Autoloader System for Inertial Fusion Energy Targetry
Autoloader System for Inertial Fusion Energy Targetry
University of California, San Diego
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Sponsored by Dr. Neil Alexander and Dr. Javier Garay
Ravi Harun | Rayyan Khalid | Tanmay Prakash | Julian Ramirez | Colby Hettinger
Problem Definition
Image Courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy
Future Inertial Fusion power plants are the future of clean energy and will require that incredibly small implosion capsules enter a reactor chamber at high frequency to produce power at scale. Our goal is to build a system that prepares these small, delicate capsules for launch.
Figure: Full Final System Assembly
The final design for our system is a fully mechanical, almost high vacuum-compatible system engineered to automate the precise handling of delicate IFE targets for fusion power applications. The system is composed of three main subsystems:
the Funnel System,
the Rotary Fueling Stage, and
the Impeller Mechanism
Each subsystem is cruical in fulfilling the project's core requirements: safe, repeatable handling of spherical fuel capsules (IFE targets) with minimal human intervention.