A novel microfluidic system for the mass production of Inertial Fusion Energy shells

摘要

AsystemwhichcanmassproducemillimetresizedsphericalpolymershellseconomicallyandwithhighprecisionwillbeagreatsteptowardstheInertialFusionEnergygoal.Microfluidicshasshownitselftobeadisruptivetechnology,wherearapidandcontinuousproductionofcompoundemulsionscanbeprocessedintosuchshells.Planaremulsiongeneratorsco-flow-focusinonestep(COFON)andcascadedco-flow-focus(COFUS)enablemillimetrecompoundemulsionstobeproducedusingaoneortwostepformationprocessrespectively.Theco-flow-focusgeometryusessymmetricandcurvedcarrierfluidentrancewallstocreateafocusingorifice-minimaandacarrierflowwhichaidsmovementandshapingofthedispersedfluid(s)towardstheoutlet,whilstmaintainingoperationinthedrippingregime.Precisionconcentricalignmentofthesecompoundemulsionsremainsoneofthegreatestchallenges.Howeverstepstosolvethispassivelyusingcurvedchannelmodulationtoperturbatetheemulsionhaveshownthatrapidalignmentcanbeachieved.Issueswithsatellitedropletformation,repeatabilityoftheemulsiongenerationandcostarealsoaddressed...