Co-funded by the European Union
Funded by the European Union and the state of Hesse, the company Focused Energy GmbH is developing technologies at its Darmstadt site for the production, characterization and utilization of hydrogen targets for a laser-driven fusion power plant. The funded research project “Manufacturing processes and diagnostic tools for the production of targets for laser-driven inertial confinement fusion” is specifically concerned with the further development of individual components of the so-called “proton fast ignition target” (pFI target). In this approach to inertial confinement fusion, the actual fuel of the fusion - a mixture of the hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium - is compressed by the ablation pressure of the outflowing, laser-generated plasma of the ablation shell, and then additionally heated locally by an intense, focused proton beam to such an extent that the fusion of the hydrogen nuclei begins in the center and continues outwards as a burning wave. In the best case scenario, all of the fuel present in the reactor chamber at any given time would be converted. An uncontrolled chain reaction in which an excessive amount of energy would be released is ruled out.
This pFI target for laser-driven inertial fusion is composed of various components - the ablation shell, the cone and the spherical cap, each with well-defined geometry and material properties. One focus of this research project is the further development and implementation of robotic, i.e. automatic - and in the future even autonomous - micromanipulation of the individual components during the individual production steps with a view to quality control, assembly and transportation. This is, what we call “robotics at small scale”. Specific, highly innovative manufacturing and analysis processes are being developed and tested for use in target production for a fusion reactor.
Laser-driven inertial confinement fusion, which is inherently safe, generates energy from hydrogen without CO2 production and without long-lived radioactivity, will make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of humanity, prosperity and security on our planet.