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Characterizing the Movement of Contaminant Liquid Metal Particles when subject to Electric Pulses, within the Context of Z-pinch Fusion Reactors

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dc.contributor.authorSridhar, Vigneshen
dc.contributor.committeechairAdams, Colinen
dc.contributor.committeechairBrizzolara, Stefanoen
dc.contributor.committeememberMassa, Lucaen
dc.contributor.departmentAerospace and Ocean Engineeringen
dc.date.accessioned2024-12-20T09:01:14Zen
dc.date.available2024-12-20T09:01:14Zen
dc.date.issued2024-12-18en
dc.description.abstractThis thesis examines the behavior of contaminant liquid metal particles, known as ejecta, which are expelled from magnetically-accelerated liquid metal surfaces, in Z-pinch fusion reactors. These ejecta present significant contamination risks to plasma fuel in fusion reactors. The study employed a liquid electrode setup, exposing a eutectic tin-bismuth mixture to high-current pulses. Particle motion was tracked and analyzed using high-speed camera footage processed with advanced techniques, including contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization (CLAHE), neutral-density filtering, and Sobel edge detection. The research integrates automated particle tracking algorithms with connected-component labeling and two-point correlation functions to monitor ejecta trajectories. Results reveal an average ejected particle velocity of 2.54 m/s (±3.58 m/s), with particle formation likelihood peaking at velocities around 1.14 m/s. These findings indicate that particle ejection dynamics are influenced by factors such as initial temperature, vacuum conditions, and electrostatic forces. This research provides crucial insights for optimizing reactor design and mitigating contamination in future fusion energy applications. The study also proposes directions for further investigation, including the temperature dependency of particle ejection dynamics and the implementation of improved heating systems for experimental setups.en
dc.description.abstractgeneralThis thesis explores how tiny particles of liquid metal, called ejecta, behave when exposed to powerful electric pulses in a type of nuclear fusion reactor known as a Z-pinch reactor. These particles, which are thrown out from the surface of liquid metal during fusion experiments, can contaminate the fuel and reduce the efficiency of the fusion reactor. The study involves a series of experiments where a special mixture of metals, tin and bismuth, is subjected to high electrical currents. Using advanced image processing techniques, such as digital enhancement and edge detection, the movement of these particles was tracked with high-speed cameras. The findings reveal that the average speed of these particles is about 2.54 meters per second, and their formation is most likely at speeds around 1.14 meters per second. The results suggest that factors like temperature, vacuum conditions, and electromagnetic forces significantly affect how these particles are ejected. Understanding this behavior is important for improving the design and performance of future fusion reactors, which aim to provide a clean and almost limitless source of energy. The study also points to further research opportunities, including examining how different temperatures affect the behavior of these particles and enhancing the experimental setup to better control heating conditions.en
dc.description.degreeMaster of Scienceen
dc.format.mediumETDen
dc.identifier.othervt_gsexam:41404en
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10919/123854en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectImage Processingen
dc.subjectMagneto-Hydro Dynamicsen
dc.subjectLiquid Metalsen
dc.subjectZ-pinch fusionen
dc.titleCharacterizing the Movement of Contaminant Liquid Metal Particles when subject to Electric Pulses, within the Context of Z-pinch Fusion Reactorsen
dc.typeThesisen
thesis.degree.disciplineAerospace Engineeringen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen

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