As experiments continue to grow in size and complexity, a few technicians will no longer be able to maintain and operate the complete experiment. Specialization is becoming the norm. Subsystems are becoming very large and complex, requiring a great deal of experience and training for technicians to become qualified maintenance/operation personnel. Formal in-house and off-site programs supplement on-the-job training to fulfill the qualification criteria. This paper presents the Tandem Mirror Experiment-Upgrade (TMX-U) approach to manpower staffing, some problems encountered, possible improvements, and safety considerations for the successful operation of a large experimental facility.

Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) tested the catalytic gasification of bagasse for the production of methanol synthesis gas. The process uses steam, indirect heat, and a catalyst to produce synthesis gas in one step in fluidized bed gasifier. Both laboratory and process development scale (nominal 1 ton/day) gasifiers were used to test two different catalyst systems: (1) supported nickel catalysts and (2) alkali carbonates doped on the bagasse. This paper presents the results of laboratory and process development unit gasification tests and includes an economic evaluation of the process. 20 references, 6 figures, 9 tables.

Progress since the last symposium on the study of H/sup -/ formation by charge transfer in alkaline-earth vapors is reported. High yields are obtained at low energies, in agreement with theoretical predictions.

The meeting consisted of the following six sessions: (1) plenary session I; (2) disposal technology; (3) characteristics and treatment of low-level waste; (4) environmental aspects and performance prediction; (5) overall summary sessions; and (6) plenary session II. Fifty two papers of the papers presented were processed for inclusion in the Energy Data Base. (ATT)

High power ion cyclotron radio frequency (ICRF) systems are now gaining greater attention than before as prime driver ion heating systems. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has installed a 200 kW high frequency (HF) transmitter system on its Tandem Mirror Experiment-Upgrade (TMX-U). This paper describes the system, antenna, controls, and monitoring apparatus. The transmitter operates into a high Q antenna installed in the central cell region of the experiment. It incorporates a dual-port feedback system to automatically adjust the transmitter's output power and allow the maximum consistent with the plasma loading of the antenna. Special techniques have been used to measure, in real-time, the dynamically changing loading values presented by the plasma. From the measurements, the antenna impedance can be optimized for specified plasma density.

The advantages of heavy ion beams as a way of delivering the needed energy and power to an inertial fusion target are surveyed. The existing broad technology base of particle accelerators provides an important foundation for designing, costing, and evaluating proposed systems. The sequence of steps needed for the verification of the heavy ion approach is described; recent research results are even more encouraging than had been assumed hitherto.

Development of high-power components for electron cyclotron resonant heating (ECRH) applications requires extensive testing. In this paper we describe the high-power testing of various circular waveguide components designed for application on the Tandem Mirror Experiment-Upgrade (TMX-U). These include a 2.5-in. vacuum valve, polarizing reflectors, directional couplers, mode converters, and flexible waveguides. All of these components were tested to 200 kW power level with 40-ms pulses. Cold tests were used to determine field distribution. The techniques used in these tests are illustrated. The new high-power test facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is described and test procedures are discussed. We discuss the following test results: efficiency at high power of mode converters, comparison of high power vs low power for waveguide components, and full power tests of the waveguide system. We also explain the reasons behind selection of these systems for use on TMX-U.

The neutronics aspects of an ICF hybrid concept are discussed. The breeding blanket consists of a beryllium neutron multiplier, metallic thorium fertile fuel and a liquid-lithium coolant. The fertile fuel fraction is 30 vol%, which is much higher than previous one-zone, suppressed-fission hybrid concepts. Fission in the bred /sup 233/U is suppressed by competition from tritium breeding reactions in /sup 6/Li. The total breeding ratio, T + F, is 2.05, and the total neutron energy deposited is 41.1 MeV per DT neutron. The 800-MW (fusion) hybrid produces approx. 3500 kg of /sup 233/U per full-power-year.

This paper describes the results of a program conducted at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) for the US Department of Energy to provide an experimental data base for more accurately assessing the radiological consequences from a hypothetical sabotage attack on a spent fuel shipping cask. The primary objectives of the program were limited to: (1) evaluating the effectiveness of selected high explosive devices (HED) in breaching full-size spent fuel casks, (2) quantifying and characterizing relevant aerosol properties of the released fuel, and (3) using the resulting experimental data to evaluate the radiological health consequences resulting from a hypothetical sabotage attack on a spent fuel shipping cask in a densely populated area. Subscale and full-scale experiments in conjunction with an analytical modeling study were performed to meet the programmatic objectives. The data from this program indicate that the Urban Studies greatly overestimated the impact of malevolent acts directed at spent fuel casks in urban environs. From that standpoint this work could be the basis of additional regulatory revisions of the NRC physical protection requirements. In a larger sense this work can also be the basis of more credible worst case analyses since it defines the actual result of an event which is …

Superconducting magnets for mirror fusion have evolved considerably since the Baseball II magnet in 1970. Recently, the Mirror Fusion Test Facility (MFTF-B) yin-yang has been tested to a full field of 7.7 T with radial dimensions representative of a full scale reactor. Now the emphasis has turned to the manufacture of very high field solenoids (choke coils) that are placed between the tandem mirror central cell and the yin-yang anchor-plug set. For MFTF-B the choke coil field reaches 12 T, while in future devices like the MFTF-Upgrade, Fusion Power Demonstration and Mirror Advanced Reactor Study (MARS) reactor the fields are doubled. Besides developing high fields, the magnets must be radiation hardened. Otherwise, thick neutron shields increase the magnet size to an unacceptable weight and cost. Neutron fluences in superconducting magnets must be increased by an order of magnitude or more. Insulators must withstand 10/sup 10/ to 10/sup 11/ rads, while magnet stability must be retained after the copper has been exposed to fluence above 10/sup 19/ neutrons/cm/sup 2/.

About 200 refractory metal clad ceramic fuel pins have been irradiated in thermal reactors under the 1200 K to 1550 K cladding temperature conditions of primary relevance to space reactors. This paper reviews performance with respect to fissile atom density, operating temperatures, fuel swelling, fission gas release, fuel-cladding compatibility, and consequences of failure. It was concluded that UO/sub 2/ and UN fuels show approximately equal performance potential and that UC fuel has lesser potential. W/Re alloys have performed quite well as cladding materials, and Ta, Nb, and Mo/Re alloys, in conjunction with W diffusion barriers, show good promise. Significant issues to be addressed in the future include high burnup swelling of UN, effects of UO/sub 2/-Li coolant reaction in the event of fuel pin failure, and development of an irradiation performance data base with prototypically configured fuel pins irradiated in a fast neutron flux.

Developing a definition of an engineering test reactor (ETR) is a current goal of the Office of Fusion Energy (OFE). As a baseline for the mirror ETR, the Fusion Power Demonstration (FPD) concept has been pursued at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in cooperation with Grumman Aerospace, TRW, and the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Envisioned as an intermediate step to fusion power applications, the FPD would achieve DT ignition in the central cell, after which blankets and power conversion would be added to produce net power. To achieve ignition, a minimum central cell length of 67.5 m is needed to supply the ion and alpha particles radial drift pumping losses in the transition region. The resulting fusion power is 360 MW. Low electron-cyclotron heating power of 12 MW, ion-cyclotron heating of 2.5 MW, and a sloshing ion beam power of 1.0 MW result in a net plasma Q of 22. A primary technological challenge is the 24-T, 45-cm bore choke coil, comprising a copper hybrid insert within a 15 to 18 T superconducting coil.

Calculations have been done to estimate the circulating current necessary to induce the onset of a pressure bump instability in a cold bore storage ring. For a wide range of storage ring parameters, the instability threshold current is more than an order of magnitude higher than the operating current. 4 references, 2 tables.

A comprehensive theoretical study has been performed on the reduction of the electrical breakdown potential of liquid and gaseous helium under neutron and gamma radiation. Extension of the conventional Townsend breakdown theory indicates that radiation fields at the superconducting magnets of a typical fusion reactor are potentially capable of significantly reducing currently established (i.e., unirradiated) helium breakdown voltages. Emphasis is given to the implications of these results including future deployment choices of magnet cryogenic methods (e.g., pool-boiling versus forced-flow), the possible impact on magnet shielding requirements and the analogous situation for radiation-induced electrical breakdown in fusion RF transmission systems.

We have modified the LLNL radial transport code TMT to model reactor regime plasmas, fueled by pellets. The source profiles arising from pellet fueling are obtained from existing pellet ablation models. Because inward radial diffusion due to inverted profiles must compete with trapping of central cell ions in the transition region for tandem mirrors, pellets must penetrate fairly far into the plasma. In fact, based on our radial calculations, a pellet with a velocity of 10 km/sec cannot sustain the central flux tubes; a velocity more like 100 km/sec will be necessary. We also find that the central cell radial diffusion must exceed classical by about a factor of 100.

This study concentrates on the structural integrity of certain reactor subsystems under cyclic operation to answer the question: how long a burn pulse is needed to achieve the benefits of steady-state operation. Component lifetime in the steady-state is limited by three effects: radiation damage, disruptions, and sputtering erosion. Cyclic operation modifies one of these (the number of disruptions may increase with the number of burn cycles) and introduces a fourth life limit, thermal fatigue. Our design strategy is to determine the structure and coating thicknesses which maximize component lifetime against all life limitations. After calculating disruption damage (vaporization, melting) for candidate materials we present the lifetime analysis for different structures.

We present a brief history of TMX-U's electron cyclotron resonant heating (ECRH) progress. We emphasize the 2-year performance of the system, which is composed of four 200-kW pulsed gyrotrons operated at 28 GHz. This system uses WR42 waveguide inside the vacuum vessel, and includes barrier windows, twists, elbows, and antennas, as well as custom-formed waveguides. Outside the TMX-U vessel are directional couplers, detectors, elbows, and waveguide bends in WR42 rectangular waveguide. An arc detector, mode filter, eight-arm mode converter, and water load in the 2.5-in. circular waveguide are attached directly to the gyrotron. Other specific areas discussed include the operational performance of the TMX-U pulsed gyrotrons, windows and component arcing, alignment, mode generation, and extreme temperature variations. Solutions for a number of these problems are described.

H/sup -/ or D/sup -/ ions are required for generating high energy neutral beams in heating fusion plasmas. Two distinct types of H/sup -/ ion sources can be identified: (1) surface sources - in which the H/sup -/ ions are generated by particle collisions with low work function metal surfaces; and (2) volume sources - in which the H/sup -/ ions are produced by electron-molecules and electron-ion collision processes in the volume of a hydrogen discharge. Recent experiments demonstrate that reasonable H/sup -/ ion current density can be obtained from both types of sources. However, further technology must be developed on the control of cesium and the reduction of electron drain before these sources become practical units of a multi-ampere neutral beam injection system.

The four Neutral Beam Injectors (NBI) on the TFTR Tokamak Test Cell (TTC) floor require twelve transmission lines to carry arc and filament power to the twelve ion sources from the basement. Also, the Neutral Beam Test Cell (NBTC) requires three lines but on the same floor through a wall. The same basic specifications apply: (1) center bundle operates at 120 kV with respect to the outer cables, (2) filament circuits at 6000 A, (3) arc circuits at 3000 A, (4) gradient grid, (5) accel grids in a quadrupole configuration, (6) multi wire control cable, (7) SF/sub 6/ environment, (7) flexible, (8) 36'' centerline bend radius and (9) hi-pot to 200 kV.

Two passive magnetic-shielding-design approaches for static external fields are reviewed. The first approach uses the shielding solutions for spheres and cylinders while the second approach requires solving Maxwell's equations. Experimental data taken at LLNL are compared with the results from these shieldings-design methods, and improvements are recommended for the second method. Design considerations are discussed here along with the importance of material gaps in the shield.

This paper describes both the theory and mechanical design behind a new concept for trapped ion removal from tandem mirror end plugs. The design has been developed for the Mirror Advanced Reactor Study (MARS). The new drift-pump coils replace charge-exchange pump beams. Pump beams consume large amounts of power and seriously reduce reactor performance. Drift-pump coils consume only a few megawatts of power and introduce no added burden to the reactor vacuum pumps. In addition, they are easy to replace. The coils are similar in shape to a paper clip and are located at two positions in each end plug. The coils between the transition coil and the first anchor yin-yang serve to remove ions trapped in the magnetic well just outboard of the high field choke coil. The coils located between the anchor coil set and the plug coil set remove sloshing ions and trapped cold ions from the plug region.

Quantifying the release of radiological source term fission products from an LMFBR reactor vessel (RV) is a necessary input to the containment analysis. To estimate this initial source term value, the distribution of the fission products and actinides inside the RV, prior to release, must be known. The in-vessel source term fission product distribution and transport behavior is also essential in assessing and mitigating the plant contamination and cleanup problems which occur from any significant core disruption. This paper attempts to summarize the current knowledge on the behavior of several radioisotopes in different environments created by the accident, without dealing with the modeling of the transport process itself.

We present an analytic theory of Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities in an arbitrary number N of stratified fluids subjected to a shock. Following our earlier work on Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities, the theory assumes incompressible flow in which a shock is treated an impulsive acceleration, g = ..delta.. v delta(tau/sub s), ..delta..v being the jump velocity induced in the system by a shock at time tau/sub s/. We discuss the special cases N = 2 and N = 3, and illustrate both Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities by examples patterned after inertial confinement fusion implosions.

Characteristic values of the recombination rate coefficient for hydrogen and deuterium in stainless steel have been measured for the inner wall of the TFTR vacuum vessel for vessel temperatures of 25 to 100 C. In situ measurements of k/sub r/ are important for predicting the hydrogen isotope retention in the wall as a function of time, temperature, and discharge exposure, particularly because existing laboratory measurements of k/sub r/ for stainless steel span a range of four orders of magnitude. The measurement technique involved the observation of the decrease in hydrogen pressure during a glow discharge in the TFTR vacuum vessel with an initial static gas fill. The resulting values of k/sub r/ at 25 C are in the range of (0.4 to 4) x 10/sup -27/cm/sup 4/-s/sup -1/ assuming a value of the hydrogenic diffusivity of 2 x 10/sup -12/cm/sup 2/-s/sup -1/ at room temperature. No significant isotopic dependence was observed and the temperature dependence of k/sub r/ is consistent with the literature value (0.5 eV) of the activation energy. The implications of this range of values of k/sub r/, for the estimation of the in-vessel tritium inventory following D-T operation in TFTR are discussed.