Grant Proposal

[andrewmdodson]

Grant Name: Theoretical Research in Magnetic Fusion Energy Science (DOE)

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=lGpyR3dQnX8pdJbhjszTQnXHhfQKyfrnhJd25yG5nGJyzzJ6yk41!1187197753?oppId=224853&mode=VIEW

Summary: The Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) of the Office of Science (SC), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), hereby announces its interest in receiving new or renewal grant applications for theoretical and computational research relevant to the U.S. magnetic fusion energy sciences program. Applications selected in response to this FOA will be funded in Fiscal Year 2014, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. The specific areas of interest are: 1) Macroscopic Stability; 2) Confinement and Transport; 3) Boundary Physics; 4) Plasma Heating & Non-inductive Current Drive; and 5) Energetic Particles.

Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions.

Dates: The deadline for applications is May 22, 2013.

More Info: CFDA #: 81.049; FOA #: DE-FOA-0000879

Would anyone like to help me write a grant for this. I have access to professors who will help polish the idea. I can help make this happen I PROMISE. Come on community rise to greet me.

Small focus fusion device designed to test pulsed energy drive circuits. This would be an electrical engineering department project mostly.

[andrewmdodson]

details attached.

I am thinking we could fund the testing of a set of the new switches. I do converter design and have looked at some pulse shaping circuits and other methods of generating high power electricity.

Can someone help me out with an idea, some documentation, help budget it out, and agree to visit the lab? Are there concepts/drawings available of parts you would like manufactured and tested?

Attached files

DE-FOA-0000879.pdf (249 B) 

[Breakable]

Applicants not currently registered with SAM and Grants.gov should allow at least 44 days to complete these requirements. You are encouraged to start the process as soon as possible.
Letter of Intent Due Date: 04/12/2013 at 5 PM Eastern Time
Application Due Date: 05/22/2013 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time
There certainly is not much time

[Warwick]

This may be an ignorant question, Andrew, but which of the 5 headings are you intending that this should relate to?

[zapkitty]

… and wouldn’t the new switches, from Raytheon I believe, be tested by using them in LPPX-1?

[andrewmdodson]

I would be interested in doing a study of the properties of gas discharge switches operating in parallel. I do not know the details of the Raytheon devices. Can someone please get me up to speed on this?

I am an electrical engineer and I know that pulsed fusion needs pulsed power switches. How would you recommend I best contribute? My professor is willing to help me with the writing of a grant and the university already has the required credentials to sign up for this program.

As per the attached paper, a laser triggered Surface-Discharge switch seems most appropriate for this application. What would an appropriate research into the operating characteristic of these devices need to investigate?

I could imagine using a hot cathode to provide an electron beam that is swept from the anode to the cathode of the discharge switch instead of a laser to induce a conductive channel.

Honestly I am just a systems engineer but I am very motivated about the focus fusion and want to contribute. Please help me make your dream my dream. I am wide open to suggestions.

Attached files

GasDischargeJitter.pdf (214 B) 

[andrewmdodson]

Warwick wrote: This may be an ignorant question, Andrew, but which of the 5 headings are you intending that this should relate to?

I believe the 4th item, non-inductive current drive would be the most appropriate in terms of what the electrical engineering department would contribute.

What are the current needs of the LPPx? What parts of the puzzle are as of yet still completely theoretical? Where does an engineer fit in with all these physics geniuses? :p

[andrewmdodson]

zapkitty wrote: … and wouldn’t the new switches, from Raytheon I believe, be tested by using them in LPPX-1?

Does it make sense to think of testing switching devices seperate from the reactor proper? I would hope it feasible to say we can fabricate a small vaccuum chamber with electrodes as a dummy load?

[zapkitty]

andrewmdodson wrote:
Does it make sense to think of testing switching
devices separate from the reactor proper? I would
hope it feasible to say we can fabricate a small
vacuum chamber with electrodes as a dummy load?

… there’s a bit of a history between the Focus Fusion
project and switches 🙂

LPP ordered switches to the specifications needed
from a commercial supplier… and they didn’t work.

This delayed the project many months while LPP
worked their way through the process of designing
and making their own switches. And all of the FFS
forum posts that you see relating to switches are not
there because LPP feels there is a need to research
switches. LPP didn’t have a choice at that time.

But we’re told, fairly often, that this shouldn’t have
happened. That switches at the level that the Focus
Fusion test article needs should be readily engineered.
Indeed I expect the user asymmetric_implosion to be
along shortly to explain that the switches that LPP
needs are a solved problem 😉

So, and it’s just my opinion, unless the Raytheon
switches fail as well I don’t see switch research as an
immediate need.

Now, will more research be needed on the subject in
the future? Certainly. Operational FF units will need to
bring the cost of reliable, high-repetition switches
down quite a bit… would such a longer-term
undertaking be more in line with what you feel you can
do?

[andrewmdodson]

zapkitty wrote:
Now, will more research be needed on the subject in
the future? Certainly. Operational FF units will need to
bring the cost of reliable, high-repetition switches
down quite a bit… would such a longer-term
undertaking be more in line with what you feel you can
do?

I have to do something for a PhD. I am working on a thorium reactor paper as well. I would think it could be feasible to contribute in a small way if there is some engineering to do. I can perhaps do a simulation of the power electronics drive that would run off a pulsed power source such as this at a 1-200 Hz rate and deliver energy to the local grid… eh? Im not sure now, I just knew there was an issue with the switches recently. Would love to learn what your solution is.

What about the bigger picture in the electronics drives aspect? What will the interfaces look like for the photoelectric onion shell device or the beam transformer? Anything?

[Lerner]

If you can call the LPP lab next week, Wednesday or later, we can knock around some ideas by phone. I’m sure we can come up with something.

[Breakable]

Andrew, Eric is the person responsible for the LPP lab. You can find the phone numbers here:
http://lawrencevilleplasmaphysics.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=94&Itemid=116

If you need any more help, just post here.

[Warwick]

Hi Andrew,
I do not know the US system well but I think that to do a PhD, the grant award linked above is not your best port of call. It is almost guaranteed that they will only award it to a PI with years of postdoctoral experience (in all probability, if we’re honest, someone who is already known to a decision-maker). Those awards are not, I think, intended to fund PhD fellowships.

Depending on which year you are in now, I suggest you have a look e.g. at this:
http://scgf.orau.gov/
It is closed for this year but I’m not sure if you were intending to start a PhD this fall or not.

See also
http://www.profellow.com/fellowships/how-to-fully-fund-your-phd/
http://www.hertzfoundation.org/dx/fellowships/eligibility.aspx

There must be many similar resources. Also maybe consider studying in a country where it is unusual for PhD students to pay to study e.g. with
http://www.fulbright.org.uk/fulbright-awards/exchanges-to-the-uk/postgraduates
Again they are looking for 2014-15 now. Hope you can find what you are looking for.

[asymmetric_implosion]

Isn’t this a computational or theoretical grant? What is the theory you are going to pursue or develop? Rule #1 of federal grant writing; respond to the topics. If you are an experimental person proposing an experimental study, this type of grant is unlikely to be successful. Worst case, it is rejected without review because it is considered unresponsive.

[benf]

Assymetric has a point….Not that I want to throw cold water on the pursuit but….

The funding announcement says this:

“Eligibility: There are no eligibility restrictions.”

but then later on it says this:

“Theoretical and computational research directly relevant to the needs of ITER and burning plasmas is strongly encouraged and will receive high priority. Work focused on integration of multiple effects across topical areas is also encouraged. Verification and validation (V&V) work will also be considered, provided it has a strong theory component and it is not predominately a data analysis or evaluation effort, which is normally supported by research at the major facilities. Research focused on theoretical aspects of plasma diagnostics is not supported under this solicitation. Work supporting enabling science, such as Atomic Physics, is also not supported under this solicitation. Efforts focused on crosscutting areas, such as magnetic reconnection, are eligible provided they address issues directly relevant to magnetic confinement science.”

As far as I know, all of the FES funding announcements that I’ve read slip this qualifier in there. If it doesn’t apply to ITER we won’t be interested, is what they’re stating.

Which is the reason for our letter writing campaign.

Now if you can figure out a way to have your research be of benefit to both the Dense Plasma Focus and ITER and can articulate it in the proposal (edit: application), then maybe there’s a chance….

[Author]

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