanced ignition techniques and target fabrication

在最近的一项研究中，加拿大工程师学会就加拿大未来的清洁能源道路提出了几项建议。其中一项建议是加拿大重新建立一个研究计划，以追求核聚变能源，这是人类最丰富和清洁的能源。目前的提案是建立加拿大惯性聚变能（IFE）研究工作的关键一步，重点是追求有前途的新的先进点火概念。这些概念是快速点火和冲击点火，其中超短（20皮秒）激光脉冲作为火柴触发聚变反应的点火，或强烈均匀脉冲（200-500ps）发射冲击波在压缩燃料颗粒中产生点火温度峰值。这两种技术都可以将整个激光系统的尺寸减小至少两倍，这对加速聚变反应堆系统的开发周期有重大影响。目前，全世界都在等待劳伦斯利弗莫尔国家实验室（LLNL）国家点火装置的2兆焦耳激光系统取得突破性成果，该系统将在未来6到18个月内证明使用传统自燃方案进行激光聚变的可行性。与此同时，我们还提出了一项建立阿尔伯塔/加拿大聚变能源研究所的重要建议，并已提交给阿尔伯塔省和联邦政府的官员。我们在本提案中请求资助，以继续我们已经与劳伦斯利弗莫尔国家实验室合作建立的研究项目，研究改进的先进点火方案。该项目将研究快速点火过程中所需的快速电子和质子能量的产生、传递和沉积，以及激波点火过程中的背散射和电子产生。通过这样做，我们将在目标制造和x射线诊断的利基领域发展加拿大的专业知识，并朝着使激光聚变能成为现实迈出重要的一步。

In a recent study, the Canadian Academy of Engineers has made several recommendations concerning the pursuit of clean energy pathways for Canada's future. One of these recommendations is that Canada re-establish a research program to pursue fusion energy which is the ultimate abundant and clean energy source for mankind. The current proposal is a critical step towards establishing a Canadian research effort in Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) focused on the pursuit of promising new advanced ignition concepts. These concepts are fast ignition and shock ignition where either an ultrashort (20 picosecond) laser pulse acts as match to trigger the ignition of the fusion reactions or an intense uniform pulse (200-500ps) launches a shock wave to create an ignition temperature spike in a compressed fuel pellet. Both techniques could reduce the size of the overall laser system by at least a factor of two having a significant impact in accelerating the development cycle for a fusion reactor system. Currently the world is awaiting breakthrough results from the 2 Megajoule laser system at the National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) which should demonstrate the feasibility of laser fusion using the traditional self ignition scheme within the next 6 to 18 months. In parallel, we have developed a major proposal for an Alberta/Canada Fusion Energy Institute, which has been forwarded to officials in the province of Alberta and the federal government. We are requesting funding in the present proposal to continue a research program which we have already established in collaboration with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to study the improved advanced ignition schemes. This program will investigate the generation, transport and deposition of fast electron and proton energy which is required for the fast ignition process and the backscatter and electron generation for shock ignition. In so doing we will devleop Candian expertise in niche areas of target fabrication and x-ray diagnostics and make a significant step towards making laser fusion energy a reality.