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Project Information
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Small Particle Free-Fall Trajectory Control SystemThe idea of using lasers to ignite fusion reactions has been explored since the 70s, but the required precision and power has not been available for practical application. This proof-of-concept hopes to overcome difficulties associated with fueling the reactor. For efficient energy generation, small controlled reactions must take place quickly. This requires an automated fueling system. Two practical factors motivate the Capstone project: the chamber in which the reaction takes place is fairly large - around 10 m radius; and the target for the lasers is fairly small - often on the order of 500 microns. Given this diameter fuel pellet, the allowable error shrinks to miniscule amounts. The fuel used is a sphere of hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium, cooled near absolute zero and often encapsulated in plastic or metal. Dropping the pellet from the top of a reactor chamber to the target zone can be split into several parts. The initial release mechanism has the potential to contribute significant error to the particle's trajectory, as it is the only subsystem that could unintentionally give it lateral momentum. The powerful lasers need to be accurately timed in order to properly irradiate the fuel, as the 500 micron pellet, traveling at 50 km/h, will travel past the point within 35 microseconds. A tracking system must therefor be implemented, one sensitive and quick enough to measure discrepancies within microns at high velocities. Since trajectory error is expected, a correction system need be realized. Similar to the tracking system, course corrections need to be equivalently sensitive and fast. These parts must be coordinated by a central controller capable of microsecond bus control and readout. http://www.ualberta.ca/~tlucas/Capstone/Problem_Description.pdf |