NRL LINUS
ID: nrl-linus
Summary
NRL liquid metal liner fusion concept. CFS-NM SLC has strong conceptual similarities.
Deep Dive Analysis
Overview
LINUS was an NRL fusion reactor concept from 1971 that used a rotationally stabilized liquid lead-lithium liner to compress plasma for fusion. The liquid metal liner was spun to provide rotational stabilization, preventing Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities that plague solid liner approaches.
Connection to CFS-NM
CFS-NM (Compact Fusion Systems New Mexico) was founded by Peter Turchi in 2017. CFS-NM's spinning liquid-metal liner (SLC) concept has strong conceptual similarities to LINUS. Turchi's 42-year career connects LASL (1975), AFRL Shiva Star (1980s-1990s), Atlas (2000s), and CFS-NM (2017), linking the LASL Fast Liner, NRL LINUS, AFRL MARAUDER, and CFS-NM SLC across four decades.
Lineage
NRL LINUS → CFS-NM SLC represents a separate but related lineage to the LANL → LLNL → AFRL compact toroid lineage. Both lineages involve liner compression of plasma, but LINUS/SLC uses liquid metal while FRCHX uses solid aluminum liners.
Key Findings
- ▸ ### Overview LINUS was an NRL fusion reactor concept from 1971 that used a rotationally stabilized liquid lead-lithium liner to compress plasma for fusion.
- ▸ The liquid metal liner was spun to provide rotational stabilization, preventing Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities that plague solid liner approaches.
- ▸ ### Connection to CFS-NM CFS-NM (Compact Fusion Systems New Mexico) was founded by Peter Turchi in 2017.
Related Entities (1)
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View Full Timeline →Glossary Definition
Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) fusion reactor concept (1971) involving a rotationally stabilized liquid lead-lithium liner and mechanical compression. CFS-NM's spinning liquid-metal liner (SLC) concept has strong conceptual similarities to LINUS, connecting the NRL liner approach to modern commercial fusion.
Category: Experiments View in Glossary →Research References
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