Numerical and Experimental Investigation on the Traveling Wave Direct Energy Converter Concept

Computational models of the Traveling Wave Direct Energy Converter (TWDEC) have been developed with the goals of: demonstrating the physics of charged particle deceleration and energy conversion, supporting the development of an experimental TWDEC test article, and optimizing its performance. The first model is a 2D axisymmetric, electrostatic, particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation which includes the presence of electrodes and of an external circuit load impedance. The second model is based on an analytical approach, modeling the ion bunches as point charges, resulting in fast simulation at the expense of a reduced accuracy in the modeling of the beam dynamics. The PIC model is designed to investigate the physics of the TWDEC while the second model provides the ability to optimize electrode spacing for the maximum particle deceleration efficiency. In a concurrent experimental effort, a TWDEC test article is being developed to provide the first direct measurements of energy converted from a decelerating ion beam.