Evaluation of Positional Stability in Active Magnetic Levitation Using Spherical HTS Bulk for Inertial Nuclear Fusion

Fuel supply is a fundamental issue in application of inertial nuclear fusion. To address this issue, we propose the use of an HTS superconductor capsule containing nuclear fuel, which can levitate in a magnetic field. During magnetic levitation, positional stability is important because it affects levitation accuracy to the focal point of giant lasers. We have developed a numerical simulation program based on a 3-D hybrid finite element and boundary element method to evaluate positional stability during magnetic levitation. Moreover, we have optimally designed and constructed a multi-coil system wherein spherical HTS bulk of 5 mm diameter can levitate stably. Finally, we have conducted the experiments for the evaluation of magnetic levitation, and compared the results with our simulation.