| In inertial confinement fusion, Lindl-Widner diagrams elucidate the fusion ignition parameter space with a contour tracing the boundary between net positive and negative power in aerial density-temperature space. We applied Lindl-Widner diagrams to exergy and energy rate balances for plasma-driven magneto-inertial fusion (PLMIF). In PLMIF, a plasma liner compresses a magnetized target to fusion ignition. PLMIF has some potential advantages including repeatable formation of the liner in a standoff manner and secondary fusion burn of the liner material. Thus, the focus of this study is to identify possible conditions for burning the plasma liner and identifying PLMIF ignition regions by developing and analyzing Lindl-Widner diagrams. In order to produce these charts, we developed a new alpha deposition model from Monte Carlo simulations for spherical magnetized targets and a finite difference thermal conduction model for heat transfer from the target to the liner. In extending power and exergy rate balance calculations to PLMIF systems, we identified conditions in which the thermal conduction from the target is sufficient to burn a narrow layer of the plasma liner, which significantly contributes to the fusion output power. We also determined regions of the parameter space in which self-heating by alpha deposition can sustain the rate of energy loss from the system. |
