Disposable blast shields for use on NIF imaging diagnostics

Cal A. Smith; Karen M. Wang; Nathan Masters

doi:10.1117/12.2187318

31 August 2015 Disposable blast shields for use on NIF imaging diagnostics

Cal A. Smith, Karen M. Wang, Nathan Masters

Proceedings Volume 9591, Target Diagnostics Physics and Engineering for Inertial Confinement Fusion IV; 959109 (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2187318
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2015, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The NIFs 192 lasers can deliver 2 MJ of energy to Target Chamber Center (TCC) to produce environments not available in any other experimental laboratory. The NIFs ability to deliver such intense energy to a small volume causes harsh consequences to experimental equipment and supporting diagnostics such as holhraums, support packages, target positioners, diagnostic equipment, and laser optics. Of these, the hohlraum and support packages are typically quickly vaporized and transformed into an expanding shell of high-hypersonic gases referred to as debris wind. During an experimental event such as fusion implosion, the target diagnostic components used to measure key observables in the experiment are subjected to extreme pressures and impact shocks due to incident debris wind loading. As diagnostics are positioned closer to TCC, the diagnostic pinhole stacks and other components along the diagnostic structure become more likely to be at or above the yield strength of the materials commonly used. In particular, the pinhole stack components and data recording instruments behind the pinholes are the most costly to replace. Thus, a conceptual configuration for a pinhole shield is proposed, analyzed, and tested with the intent of mitigating damage to the pinhole stack and imaging equipment and allowing immediate re-use of this diagnostic equipment. This pinhole shield would be a replaceable window that can be replaced quickly by inserting and removing it before and after each experimental laser shot, which will allow NIF to benefit from significant material and labor costs.

Citation Download Citation

Cal A. Smith, Karen M. Wang, and Nathan Masters "Disposable blast shields for use on NIF imaging diagnostics", Proc. SPIE 9591, Target Diagnostics Physics and Engineering for Inertial Confinement Fusion IV, 959109 (31 August 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2187318

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