Z-Pinch Chamber Assessment and Design

The 3 GJ target with low repetition rate and thick liquid wall chamber presents the mainline choice for the Z-Pinch power plant. An engineering scoping assessment has been developed for two candidate breeders (Flibe (F₄Li₂Be)molten salt and Li₁₇Pb₈₃ liquid metal) to identify the design requirements and optimize the components' dimensions. Several important engineering features have been incorporated to improve the Z-Pinch performance. For instance, an advanced high-temperature steel-based structure could operate near 800°C, an advanced power cycle could achieve high thermal conversion efficiency approaching 50%, a low-activation F82H-based steel with controlled impurities will generate only low-level waste, and an innovative idea has been developed to establish jet flow using a sluice valve. This paper identifies self-consistent reference parameters and documents an interesting comparison between the candidate breeders, highlighting the fundamental differences in performance and the benefits and drawbacks of each breeder.