Shrapnel Generation from Recyclable Transmission Lines

The ultimate goal of this research is to understand how the recyclable transmission lines (RTL) fail and break apart following each power generating pulse under inertial-fusion-energy-type loading. Containing and collecting the resulting dust, debris, and shrapnel so that it may be repetitively reprocessed and recycled is an especially important step, among many others, to successfully operating a power plant. In this paper the current and the dynamic pressure pulse along the RTL are simulated with the Micro-Cap network circuit code. These results are used as inputs to the CTH shock physics code that characterizes the debris formation and containment wall impacts. These models were applied to represent different sections of the RTL at two resolutions. The following discussion addresses the full size nested cone RTL for a Z-pinch IFE power plant.