11/15/2023
By Lynne Schaufenbil
Abstract: ECLAIR is a new experiment under construction designed to investigate the Helicity Drive magneto-inertial fusion concept [1]. Helicity Drive operates in four sequential steps: (a) formation of multiple magnetized plectonemic Taylor states embedded inside stable helical shear flow jets; (b) merging of the Taylor states into a single magnetized plasma jet heated via magnetic reconnection; (c) peristaltic compression of the merged jet to fusion conditions; (d) peristaltic expansion of the burning plasma to produce thrust and electrical power. ECLAIR is made of four custom triple electrode plasma guns adapted from the precursor MOCHI experiment design [2]. The guns aim towards one focal point to promote reconnection-heating of the four plectonemes [3] at the inlet of the peristaltic magnetic nozzle. The magnetic nozzle consists of 20 Bitter-type coils connected in a transmission line setup to peristaltically compress the preheated plasma. First plasma was achieved in April 2023. We present the commissioning of the first two plasma guns, the implementation of the magnetic nozzle, and the results from 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations demonstrating the merging and compression of four plasma jets.
Please contact Lynne_Schaufenbil@uml.edu for the Zoom link if you are interested.