Electrode erosion modeling in reactor grade pulsed Z-pinches for propulsion

摘要

This paper focuses on the modeling of electrode components in z-pinch fusion reactors for spacecraft propulsion, using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH). In particular, an emphasis is placed on the development of the erosion and current density models used to relate the plasma physics to the thermal and mechanical responses in the electrode. This model is developed within a larger, multiscale effort in combining both computational and empirical methods in assessing fusion engine design. In this paper, a relationship between the Bennett conditions needed for equilibrium, the current density profiles generated under those conditions, the radiative effects in the fusion plasma, and the subsequent erosion of the electrode is proposed. The SPH results show how the electrode's erosion patterns are a response to the current density profiles and radiation fields induced by the fusion plasma, and suggest ways in which electrode components -as well as other plasma-facing reactor components - can be designed to mitigate the damage resulting from exposure to fusion plasma environments in space propulsion.