“Diagnostic Resource Teams” to Support the Physics Validation of Potentially Transformative Fusion Concepts

Webinar presentation

Scott C. Hsu (scott.hsu@hq.doe.gov), Program Director, ARPA-EJanuary 23, 2019

Before we start…‣Webinar is being recorded and will be posted publicly on the ARPA-E website

‣ Everyone will be muted during the webinar

‣ Instructions for submitting questions and comments will be provided at the end of the webinar

1Webinar is being recorded and will be posted

publicly on the ARPA-E website.

Purpose of webinar‣ Present ideas on a potential ARPA-E “targeted-topic” funding opportunity

announcement (FOA) for the formation of “diagnostic resource teams” to design, implement, and field diagnostics to validate the performance and identify issues of ARPA-E-supported, potentially transformative fusion-energy concepts

– There is no funding opportunity at this time– This is for discussion and information gathering

‣ Solicit input and comments from the fusion R&D community to help us:– Gauge potential interest– Maximize impact– Identify pitfalls

2Webinar is being recorded and will be posted

publicly on the ARPA-E website.

Outline

‣ Objectives of a potential “targeted-topic” funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for “fusion diagnostic resource teams”

‣ Brief review of ARPA-E ALPHA* program (2015–2018)

‣ Further information on this potential FOA

‣ Instructions for submitting questions and comments

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*Accelerating Low-Cost Plasma Heating and Assemblyhttps://arpa-e.energy.gov/?q=arpa-e-programs/alpha

See also http://firefusionpower.org/FPA18_Hsu_ARPA-E_posted.pdf

Webinar is being recorded and will be posted publicly on the ARPA-E website.

Immediate objectives of this potential targeted topic

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Validation of ARPA-E projects showing evidence of promising fusion

performance*

Leverage the expertise of the

larger fusion R&D community

Justification/excitement for next ARPA-E fusion

program pitch

Identify potential issues before further major

investments

Stimulate design & implementation of

“traveling diagnostics” to stretch limited

resources

Encourage mutually beneficial exchanges

between public/private fusion enterprises

Build foundation for public/private partnering

for potential, next ARPA-E fusion program

(and beyond)

Refine metrics & methodology by which concepts

are judged

Obtain best-in-class measurements;

avoid re-inventing the wheel by each

project

Webinar is being recorded and will be posted publicly on the ARPA-E website.

ARPA-E ALPHA program (2015–2018) aimed to catalyze lower-cost, fusion-development pathways toward commercial fusion energy

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Technical outcomesTech-to-market (T2M)

outcomes

Performance advances in

transformative fusion concepts

Demonstration of novel, scalable technologies for

enabling new concepts

Development of innovative

experimental platforms to study crucial fusion R&D

issues

3 new spinoff companies (from

9 projects)

$25M private capital raised by ALPHA projects during ALPHA

Dozens of peer-reviewed publications and 6 patent

applicationsALPHA focused on pulsed, intermediate-density concepts

Webinar is being recorded and will be posted publicly on the ARPA-E website.

Examples of ARPA-E-supported fusion projects able to benefit from this potential program in the next 1–2 years

Experiment Institution/Location ConceptFuZE University of Washington and Zap Energy, Seattle, WA Flow-shear-stabilized Z pinchVarious MIFTI, Tustin, CA; experiments fielded at Nevada Terawatt

Facility (Nevada-Reno), Cobra (Cornell), or at UCSDStaged Z pinch (gas-puff liner compressing gas-puff Z pinch)

Fusion Engine

Helion Energy, Redmond, WA Magnetic compression of merged FRCs

PFRC Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Princeton Fusion Systems, Plainsboro, NJ

FRC sustained/heated by rotating magnetic field

HIT-SI3/U University of Washington and CTFusion, Seattle, WA Spheromak sustained by imposed dynamo current drive

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Diagnostic resource teams could support these and hopefully other future fusion projects (both federally and privately funded)

Webinar is being recorded and will be posted publicly on the ARPA-E website.

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Near-term parameters of interest (values shown are approximate)

Long-pulse, magnetically confined*

Short-pulse, imploded, intermediate density†

Ion and electron density 1013–1015 cm-3 1016–1020 cm-3

Electron temperature 50–2000 eV 100–3000 eV

Ion temperature 50–2000 eV 100–5000 eV

Magnetic field 0.05–3 T 0.1–1000 T

Neutron yields N/A 106–1012 (DD) (0.01–10-µs duration)

Neutron energy N/A 2.3–2.8 MeV w/10-keV (?) resolution

Desired time resolution (for all measurements)

< 10 µs < 100 ns

Desired spatial resolution (for all measurements)

< 1 cm < 1 mm

*e.g., sustained compact-toroid plasmas†e.g., magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) or Z-pinch-based concepts

ARPA-E fusion projects are earlier stage in development path à need validation of parameters, stability, power balance, energy confinement time, neutron spectrum

Webinar is being recorded and will be posted publicly on the ARPA-E website.

Some more details

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‣ Potential FOA will identify priority near-term measurements and further details about experimental access, etc., for each class of experiments (shorter-pulse, higher-density vs. longer-pulse, lower-density), which have different needs/constraints

‣ Metrics:– Versatility, adaptability, transportability of diagnostic per cost– Schedule to first and subsequent measurements– Demonstrated experience and success of team in their proposed system(s)– Minimum development, i.e., innovation will be in the adaptability/transportability of the

instrument, not its methodology‣ Our intent:

– Facilitate interactions between winning proposal teams and fusion-concept project teams– Diagnostic teams help with data collection and analysis, and be lead or co-authors on scientific

publications– Selected teams will be well-positioned to compete in potential, future fusion programs (at

ARPA-E and elsewhere)

Webinar is being recorded and will be posted publicly on the ARPA-E website.

Potential size and duration of awards‣ $100k to $3M (up to ~half dozen awards)‣ 12-to-24-month periods of performance; early results will be heavily encouraged‣ Two needs (a team could fill either or both):

– “Traveling diagnostic,” e.g., design, build, and bring a complex and/or expensive system (e.g., Thomson scattering, 24-frame iCCD) to multiple experiments

– “Design consultant,” e.g., help with design of lower-cost, less-complex systems that are permanently installed at one or more experiments

– In both cases, help with data collection and/or analysis and be co-authors on scientific papers

‣ Potential, future ARPA-E fusion program may support many diagnostic resource teams, each with up to multi-$M awards; think of present targeted-topic diagnostic program as a pilot program

9Webinar is being recorded and will be posted

publicly on the ARPA-E website.

Timeline‣ There is no FOA at this time; if FOA is approved, we hope to announce it as early

as February, 2019

‣ Full proposals due ~60 days later

‣ Maximum proposal length: 14 pages

‣ Intended eligibility: US-based teams, including national laboratories, universities, small and large businesses, and/or combinations thereof

10Webinar is being recorded and will be posted

publicly on the ARPA-E website.

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Please email questions, comments, and constructive criticisms to

colleen.nehl@hq.doe.gov by Jan. 31, 2019 with subject line “fusion diagnostics”

Webinar is being recorded and will be posted publicly on the ARPA-E website.

https://arpa-e.energy.gov

12Webinar is being recorded and will be posted

publicly on the ARPA-E website.