Study of interactions of pulsed plasmas with standard and lithium-treated materials

通用核聚变公司正在开发技术和物理基础，以实现盈亏平衡的磁化目标聚变（MTF）演示。通用聚变公司所追求的方法有可能产生第一个经济上可行的聚变反应堆，以比目前正在考虑的任何其他途径更快的时间实现聚变能源的商业化和广泛使用。通用聚变公司的磁化目标聚变系统使用一个球体，填充熔融铅锂，通过泵送形成漩涡。在每个脉冲中，磁约束等离子体被注入漩涡。在球体周围，一组活塞撞击并驱动压力波进入球体中心，将等离子体压缩到聚变条件。通用聚变公司需要达到的许多技术里程碑都集中在其反应堆概念的最后压缩阶段使用的等离子体的质量上。在满足等离子体密度、温度和热寿命的严格要求方面取得了进展。由等离子体物理学博士组成的通用聚变团队在实现这些里程碑方面取得了巨大的进步，但他们仍在寻求从全球的等离子体研究中受益。特别是，通用聚变公司寻求从萨斯喀彻温大学的团队所代表的实验等离子体物理学的长期专业知识中获益。在项目的第一阶段，USCTI（萨斯喀彻温大学紧凑型环形注入器）被用于研究与高功率密度等离子体相关的高热负荷对等离子体表面材料（如钨和钨涂层铝）的影响。第二阶段将重点研究锂涂层表面对等离子体的影响，反之亦然。通用聚变公司最近通过控制等离子体放电壁周围氢同位素的再循环，实现了等离子体寿命的大幅改善。这是通过使用钛或锂的薄涂层实现的。众所周知，这种众所周知的“吸集”材料层可以降低氢循环，并在许多磁聚变装置中显著改善等离子体性能。

General Fusion is developing the technological and physics base to enable a breakeven Magnetized Target Fusion (MTF) demonstration. The approach being pursued by General Fusion has the potential to yield the first economically viable fusion reactor, leading to commercialization and widespread use of fusion energy on a much more rapid timeline than any other route currently being considered. General Fusion's Magnetized Target Fusion system uses a sphere, filled with molten lead-lithium that is pumped to form a vortex. On each pulse, magnetically-confined plasma is injected into the vortex. Around the sphere, an array of pistons impact and drive a pressure wave into the centre of the sphere, compressing the plasma to fusion conditions. Many of the technical milestones, needed to be met by General Fusion, focus on the quality of the plasmas to be used in the final compression stage of its reactor concept. Progress has been made towards meeting the stringent requirements on plasma density, temperature and thermal lifetime. The General Fusion team of PhDs in plasma physics has made great strides in meeting these milestones but seeks to benefit from plasma research around the globe. In particular General Fusion seeks to benefit from the longstanding expertise in experimental plasma physics represented by the team at the University of Saskatchewan. In the first phase of the project, which is already underway, the USCTI (University of Saskatchewan Compact Torus Injector) is being used to study the effects of the high heat loads associated with high power-density plasmas on plasma facing materials such as tungsten and tungsten-coated aluminum. The second phase will focus both on the effects of lithium coated surfaces on these plasmas, and vice versa. Large improvements in plasma lifetime have recently been achieved at General Fusion by controlling the recycling of hydrogen isotopes from the walls surrounding the plasma discharge. This has been achieved through the use of thin coatings of either titanium or lithium. Layers of such well known 'gettering' materials are known to lower hydrogenic recycling and to have dramatically improved plasma performance in many magnetic-fusion devices.