Design, fabrication and measurement of a novel cooling arm for fusion energy source

TL;DR

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and testing of a novel micro-scale cooling arm for fusion energy targets, utilizing MEMS technology and finite element analysis to ensure mechanical stability and precise positioning.

Contribution

It introduces a new cooling arm structure for fusion targets, combining MEMS fabrication with finite element design to improve performance and meet mechanical requirements.

Findings

Cooling arm structure meets mechanical and positioning requirements.

MEMS fabrication achieves high vertical sidewalls.

Finite element analysis optimizes structural design.

Abstract

The issues of energy and environment are the main constraint of sustainable development in worldwide. Nuclear energy source is one important optional choice for long term sustainable development. The nuclear energy consists of fusion energy and fission energy. Compared with fission, inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is a kind of clean fusion energy and can generate large energy and little environmental pollution. ICF mainly consists of peripheral driver unit and target. The cooling arm is an important component of the target, which cools the hohlraum to maintain the required temperature and positions the thermal-mechanical package (TMP) assembly. This paper mainly investigates the cooling arm, including the structural design, the verticality of sidewall and the mechanical properties. The TMP assembly is uniformly clamped in its radial when using (111) crystal orientation silicon to fabricate cooling arm. The finite element method is used to design the structure of cooling arm with 16 clamping arms, and the MEMS technologies are employed to fabricate the micro-size cooling arm structure with high vertical sidewall. Finally, the mechanical test of cooling arm is taken, and the result can meet the requirement of positioning TMP assembly.