GB817681A - Improvements in or relating to gas discharge apparatus for producing thermonuclear reactions - Google Patents

Abstract

817,681. Nuclear fision reactors. UNITED KINGDOM ATOMIC ENERGY AUTHORITY. May 8, 1947 [April 28, 1946], No. 13963/46. Class 39(4). A thermo-nuclear reactor comprises a toroidal vessel containing a fuel gas at low density, and means for establishing and maintaining a continuous motion of electrons around the toroid. Fig. 1 shows a horizontal sectional view of the reactor. In a steady state an electron current of about 500,000 amps circulates round the toroidal vessel and is maintained in equilibrium partly by its own magnetic field and partly by a magnetic field of about 1500 gauss applied perpendicular to the plane of Fig. 1. The electron current produces a potential of about 500,000 volts, so that denterium introduced through inlet ports 3 is ionised and accelerated to the centre of the toroid where it is further ionised to produce electrons for maintaining the electron current and denterons which undergo fision reactions. Ions which succeed in escaping to the walls of the toroid pass through apertures 7 to an outer vessel and are pumped away through outlet ports 4. The energy required to accelerate the electrons is supplied by electromagnetic waves of 10 cm. wavelength which are fed to the toroid through windows 9 spaced a quarter of a wavelength apart and generate a progressive wave in the ionised gas. The density of the dentrons in the toroid may be 2À4 x 1014 per c.c. giving an energy output of 3,800 k.W., which may be removed by a cooling jacket surrounding the reactor, and a neutron output of 1À9 x 10<SP>19</SP> per second which may be used for irradiation purposes, e.g. making plutonium. Fig. 3 shows the construction of parts of the toroidal vessel. The metal pipe 12 constitutes the outer boundary of the water cooling jacket within which are assembled a series of similar overlapping metal bodies each having firstly a portion 14 serving as part of the reaction vessel and provided with slots 7, secondly a portion 16 of larger diameter extending from the end of the first portion and terminating in a circular flange 17 and an exhaust pipe 18 constituting the outlet port 4 of Fig. 1, and thirdly a shoulder portion 19 joining portions 14, 16 and drilled to provide inlet passages 20 which constitute the inlet ports of Fig. 1. The flanges 17 butt against the shoulders 19 of adjacent members, gaskets being provided to seal the joints. The reaction vessel is preferably of aluminium, but may be of copper provided with an internal coating of aluminium or aluminium oxide, and is arranged in a magnetic field, which may be increased from a low value up to about 1500 gauss as the toroidal current grows, the magnetic field being normal to the plane of the toroid.