Feasibility of High-Frequency Radiation for Electrical Energy Generation in Fusion Devices
Open Access
- Author:
- Smith, Coleman
- Area of Honors:
- Nuclear Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Mr. Martin De Jesus Nieto-Perez, Thesis Supervisor
Elia Merzari, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Radiation
Nuclear Fusion
X-ray
Radiometry
Detector - Abstract:
- In modern approaches to practical nuclear fusion power, the primary means of energy generation is assumed to be thermal energy extracted from the products of the fusion reaction. While this indeed makes up a vast majority of the energy yield from fusion reactions, there are of course several other forms through which this energy yield is dissipated, resulting in energy losses, and bringing the necessary Q value, that is, the fusion energy out versus that which is invested into driving the reaction, for economic energy extraction higher. In order to better understand the physics that occurs in these devices, it is necessary to develop diagnostics that can give the greatest level of detail about the system. In this project, a means of direct conversion of ionizing radiation energy from fusion to electrical energy is proposed from the results of a rigorous calculation. This new mechanism would provide a means of analyzing the soft x-ray spectrum produced during operation of a fusion device that uses minimal volume in the design of a tokamak or stellarator. Using single crystals of methylammonium lead iodide, which has shown promising results in laboratory settings to generate photo-currents from x-ray bombardment, a hypothetical energy yield will be calculated from computation. Models generated in OpenMC and IMD showed potential for the material to be used in radiation detection technology for fusion devices, but not as a form of energy recapture.