Preparation device and preparation method of Z pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor deuterium-tritium ice balls

Abstract

The invention relates to a preparation device and a preparation method of a Z pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor deuterium-tritium ice hockey, the preparation device comprises an upper die, the upper die comprises an upper die main body, the upper end face of the upper die main body is provided with an upper die groove, the lower end face of the upper die main body is provided with a boss protruding out of the lower end face, and the middle of the boss is provided with an upper die forming groove; the upper die forming groove is communicated with the upper die groove through an overflow hole; the lower die comprises a lower die body, a lower die groove is formed in the upper end face of the lower die body, and a lower die forming groove is formed in the groove bottom of the lower die groove; the boss can be inserted into the lower die groove, and when the boss is inserted into the lower die groove, the upper die forming groove and the lower die forming groove are spliced into a sphere. The preparation device is simple in structure, simple and convenient to operate and less in waste of deuterium and tritium liquid raw materials.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of hybrid energy reactor technology, specifically relating to a preparation device and method for a deuterium-tritium ice ball of a Z-pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor. Background Technology

[0002] Deuterium-tritium fuel is used in nuclear fusion microtargets. For inertial confinement fusion, freezing deuterium-tritium targets requires injecting the fuel into the microtarget using cryogenic technology, forming a uniform deuterium-tritium ice sphere inside the target. High-quality deuterium-tritium ice spheres can reduce the energy requirements of high-temperature, high-density compression during nuclear fusion. Therefore, research on the preparation of deuterium-tritium ice spheres is of great significance for the implementation of inertial confinement fusion.

[0003] Depending on the material and preparation method of the microtarget spheres encapsulating deuterium-tritium fuel, different methods can be used to prepare deuterium-tritium ice spheres. Plastic microtargets are generally prepared using a gas-filling tube method, where deuterium-tritium gas is injected into a cryogenic device via a microtube, and then cooled to obtain the corresponding microtarget. Metal microtargets can be prepared using a low-temperature, low-pressure condensation method, where deuterium-tritium gas is filled into a gas-filling chamber and heated to encapsulate it within a metal target sphere under a temperature gradient; alternatively, a high-temperature, high-pressure diffusion-connection hemispherical method can be used, where a metal hemisphere is evacuated in a pressure vessel, filled with high-pressure deuterium-tritium gas, connected to the target hemisphere, and then the deuterium-tritium gas is cooled to obtain a metal cryogenic target. To address the forming characteristics and methods of microtargets for Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactors, it is necessary to first prepare deuterium-tritium ice spheres of appropriate size, place the ice spheres inside a pre-formed metal target hemisphere, and then encapsulate the deuterium-tritium ice spheres within the metal target sphere using welding or bonding methods, thereby preparing the corresponding cryogenic target for the Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor. Therefore, there is a need to develop a deuterium-tritium ice sphere preparation device that is simple in structure, easy to operate, and saves on deuterium-tritium raw materials, in order to prepare deuterium-tritium ice spheres for use in Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor microtargets. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an apparatus for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor, comprising:

[0005] The upper mold includes an upper mold body, an upper mold groove on the upper end face of the upper mold body, a boss protruding from the lower end face on the lower end face, an upper mold forming groove in the middle of the boss, and the upper mold forming groove and the upper mold groove are connected through an overflow hole.

[0006] The lower mold includes a lower mold body, the upper end face of which is provided with a lower mold groove, and the bottom of the lower mold groove is provided with a lower mold forming groove;

[0007] The boss can be inserted into the lower mold groove. When the boss is inserted into the lower mold groove, the upper mold forming groove and the lower mold forming groove are joined together to form a spherical shape.

[0008] Preferably, both the upper mold forming groove and the lower mold forming groove are hemispherical.

[0009] Preferably, both the boss and the lower mold groove are cylindrical, and the diameter and height of the boss and the lower mold groove are equal.

[0010] Preferably, there are multiple bosses and lower mold grooves; the shapes and positions of the bosses and lower mold grooves are adapted to each other, so that when the upper mold body and the lower mold body are engaged, each boss can be inserted into a lower mold groove, and the outer surface of the boss is in contact with the inner surface of the lower mold groove.

[0011] Preferably, multiple bosses are arranged in an array on the lower end face of the upper mold body, and multiple lower mold grooves are arranged in an array on the upper end face of the lower mold body.

[0012] Preferably, both the upper mold body and the lower mold body are cuboids, and threaded holes are provided at the four corners of the upper mold body and the lower mold body.

[0013] Preferably, the lower end face of the upper mold body is provided with operating grooves on opposite sides.

[0014] Another aspect of the present invention provides a method for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor, utilizing the aforementioned preparation apparatus, the method comprising:

[0015] Step 1: Take the lower mold and inject deuterium-tritium liquid into the groove of the lower mold to fill the molding groove of the lower mold with deuterium-tritium liquid;

[0016] Step 2: Place the upper mold on the lower mold, insert the boss into the groove of the lower mold, and after the deuterium-tritium liquid overflows from the overflow hole, connect the upper mold and the lower mold and cool it down to form a deuterium-tritium ice ball.

[0017] Preferably, in step 2, the upper mold and the lower mold are connected by bolts.

[0018] Preferably, the method further includes:

[0019] Step 3: Remove the deuterium-tritium ice ball from the preparation device and remove the ice column from the deuterium-tritium ice ball;

[0020] Preferably, step 3 further includes:

[0021] Remove the bolts;

[0022] The upper mold is removed using clamps or a vacuum suction cup.

[0023] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0024] 1) The preparation device for the Z-pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor deuterium-tritium ice ball of the present invention has a simple structure, consisting of only two parts: an upper mold and a lower mold, and the preparation device has low cost;

[0025] 2) The preparation method uses deuterium-tritium liquid to prepare deuterium-tritium ice balls. There is no need to consider encapsulating deuterium-tritium gas into nuclear fusion microtargets, which can eliminate the gas filling and encapsulation process. It is simple and easy to operate, and avoids the use of equipment such as vacuum chambers and pressure vessels, further reducing costs.

[0026] 3) The preparation method has a high utilization rate of deuterium-tritium liquid. After the preparation is completed, the remaining deuterium-tritium liquid can be heated to form deuterium-tritium gas, which can be recycled.

[0027] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail in the following detailed description section. Attached Figure Description

[0028] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein the same reference numerals generally represent the same components in the exemplary embodiments of the invention.

[0029] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the apparatus for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0030] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of point A in the middle.

[0031] Figure 3 A partially enlarged view of the lower mold of a device for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0032] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the upper mold structure of a device for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0033] Figure 5 It shows Figure 4 A magnified view of a section at point B.

[0034] Figure 6 The Fluent software simulation results of the preparation apparatus and method for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention are shown.

[0035] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a method for preparing a deuterium-tritium ice ball for a Z-pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0036] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a method for preparing a deuterium-tritium ice ball for a Z-pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0037] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0038] 1. Upper mold; 2. Upper mold body; 3. Upper mold groove; 4. Boss; 5. Overflow hole; 6. Upper mold forming groove; 7. Lower mold; 8. Lower mold body; 9. Lower mold forming groove; 10. Lower mold groove; 11. Liquid nitrogen spraying device; 12. Workbench; 13. Clamp; 14. Lower mold moving platform; 15. Operating groove. Detailed Implementation

[0039] Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail. While preferred embodiments of the invention are described below, it should be understood that the invention can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0040] The endpoints and any values ​​of the ranges disclosed herein are not limited to the precise ranges or values, and these ranges or values ​​should be understood to include values ​​close to these ranges or values. For numerical ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges, the endpoint values ​​of the various ranges and individual point values, and individual point values ​​can be combined with each other to obtain one or more new numerical ranges, which should be considered as specifically disclosed herein.

[0041] In this invention, unless otherwise stated, directional terms such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" generally refer to the orientation shown in the accompanying drawings. "Inner" and "outer" refer to the inner or outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0042] This invention provides an apparatus for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor, comprising:

[0043] The upper mold includes an upper mold body. The upper end face of the upper mold body is provided with an upper mold groove, and the lower end face is provided with a boss protruding from the lower end face. The middle part of the boss is provided with an upper mold forming groove. The upper mold forming groove and the upper mold groove are connected through an overflow hole.

[0044] The lower mold includes a lower mold body, the upper end face of which is provided with a lower mold groove, and the bottom of the lower mold groove is provided with a lower mold forming groove;

[0045] The boss can be inserted into the groove of the lower mold. When the boss is inserted into the groove of the lower mold, the upper mold forming groove and the lower mold forming groove are joined together to form a spherical shape.

[0046] The apparatus for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for Z-pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactors of this invention operates entirely in a low-temperature environment. In use, firstly, the lower mold is removed, and deuterium-tritium liquid is injected into the lower mold groove, filling the bottom of the lower mold forming groove. Then, the upper mold is placed on top of the lower mold, with the protrusion inserted into the lower mold groove. Deuterium-tritium liquid enters the upper mold forming groove. As the protrusion gradually inserts into the lower mold groove, the deuterium-tritium liquid gradually fills the upper mold forming groove. Excess liquid overflows from the overflow hole into the upper mold groove, which can be observed. After the deuterium-tritium liquid overflows from the overflow hole, the upper and lower molds are connected, and the entire apparatus is cooled, causing the deuterium-tritium liquid to form deuterium-tritium ice balls. The deuterium-tritium ice balls are spherical after removing the ice column formed due to the presence of the overflow hole. The device for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for Z-pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor of the present invention has a simple structure, is easy to operate, and wastes less deuterium-tritium liquid raw materials.

[0047] The following is for reference Figures 1 to 6 Embodiments of the present invention are described below. (See references) Figure 1 The diagram shows a schematic representation of a device for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to an embodiment of the present invention. The device includes:

[0048] The upper mold 1 includes an upper mold body 2. The upper end face of the upper mold body 2 is provided with an upper mold groove 3, and the lower end face is provided with a boss 4 protruding from the lower end face. The middle part of the boss 4 is provided with an upper mold forming groove 6. The upper mold forming groove 6 and the upper mold groove 3 are connected through an overflow hole 5.

[0049] The lower mold 7 includes a lower mold body 8, the upper end face of the lower mold body 8 is provided with a lower mold groove 10, and the bottom of the lower mold groove 10 is provided with a lower mold forming groove 9;

[0050] The boss 4 can be inserted into the lower mold groove 10. When the boss 4 is inserted into the lower mold groove 10, the upper mold forming groove 6 and the lower mold forming groove 9 are spliced ​​into a spherical shape.

[0051] In this embodiment, the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 2 are made of 304 stainless steel and coated with polytetrafluoroethylene. The upper mold 1 and the lower mold 2 can also be made of other suitable low-temperature resistant metal materials. Both the upper mold forming groove 6 and the lower mold forming groove 9 are hemispherical. When the boss 4 is inserted into the lower mold groove 10, the upper mold forming groove 6 and the lower mold forming groove 9 are joined together to form a complete sphere.

[0052] There can be one or more bosses 4 and lower mold grooves 10. When there is only one boss 4 and one lower mold groove 10, the boss 4 can be located in the middle of the lower end face of the upper mold body 2, and correspondingly, the lower mold groove 10 is located in the middle of the upper end face of the lower mold body 8. When there are multiple bosses 4 and multiple lower mold grooves 10, preferably, multiple bosses 4 are arranged in an array on the lower end face of the upper mold body 2, and correspondingly, multiple lower mold grooves 10 are also arranged in an array on the upper end face of the lower mold body 8, with the bosses 4 and lower mold grooves 10 corresponding one-to-one.

[0053] Whether there is one or more bosses 4 and lower mold grooves 10, their shapes and positions must be compatible so that when the upper mold body 2 and the lower mold body 8 are engaged, each boss 4 can be inserted into a lower mold groove 10, and the outer surface of the boss 4 is in contact with the inner surface of the lower mold groove 10, preferably in close contact, thereby preventing deuterium-tritium liquid from flowing between them and wasting raw materials. To achieve this requirement, the upper and lower molds can be manufactured using wire cutting equipment, so that the machining tolerance between the outer surface of the boss and the inner surface of the lower mold groove should be as small as possible, preferably zero tolerance.

[0054] In this embodiment, both the boss 4 and the lower mold groove 10 are cylindrical, and their diameters and heights are equal, allowing the boss 4 to be inserted precisely into the lower mold groove 10. In other embodiments, the boss 4 and the lower mold groove 10 may also be of other shapes.

[0055] Both the upper mold body 2 and the lower mold body 8 are cuboids. The four corners of the upper mold body 2 and the lower mold body 8 are provided with threaded holes, which can be detachably connected by bolts.

[0056] This invention also provides a method for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor, utilizing the aforementioned apparatus for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor. The method includes the following steps:

[0057] Step 1: Remove mold 7 and inject deuterium-tritium liquid into the lower mold groove 10 to fill the lower mold forming groove 9 with deuterium-tritium liquid;

[0058] Step 2: Place the upper mold 1 on the lower mold 7, so that the boss 4 is inserted into the groove 10 of the lower mold. After the deuterium-tritium liquid overflows from the overflow hole 5, connect the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 7 and cool them down so that the deuterium-tritium liquid forms a deuterium-tritium ice ball.

[0059] Specifically, in step 1, the deuterium-tritium gas is cooled to liquefy it into a deuterium-tritium liquid. The deuterium-tritium liquid is then injected into the lower mold groove 10 using a dropper or similar tool, ensuring that the deuterium-tritium liquid fills the lower mold forming groove 9.

[0060] In step 2, the upper mold 1 is placed on the lower mold 7, and the boss 4 is inserted into the groove 10 of the lower mold. The deuterium-tritium liquid enters the upper mold forming groove 6. As the boss 4 is gradually inserted into the groove 10 of the lower mold, the deuterium-tritium liquid gradually fills the upper mold forming groove 6. Excess liquid overflows from the overflow hole 5 into the upper mold groove 3. After observing that the deuterium-tritium liquid overflows from the overflow hole 5, the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 7 can be connected by bolts to make them tightly and firmly connected. Then, the preparation device containing the deuterium-tritium liquid is cooled down, which can be 10-50K, preferably 20K, so that the deuterium-tritium liquid forms deuterium-tritium ice balls.

[0061] In this embodiment, the method further includes the following after step 2:

[0062] Step 3: Remove the bolts, remove the upper mold, take the deuterium-tritium ice ball out of the preparation device, and remove the ice column from the deuterium-tritium ice ball.

[0063] Due to the presence of overflow holes, icicles remain attached to the frozen deuterium-tritium ice ball. Removing these icicles yields a spherical deuterium-tritium ice ball. For example, the icicles can be removed by grinding or other methods.

[0064] Figure 6 The Fluent software simulation results for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls using the Z-pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor of this embodiment are shown. The boundary temperature of the preparation device was set to 20K, and the simulation was conducted at atmospheric pressure. Figure 6 Figures (a) to (f) show the change in the mass fraction of the deuterium-tritium liquid over freezing time. As can be seen from the figures, the mass fraction of the deuterium-tritium liquid gradually decreases over freezing time, and the liquid gradually solidifies from the outside in, indicating that it gradually solidifies into deuterium-tritium ice, eventually reducing the mass fraction to 0.

[0065] Optionally, refer to Figure 7 and Figure 8 The lower mold is fixed to the worktable 12 with screws. A robotic arm controls the clamps 13 to hold and move the upper mold 1. Liquid nitrogen is sprayed onto the deuterium-tritium ice ball preparation device by a liquid nitrogen spraying device 11 to cool it down. In this case, operating grooves 15 are provided on opposite sides of the lower end face of the upper mold body 2 to facilitate clamping by the clamps 13. At the start of operation, deuterium-tritium liquid is injected into the lower mold groove 10, ensuring that the liquid enters and fills the lower mold forming groove 9 at the bottom. Then, the robotic arm controls the clamp 13 to hold the upper mold 1 and place it on the lower mold 7, so that the boss 4 is inserted into the lower mold groove 10. After observing that the deuterium-tritium liquid overflows from the overflow hole 5, the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 7 are connected, and liquid nitrogen is sprayed onto the preparation device and its surroundings through the liquid nitrogen spraying device 11 to cool the device. After the deuterium-tritium liquid solidifies into a deuterium-tritium ice ball, the robotic arm controls the clamp 13 to remove the upper mold 1.

[0066] The various embodiments of the present invention have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, nor are they limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments.

Claims

1. A device for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor, characterized in that, include: The upper mold includes an upper mold body, an upper mold groove on the upper end face of the upper mold body, a boss protruding from the lower end face on the lower end face, an upper mold forming groove in the middle of the boss, and the upper mold forming groove and the upper mold groove are connected through an overflow hole. The lower mold includes a lower mold body, the upper end face of which is provided with a lower mold groove, and the bottom of the lower mold groove is provided with a lower mold forming groove; The boss can be inserted into the lower mold groove. When the boss is inserted into the lower mold groove, the upper mold forming groove and the lower mold forming groove are joined together to form a spherical shape.

2. The apparatus for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the upper mold forming groove and the lower mold forming groove are hemispherical.

3. The apparatus for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the boss and the lower mold groove are cylindrical, and the diameter and height of the boss and the lower mold groove are equal.

4. The apparatus for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, There are multiple bosses and multiple lower mold grooves; the shapes and positions of the bosses and the lower mold grooves are adapted to each other, so that when the upper mold body is engaged with the lower mold body, each boss can be inserted into a lower mold groove, and the outer surface of the boss is in contact with the inner surface of the lower mold groove.

5. The apparatus for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for Z-pinch driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactors according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of protrusions are arranged in an array on the lower end face of the upper mold body, and a plurality of lower mold grooves are arranged in an array on the upper end face of the lower mold body.

6. The apparatus for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that, Both the upper mold body and the lower mold body are cuboids, and threaded holes are provided at the four corners of the upper mold body and the lower mold body.

7. The apparatus for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to claim 6, characterized in that, The upper mold body has operating grooves on opposite sides of its lower end face.

8. A method for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor, using the preparation apparatus according to any one of claims 1-7, characterized in that, The method includes: Step 1: Take the lower mold and inject deuterium-tritium liquid into the groove of the lower mold to fill the molding groove of the lower mold with deuterium-tritium liquid; Step 2: Place the upper mold on the lower mold, insert the boss into the groove of the lower mold, and after the deuterium-tritium liquid overflows from the overflow hole, connect the upper mold and the lower mold and cool it down to form a deuterium-tritium ice ball.

9. The method for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to claim 8, characterized in that, In step 2, the upper mold and the lower mold are connected by bolts.

10. The method for preparing deuterium-tritium ice balls for a Z-pinch-driven fusion-fission hybrid energy reactor according to claim 9, characterized in that, Also includes: Step 3: Remove the deuterium-tritium ice ball from the preparation device and remove the ice column from the deuterium-tritium ice ball; Step 3 also includes: Remove the bolts; The upper mold is removed using clamps.

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