KATHLEEN VAILANCOURT

The Assesment Of Polywell: The Cost – Effective Electricity Producer Divice

Abstract

The polywell concept is a new method for inertial electrostatic confinement (iec) by using electrostatic and magnetic fields. This system can confine energetic ions in a small volume and increase their densities up to threshold value necessary for thermonuclear reactions. Ions are accelerated in this system up to several tens of Kev which is needed for fusion reactions. Accelerated ions are attracted by electron clouds and therefore collision occur. Some of these collisions can cause fusion reactions at the center of region. As the ions move back and forth (returning to the central focus), the reaction rate build up around the electron cloud. In this paper, we studied the dynamics of ion and computed the density of confined electron clouds in multi-cusp magnetic fields then we estimate possible energy losses. The results of our calculation demonstrated that the two significant energy losses are: losses due to electron transport across the point-cusp field region and bremsstrahlung losses. Here we have neglected synchrotron radiation losses. By determining power gain (the ratio of fusion power production) to total losses, we conclude that a polywell device can be considered as a system for producing energy (power reactor).

Biography

Kathleen Vaillancourt has been an energy modeling consultant and researcher for the past 15 years. She has specialized in the development of energy-economy-environment models and their applications for energy and climate policy analysis. Throughout her career, she has participated in the development of 10 national and global MARKAL/TIMES energy models for high-profile organizations in Canada and internationally. She has a successful track record of multiple energy projects with an expertise in the analysis of ambitious GHG emission reduction strategies. She is involved in the Energy Technology Systems Analysis Program (ETSAP) of the International Energy Agency (IEA) where she provides in-person training and online technical support on how to develop MARKAL/TIMES energy models for strategic decision making. She has supervised 15 internships, masters and PhD students on energy-related topics. She holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences from the University of Quebec in Montreal, a postdoc from McGill University on the long-term role and potential of GHG emission abatement technologies and an MBA from HEC Montreal.