Implosion of liquid cavities for magnetized target fusion

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This project will examine the implosion of liquid cavities that would be used in a fusion energy concept called Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF). In MTF, an existing plasma is further heated and densified by having the walls that confine the plasma compress it, bringing the plasma to a condition where significant thermonuclear reactions occur. If the walls of the confinement could be comprised of a spinning liquid lead-lithium alloy that creates an axial cavity and is then collapsed by pneumatically driven piston, this liquid would absorb the heat and neutrons of the reaction and be continuously recirculated to generate electricity via a steam-driven generator. General Fusion, a Burnaby BC-based company, is developing this technology for commercial power generation. This concept relies on the ability of a cavity of liquid metal to implode smoothly and symmetrically upon being impacted by pistons that drive the collapse of the cavity. There exist a number of mechanisms that could result in the collapse of the cavity being unstable and contaminate the plasma or halt the compression. The finite number of pistons results in individual shock waves that must merge into a single, symmetric shock. The shock wave emerging from the liquid metal into the plasma results in a surface instability, similar to water resting on top of oil. The emerging shock also results in a wave of tension that is reflected back into the liquid that can tear off a layer of the liquid in a phenomenon known as cavitation. This project will examine these phenomena, how they influence the quality of compression, and various techniques that can be used to overcome the instability. An apparatus will be constructed that permits easy visualization of the imploding cavity dynamics by examining a two-dimensional slice of the liquid cavity. The work will also be modeled using state-of-the-art computational tools. This research will directly contribute to the eventual design of a fusion reactor that will utilize the imploding liquid cavity as the driving mechanism of the fusion reaction. If realized, this technology would result in an effectively endless supply of zero emission energy.