NE Seminars

WEDNESDAY, February 27, 2008 at 4:00 p.m
in the Progress Energy Lecture Hall, Room 1202 Burlington Engr Labs 2500 Stinson Drive (between Lampe and Broughton Drives)

• Joint Seminar Presentation by Nuclear Engineering & Physics
  
  
• George H. Miley, Professor
  Department of Nuclear, Plasma and
  Radiological Engineering
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  
  
• "Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) Fusion: Physics and Applications"
  
  
• Abstract
  
  Philo Farnsworth, inventor of electronic TV,
  first proposed what we call Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) fusion in the 1960s. Early theory and experiments were supported by DOE, but then abandoned as increased effort went into magnetic confinement systems like Tokamak.

  However, interest in IECs was revived by R. W. Bussard's concept for a magnetic-assisted IEC in the 1990s, followed by Miley's development of a small grided device operating in the “Star” mode. The Star mode IEC was used commercially by an automobile company as a D-D neutron source for neutron activation analysis in industrial quality control.

  Recent work by Miley and several other researchers has focused on fusion power applications with aneutronic fusion burning p-B11 as the ultimate goal. The IEC power plant potentially offers the very important advantages. These include a simple mechanical structure, a very high power-to-weight ratio, a velocity-space confinement scaling which offers modest size units, and a non-Maxwellian distribution enabling aneutronic fusion.

  Successful scale up of present experimental devices to energy breakeven faces crucial physics issues including stability of the electrostatic well structure, prevention of space charge build-up effects and improved ion confinement time.

  The seminar will briefly review the history of IEC development, physics issues and approaches to overcome them, and various potential applications, ranging from neutron sources to fusion power for terrestrial and space power plants.
  
  
• Biography

  Professor George H. Miley has dedicated his life's work to revealing the secrets of nuclear science and developing their uses to benefit society. He began his career at the University of Illinois just three years after the nuclear engineering program was started there, and he continues as a Professor in the Department of Nuclear, Plasma Laboratory, and Radiological Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has led innovative research in several areas of nuclear science and engineering, ranging from fusion and lasers to nuclear batteries and fuel cells.

  As a founder of the Fusion Studies Laboratory at the University and President of a small high- tech company devoted to renewable energy source technology, he has contributed to research on nuclear power sources including both magnetic and inertial confinement fusion for more than 30 years. His contributions have been recognized with a variety of national/international awards, including the Teller Medial for inertial confinement research, plus national ANS and IEEE Awards for contributions to fusion science and technology.

  Professor Miley is internationally recognized for his innovative work on advanced fuel ICF target physics, and for contributions to innovative plasma devices, including the first direct electron-beam-pumped laser, and first visible nuclear-pumped laser, a flowing plasma focus, and the STAR mode IEC as a fusion neutron source for NAA. He and his students performed one of the first series of target compression experiments at the U of Rochester Laser Laboratory. Professor Miley has also made important research contributions to the field of nuclear engineering, ranging from fission reactor kinetics to direct radiation energy conversion and fusion technology. As a result of his seminal book, “ Fusion Energy Conversion” (1976), he is known as the "father" of advanced fuel fusion. His pioneering work on Nuclear Pumped Lasers opened up that field in the 1980s and gained international recognition.

  Professor Miley is one of the most prolific researchers in the University of Illinois College of Engineering. Among his published works have been six books, over 230 articles in journals, and another 550 articles in conference proceedings. As a Director of NPRE's Fusion Studies Laboratory, Professor Miley's interests have ranged from fusion science and technology to direct radiation energy conversion. He is considered a pioneer in nuclear-pumped laser research and is widely recognized for innovative research in fusion. Professor Miley holds 19 patents.

  Professor Miley is the author of over 190-refereed technical papers and is the editor or co-editor of a dozen books and proceedings. He is a Guggenheim Fellow, Fellow of four professional societies (ANS, IEEE, AAIA and APS), and holds the prestigious Preparata and Edward Teller Medals.

  Among his accomplishments have been:

  • A pioneering book on Direct Conversion of Nuclear Radiation Energy, a work that initiated the field of nuclear batteries.

  • The first electron beam diode pumped laser (1969).

  • The first visible Nuclear Pumped Laser (1976).

  • A Seminole book, Fusion Energy Conversion (1976), that initiated serious research on advanced fuel fusion.

  • The first comprehensive theory for solid-state gamma battery (1980).

  • Development of the concept and detailed physics for a spark ignited inertial confinement fusion target using burn propagation into deuterium (1990).

  • Discovery of Star Mode operation for inertial electrostatic confinement devices, opening the way to small lab scale neutron sources and industrial applications (1994).

  • Theory and experiments in low energy nuclear reactions created in multi-layer thin-film electrodes (1997).

  • Theory and experiments on a unique phonon-driven solid state x-ray laser (2002).

  • Concept of an inertial electrostatic confinement neutron source driven sub-critical fission reactor for use in student laboratories (2003).

  • Co-inventor of a regenerative fuel cell that employs hydrogen peroxide and offers major advantages for applications (2004) space power.

  His work has earned him a number of honors and awards, including:

  The 1992 Outstanding Achievement Award from the Fusion Energy Division of the American Nuclear Society.

  The 1995 Edward Teller Medal for his contributions to inertial confinement fusion and lasers.

  The 2003 IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Sciences Award for research achievements in fusion energy.

  The 2004 Radiation Science and Technology Award from the American Nuclear Society (ANS) in recognition of achievements in research on nuclear pumped lasers, radiation energy conversion, and IEC neutron sources.

  The 2006 “Integrity in Research Award” from the Second International Conference on Future Energy (COFE-2).

  For 2006-2007, the Giuliano Preparata Silver Medal.
  
  

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