The Compact, Multiple Barrel High Speed Pellet Injector for the Ignitor Experiment

A four barrel, double stage pellet injector for the Ignitor experiment is under construction in collaboration between the ENEA Laboratory at Frascati and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The goal is to reach pellet velocities up to 4 km/s. Innovative concepts at the basis of the injector design considerably reduce the requirements on the expansion volumes necessary to prevent the propulsion gas to reach the plasma chamber. The full four barrels, double stage gun and gas removal system have been built and tested, while the design and construction of the pellet injector vacuum chamber, cryogenic system, gun barrels and pellet diagnostics is underway at ORNL, where the final assembly and testing of the complete system will be carried out