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途径提出了几项建议。其中一项建议是，加拿大重新建立一个研究计划，以追求聚变能源，这是人类最终丰富和清洁的能源。目前的建议是加拿大在惯性聚变能源方面开展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）激光脉冲作为匹配触发聚变反应的点火，或者强烈的均匀脉冲（200- 500 ps）发射冲击波以在压缩燃料芯块中产生点火温度尖峰。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具有重大影响。目前，世界正在等待劳伦斯利弗莫尔国家实验室（LLNL）国家点火装置的2兆焦耳激光系统的突破性结果，该系统应在未来6至18个月内证明使用传统自点火方案进行激光聚变的可行性。与此同时，我们还制定了一项关于建立阿尔伯塔/加拿大聚变能源研究所的主要提案，该提案已提交给阿尔伯塔省和联邦政府的官员。我们在本提案中要求提供资金，以继续进行我们已经与劳伦斯利弗莫尔国家实验室合作建立的研究计划，以研究改进的先进点火方案。该计划将研究快速点火过程所需的快速电子和质子能量的产生、传输和沉积，以及冲击点火的后向散射和电子产生。在这样做的过程中，我们将发展加拿大在目标制造和X射线诊断等利基领域的专业知识，并朝着实现激光聚变能源迈出重要一步。

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.