The Z Machine and Nuclear Fusion.

[tintin113]

Having watched a video on this in Physics I became very interested in the Z Machine and the potential of Nuclear Fusion. Anyways, I thought I would post some information on the Z Machine at Sandia and invite any discussion about one of the most incredible machines ever made, as well as explaining a little about the possibilities of Nuclear Fusion.

 

 

 

Nuclear Fusion

 

I'm sure you've all heard of E=MC² which stands for Energy (Joules) = Mass (Kg) x The Speed of Light² (300,000,000 x 300,000,000.)

 

 

 

E / m = c² = (299,792,458 m/s)² = 89,875,517,873,681,764 J/kg (?9.0 × 10,000,000,000,000,000 joules per kilogram)

 

So one gram of mass approximately the mass of a U.S. dollar bill is equivalent to the following amounts of energy:

 

 

 

-89.9 terajoules

 

-24.9 million kilowatt-hours (?25 GW·h)

 

-21.5 billion kilocalories (?21 Tcal) [9]

 

-21.5 kilotons of TNT-equivalent energy (?21 kt) [9]

 

-85.2 billion BTUs[9]

 

 

 

It doesn't take a genius to work out that is one hell of a lot of potential and reward for cracking Nuclear Fusion.

 

 

 

 

 

The Z Machine

 

 

This moment in the reaction has only ever captured once due to the times involved in this process, and has to be the most incredible picture I've ever seen.

 

The blue glow below the electricity is molecules travelling faster than light in that medium. (Not faster than 300,000,000m/s but faster than light travels in that substance ;) ) This is similar to the sonic boom when things break the sound barrier, just this is the light barrier.

 

 

 

What is the Z Machine?

 

The Z machine fires a very powerful electrical discharge (several tens of millions of amperes for less than 100 nanoseconds) into an array of thin, parallel tungsten wires called a liner. The high electrical current vaporizes the wires, which are transformed into a cylindrical plasma curtain. Simultaneously, the current density induces a powerful magnetic field and their combination creates Lorentz forces which radially compress the plasma into a z-pinch process. The imploding plasma produces a high temperature and an X-ray pulse which can create a shock wave in a target structure. The target structure is placed in a cavity inside the wires called a hohlraum. The powerful fluctuation in the magnetic field (an "electromagnetic pulse") also generates electric current in all of the metallic objects in the room (see picture at upper right). The vertical cylinder's axis is conventionally termed the z-axis, hence the name "Z machine". It is hoped that the extreme conditions that the Z Machine is able to create will help with cracking Nuclear Fusion.

 

 

 

Fun Facts (because facts are fun ;) )

 

-Z releases 80 times the world's electrical power output for about seventy nanoseconds.

 

-Originally designed to supply 50 terawatts of power in one fast pulse, technological advances resulted in an increased output of 290 terawatts, enough to study nuclear fusion.

 

-Besides being used as an X-ray generator, the Z machine propelled small plates at 34 kilometres a second, faster than the 30 kilometres per second that Earth travels in its orbit around the Sun, and three times Earth's escape velocity.

 

-It also successfully created a special, hyperdense "hot ice" known as ice VII, by quickly compressing water to pressures of 70,000 to 120,000 atmospheres.

 

-At the beginning of 2006, the Z machine produced plasmas with announced temperatures in excess of 2 billion kelvins (2 GK, 2×109 K) or 3.6 billion °F, even reaching a peak at 3.7 GK or 6.6 billion °F. It was achieved in part by replacing the tungsten wires by thicker steel wires. This temperature, which enables a 10% to 15% efficiency in converting electrical energy to soft x-rays, was much higher than anticipated (3 to 4 times the kinetic energy of the incoming wires on axis). Thus far, it is currently the highest human-made temperature ever achieved according to The Guinness Book Of Records.

 

 

 

Anywho, if you've survived all that I'd invite you to comment on it, even if just to agree that the picture is AWESOME. :D

 

 

 

Credits to Wikipedia for the info!

[Skull]

As of right now it still takes more energy to create fusion than the actual reaction gives off though, right?

 

 

 

The picture is sweet though.

[dave0293]

The first thing I thought was, what if you put someone in there?

 

Same here. :lol:

[tintin113]

The first thing I thought was, what if you put someone in there?

 

Same here. :lol:

 

 

 

Let's just say a hose would be more appropriate than a body bag. :roll:

 

 

 

 

 

As of right now it still takes more energy to create fusion than the actual reaction gives off though, right?

 

 

 

And yes that's the problem. Nuclear Fusion happens in stars because the Big Bang gave off enough energy at once to start the reaction, and it's difficult to produce that sort of thing again, and then bring it under control AND harness it's energy. :?

[Dizzle229]

Am I a bad person for being more interested in what would happen of a person was down there than the machine itself?

[mario_sunny]

Am I a bad person for being more interested in what would happen of a person was down there than the machine itself?

 

 

 

TIME TRAVEL???

 

 

 

No... he would probably get disenegrated.

[Lenin64]

Am I a bad person for being more interested in what would happen of a person was down there than the machine itself?

 

Screw that. Throw in a wrench.

[Riku3220]

Am I a bad person for being more interested in what would happen of a person was down there than the machine itself?

 

Screw that. Throw in a wrench.

 

*100 years later*

 

 

 

Man killed by a wrench that seems to have come from a mysterious rift from the past.

[assassin_696]

I think I watched something about the Z-machine a bit back, if I understand correctly isn't it some research relic of the Cold War/WW2 (I forget) which they converted to do research on nuclear fusion? It's a fascinating machine, but they aren't getting much viable energy out of it are they?

 

 

 

I think recently nuclear fusion labs have got to the point where they're getting a slight net energy output, but it's not enough yet to run any kind of electricity grid. That lab in Califnornia which is developing laser fusion is pretty fascinating, they're just getting up to a point where they're getting ready to fire the lasers I believe. Either way it's a fascinating time for nuclear fusion, which is pretty much the only viable long term energy solution we have right now.

[tintin113]

I think I watched something about the Z-machine a bit back, if I understand correctly isn't it some research relic of the Cold War/WW2 (I forget) which they converted to do research on nuclear fusion? It's a fascinating machine, but they aren't getting much viable energy out of it are they?

 

 

 

I think recently nuclear fusion labs have got to the point where they're getting a slight net energy output, but it's not enough yet to run any kind of electricity grid. That lab in Califnornia which is developing laser fusion is pretty fascinating, they're just getting up to a point where they're getting ready to fire the lasers I believe. Either way it's a fascinating time for nuclear fusion, which is pretty much the only viable long term energy solution we have right now.

 

 

 

Yeah the laser fusion lab is incredible. And they've fired the lasers before, but there are so many of them that have to hit such an exact point that they've actually never hit before, but they hope to do so soon. ;)

[Dracion1]

Watched a Horizon program about this a while back, I'm very interested to see if it becomes a viable power source. It's got a lot of potential, if we could work out to make it economial the benefits would innumberable. There's another test reactor not far from where I live called JET (Joint European Torus), the largest one built so far , though not as powerful as the Z Machine.

 

 

 

Anyway, an interesting picture on wikipedia showing the torus. The section on the right is the plasma formed when the machine is 'running':

 

 

 

[mervinator_9]

I think I watched something about the Z-machine a bit back, if I understand correctly isn't it some research relic of the Cold War/WW2 (I forget) which they converted to do research on nuclear fusion? It's a fascinating machine, but they aren't getting much viable energy out of it are they?

 

 

 

I think recently nuclear fusion labs have got to the point where they're getting a slight net energy output, but it's not enough yet to run any kind of electricity grid. That lab in Califnornia which is developing laser fusion is pretty fascinating, they're just getting up to a point where they're getting ready to fire the lasers I believe. Either way it's a fascinating time for nuclear fusion, which is pretty much the only viable long term energy solution we have right now.

 

 

 

Yeah the laser fusion lab is incredible. And they've fired the lasers before, but there are so many of them that have to hit such an exact point that they've actually never hit before, but they hope to do so soon. ;)

 

I've got a Physics teacher who raves about nuclear fussion, hes under the impression that the country that finally cracks it will be the next huge world power. Hes got a point, after all if a country could supply power to all its citizens without any external help and could sell the rest on, it could create quite a monopoly.

[fastortoise]

I remember being fascinated by the nuclear fusion phenomena when I entered college, which inclined me to go into engineering. However, after realizing the sheer power behind DNA and recombinant technology, genetics was the obvious academic choice for me. :geek:

[Seraphi]

 

 

 

I think recently nuclear fusion labs have got to the point where they're getting a slight net energy output

 

It must be an extremely tiny net output then. still interesting to see if they can get it to a point where they can keep looping it to power the world.

[llcoolguy972]

Am I a bad person for being more interested in what would happen of a person was down there than the machine itself?

 

 

 

TIME TRAVEL???

 

 

 

No... he would probably get disenegrated.

 

Dr Manhattan plz

[das1330]

I think I watched something about the Z-machine a bit back, if I understand correctly isn't it some research relic of the Cold War/WW2 (I forget) which they converted to do research on nuclear fusion? It's a fascinating machine, but they aren't getting much viable energy out of it are they?

 

 

 

I think recently nuclear fusion labs have got to the point where they're getting a slight net energy output, but it's not enough yet to run any kind of electricity grid. That lab in Califnornia which is developing laser fusion is pretty fascinating, they're just getting up to a point where they're getting ready to fire the lasers I believe. Either way it's a fascinating time for nuclear fusion, which is pretty much the only viable long term energy solution we have right now.

 

 

 

Like most of the extremley expensive science projects built in the past 50 years, it was constructed to model nuclear weapon effects. It is an extremley interesting device.

[Pinkbullet3]

You all might be more surprised to hear that this machine was built by merely a few high school students.Eh, jk.

 

 

 

That thing looks cool, though.

[tintin113]

I think I watched something about the Z-machine a bit back, if I understand correctly isn't it some research relic of the Cold War/WW2 (I forget) which they converted to do research on nuclear fusion? It's a fascinating machine, but they aren't getting much viable energy out of it are they?

 

 

 

I think recently nuclear fusion labs have got to the point where they're getting a slight net energy output, but it's not enough yet to run any kind of electricity grid. That lab in Califnornia which is developing laser fusion is pretty fascinating, they're just getting up to a point where they're getting ready to fire the lasers I believe. Either way it's a fascinating time for nuclear fusion, which is pretty much the only viable long term energy solution we have right now.

 

 

 

Yeah the laser fusion lab is incredible. And they've fired the lasers before, but there are so many of them that have to hit such an exact point that they've actually never hit before, but they hope to do so soon. ;)

 

I've got a Physics teacher who raves about nuclear fussion, hes under the impression that the country that finally cracks it will be the next huge world power. Hes got a point, after all if a country could supply power to all its citizens without any external help and could sell the rest on, it could create quite a monopoly.

 

 

 

Your teacher is right, if one country perfected it then they would be a world superpower, however most of the best efforts going on at the moment are colaborative between scientists in many countries, so hopefully the outcome won't be so one-sided.

[Will H]

Holy crap that's clever, it converts matter into plasma, then heat and x-rays, then a magnetic pulse, and then finally into electricity. That's got to be really difficult to control at once, all of which has radically different properties, without the stuff dissipating. High energy doesn't like to stay in the same place for very long. They should try it with uranium. :twisted:

 

 

 

I wonder what would happen if someone was in the room at the time? Insta-death?

[AndyPandy]

Holy crap that's clever, it converts matter into plasma, then heat and x-rays, then a magnetic pulse, and then finally into electricity. That's got to be really difficult to control at once, all of which has radically different properties, without the stuff dissipating. High energy doesn't like to stay in the same place for very long. They should try it with uranium. :twisted:

 

 

 

I wonder what would happen if someone was in the room at the time? Insta-death?

 

 

 

They need some kind of prerecorded voiceover, for when the new guy unwittingly opens the door when it's running.

 

 

 

'K-K-K-K-KOOOOO'

 

 

 

Or

 

 

 

'OWNED!'

[warri0r45]

It certainly sounds like a fascinating machine. You should probably cite wiki to let people know where that info came from, though. Not because I think it's inaccurate but because it's misleading.

 

 

 

Incredible picture, too.

[ArmadylArcher]

Stuff like this makes me wish I had done more math in high school.

 

 

 

I hope I'm not the only one that just sees 10101010 as I'm reading through this thread. LOL

[K112]

Thats a fairly epic machine right there.

 

 

 

But, and forgive me if I get this wrong, but when you state they reached a [million billion]°C by using steel rods rather than tungsten, doesn't steel melt at 1200°C?

 

Therefore, it would be very difficult to push it beyond this boundary efficiently, as the steel molecules (iron atoms more significantly) would simply change to such an energy level that would probably give them some kind of ionization, the atoms would become free of their bonds, take electrons from the energy produced (Yes, this can happen).

 

IE: Steel gets hot, splits into the elements it consists of (this produces chemical energy, yes) but any energy made would quickly stabilize in the form of matter, and complete the atom's electronic structure, so that it doesn't need to latch onto other atoms. So, I don't see the possibility of heat being given out to this degree (no pun intended).

 

 

 

I'm not calling you a liar or anything even near that, I'm just very interested in the mechanics of the machine.

[lobsta]

If only countries poured as much resources into Nuclear Fusion as we do developing Nuclear Bombs. I wonder if we were able to utilise this power source a few years ago - would the U.S been concerned much by the Middle East? Nuclear fusion really would be a get out of jail free card at the moment.

[tintin113]

Thats a fairly epic machine right there.

 

 

 

But, and forgive me if I get this wrong, but when you state they reached a [million billion]°C by using steel rods rather than tungsten, doesn't steel melt at 1200°C?

 

Therefore, it would be very difficult to push it beyond this boundary efficiently, as the steel molecules (iron atoms more significantly) would simply change to such an energy level that would probably give them some kind of ionization, the atoms would become free of their bonds, take electrons from the energy produced (Yes, this can happen).

 

IE: Steel gets hot, splits into the elements it consists of (this produces chemical energy, yes) but any energy made would quickly stabilize in the form of matter, and complete the atom's electronic structure, so that it doesn't need to latch onto other atoms. So, I don't see the possibility of heat being given out to this degree (no pun intended).

 

 

 

I'm not calling you a liar or anything even near that, I'm just very interested in the mechanics of the machine.

 

 

 

This entire reaction happens in a fraction of a millisecond, and the temperatures reached are USING the steel, the steel itself doesn't get that hot. And I don't honestly understand the whole thing either, but I think the plasma is what you're talking about, due to the exceptionally quick change from solid to super-pressurised gas.