Z-Pinch (LiF)2-BeF2 (flibe) Preliminary Vaporization Estimation Using the BUCKY 1-D Radiation Hydrodynamics Code

The post-explosion material vaporization characteristics of the proposed Z-pinch reactor design were simulated using the BUCKY 1-D radiation hydrodynamics code. To model the 3-D variations in the reactor chamber design, three separate BUCKY simulations were performed - one in each of the cylindrical coordinate geometries: +z, -z, and r. The simulations were run to a time of 80 mus and the chamber material characteristics were analyzed. These results were compared to a simple analytical model to verify the vaporization radii in each of the three modeled directions. The +z material vaporization has been estimated to be at a radius 53.71 cm, compared to an analytic result of 79.00 cm. The -z material vaporization has been estimated to be at a radius of 101.92 cm, compared to an analytic result of 102.78 cm. The r material vaporization has been estimated to be at a radius of 73.86 cm, compared to an analytic result of 77.63 cm. These simulation results confirm the idea that we can model the exploding Z-Pinch target and its resulting thermal effects on the reactor chamber using the BUCKY 1-D radiation hydrodynamics code. This model is appropriate for analysis of the Z-Pinch reactor because it is a massive structure and because most of the energy coupling to the surrounding structure is via X-rays (30%) rather than expanding ionic debris (4%). Furthermore, we have confirmed the viability of performing three different 1-D simulations in each of the +z, -z, and r directions and merging the three results. Such an approximation to a 3-D phenomenon is valid for times where the outward blast and energy transfer remain nearly spherical