Reflectivity variation of ICF target surfaces
AssigneeInnoven Energy LLC
InventorsRobert O. Hunter, Jr., Adlai H. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a system and method for controlling energy deposition on a surface of an Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) target when imploding. Providing one or more volume absorber/radiators to absorb the incident beam and reradiate x-ray radiation within the hohlraum containing the ICF target. Varying the reflectivity of the inner wall of the hohlraum wall or outer surface of the ICF target. Further suppressing non-uniformities in the x-ray radiation emitted from the one or more volume absorber/radiators upon one or more materials located on an outer surface of the ICF target or inner surface of said hohlraum.
Claims17
A system for controlling energy deposition on a surface of an Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) target when imploding, the system comprising:
- a hohlraum;
- an ICF target located within said hohlraum;
- a plurality of openings within said hohlraum, each opening configured to receive an incident beam;
- a plurality of spherical-shaped volume absorber/radiators, wherein each of the volume absorber/radiators is located within a propellant region positioned outside of said ICF target but within said hohlraum, and each the volume absorber/radiators are positioned to respectively align in a one-to-one correspondence with each of the openings of said hohlraum, and each of the volume absorber/radiators is configured to absorb and reradiate an incident beam as x-ray radiation;
- and
- wherein an outer surface of said ICF target or an inner surface of said hohlraum has a plurality of materials deposited thereon, the plurality of materials comprises different materials, and each of the different materials varies in thickness.
A method of controlling energy deposition on a surface of an Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) target when imploding, the method comprising:
- inserting an ICF target within a hohlraum;
- providing a plurality of openings within said hohlraum to receive an incident beam,
- wherein an outer surface of said ICF target or an inner surface of said hohlraum has a plurality of materials deposited thereon,
- the plurality of materials comprises different materials,
- and each of the different materials varies in thickness;
- providing a plurality of spherically-shaped volume absorber/radiators,
- wherein each of the volume absorber/radiators is located within a propellant region positioned outside of said ICF target but within said hohlraum,
- the volume absorber/radiators are positioned to respectively align in a one to one correspondence with each of the openings of said hohlraum, and
- each of the volume absorber/radiators is configured to absorb and reradiate an incident beam as x-ray radiation;
- receiving the incident beam upon the plurality of volume absorber/radiators;
- with the volume absorber/radiators, absorbing the incident beams and reradiating x-ray radiation within said hohlraum;
- accelerating inwardly a shell of said ICF target when hit by said x-ray radiation;
- compressing a fuel region within said shell of said ICF target by the inward acceleration of said shell;
- and
- suppressing non-uniformities in the x-ray radiation emitted from the plurality of volume absorber/radiators upon the plurality of materials located on the outer surface of said ICF target or on the inner surface of said hohlraum.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.