JPH03150494A - Nuclear fusion generator - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To increase the yield of neutrons by disposing a structural body for a pressure bulkhead for controlling the pressure generated at the time of an underwater plasma discharge to the circumference of the plasma region of discharge electrodes. CONSTITUTION:The pressure bulkhead 29a is mounted to the discharge electrodes 23 so as to include the parts of a pair of discharge electrodes 23 and to enclose the discharge electrodes 23b. The underwater plasma discharge takes place between the discharge electrodes 23b and the plasma 27 is generated when a prescribed pulse voltage is impressed to the discharge electrodes 23. The deuterium atom nuclei generated by dissociation form the heavy water of a reaction liquid 22 by the plasma 27 are accelerated by an electric field and are progressed toward the negative electrode and are also accelerated by a large pressure wave 28 by the effect of the pressure bulkhead 29a, by which the atom nuclei are efficiently bombarded against the surface of the supporting electrodes 23a and are trapped therein. The reaction of the deuterium atom unclei with each other is enhanced in this place.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] This invention relates to a nuclear fusion generator, and in particular to a new and simple thermonuclear reactor that departs from the conventional thermonuclear reaction type fusion reactor that uses a fusion plasma confinement method using a vacuum and a strong magnetic field. It relates to nuclear fusion generators.

[Conventional technology] Nuclear fusion has been studied for many years as a representative future new energy technology for large-scale concentrated energy systems. However, controlling thermonuclear fusion reactions in nuclear fusion reactors, including the so-called tokamak method, is only possible with the accumulation of extreme technology and advanced biotechnology, and it will still take a considerable amount of time to put it into practical use. It has been pointed out that this method requires a huge amount of cost, and its practical development in the near future is finally taking on a pessimistic appearance.

Under these circumstances, recently on March 23, 1989,
Since the report on the results by Fleischman and Ponda published in the Financial Times in Japan, research into cold fusion using electrolysis of heavy water has been in the spotlight, and the simplicity of the device is incomparable to thermonuclear fusion devices. Thanks to this, a worldwide research boom is occurring. The details of these technologies have already been sensationally reported in topic articles in newspapers, etc., with both positive and negative aspects of the results, so their explanation will be omitted here. In addition, in the above electrolysis method, the yield of neutrons is about 0.1 per second.

However, Science Asahi (July issue) 1898 P, 109
According to an article published in , in late April 1989, a group from the Frascacci Institute in Italy published a paper stating that they had succeeded in generating cold fusion in an extremely static manner without using electrolysis. is disclosed.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of the experimental stage cold fusion device shown in this document. In the figure, first, 100g titanium 2 is placed in a stainless steel container 1, and a valve 4.5 is placed inside a stainless steel container 1.
Open and evacuate using vacuum pump 3.

Then, close the valve 4 and open the valve 6 to gradually feed deuterium gas from the deuterium gas cylinder 7. While monitoring with the pressure gauge 8, the pressure is finally raised to 50 atm to allow the titanium 2 to sufficiently adsorb deuterium. . Thereafter, the stainless steel container 1 is immersed in a cooling tank 9 filled with liquid nitrogen 10, valves 5 and 6 (not shown) are closed, and a temperature measuring device is measured to measure the liquid nitrogen temperature by -1.
It was cooled until the equilibrium temperature of 96° C. was reached, and it was confirmed that more deuterium gas was adsorbed on titanium 2 than before cooling.

It is known that the adsorption has progressed further because the pressure decreases further. Note that 11 is a neutron detector connected to a counting device (not shown), and is placed beside the stainless steel container 1. If nuclear fusion occurs due to a D-D reaction (D is a deuterium nucleus), neutrons are generated, so the output of the neutron detector 11 increases and is counted.

In the above configuration and condition, if the liquid nitrogen is allowed to evaporate, the temperature of titanium 2 will gradually rise until it approaches room temperature, but as the temperature of titanium 2 increases,
It was observed that a large amount of neutrons were generated, 35 times the background. In addition, by slightly changing this experimental method, we placed titanium 2 that had absorbed deuterium in a vacuum, and conducted a similar experiment.
In other words, in an experiment in which the temperature was cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature and then gradually returned to room temperature, the yield increased further, and the background 5
It is said that 00 times more neutron generation was measured.

The results of the above experiment show that a large amount of neutrons were generated simply by increasing or decreasing the pressure and temperature of deuterium gas, without the need for the aforementioned electrolysis, which has recently become a hot topic. At present, it is considered to be an ephemeral result that is beyond common sense, but a remarkable and valuable experimental result that makes you want to confirm its authenticity.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] The conventional low-temperature fusion generator as described above is currently in the early stages of research as a potential replacement for previous thermonuclear fusion reactors. Therefore, it is considered that this technology is not directly related to the problem to be solved by this invention. To put it bluntly, the problem is that, apart from the results of the conventional example shown in Figure 5, the neutron yield of the electrolytic fusion method is extremely small, as mentioned above, so it is necessary to consider ways to further increase the output. This can be mentioned.

This invention has been made in view of the above points, and does not rely only on the conventional means of electrolysis of heavy water, nor does it use the new means of changing temperature and pressure as described above. The object of the present invention is to provide a nuclear fusion generator that performs nuclear fusion only by experimental means of strong electric current.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A nuclear fusion generator according to the present invention includes a pair of discharge electrodes disposed in a reaction tank filled with heavy water as a reaction liquid.
A pulsed voltage is applied from a power source that supplies pulsed high voltage to a pair of discharge electrodes, and water is generated and the resulting pressure wave causes nuclear fusion in the deuterium nucleus-deuterium nucleus (D-D) reaction. , a pressure barrier structure for controlling the pressure generated during the underwater plasma discharge described above is disposed around the plasma region of the discharge electrode.

In this case, the reactant that generates a nuclear fusion reaction by bombarding deuterium nuclei with a discharge electric field and pressure waves must be made of at least a metal (e.g., titanium) with excellent hydrogen adsorption on the surface side. This reactant may be a part of the above-mentioned discharge electrode, or may be the structure itself constituting the above-mentioned pressure partition.

[Function] In this invention, a pair of discharge electrodes is disposed in a reaction solution containing heavy water, and a pulsed high voltage is applied between the electrodes to generate underwater plasma discharge. Since a pressure barrier is provided surrounding the plasma discharge to control the pressure waves accompanying the plasma discharge, the pressure of the pressure waves is further increased compared to the case without a pressure barrier, promoting the fusion reaction between deuterium nuclei. .

That is, deuterium ions are generated from heavy water D20 by this plasma discharge, and due to the increased pressure waves generated at this time, these deuterium ions, 2 + that is, deuterium nuclei D (1H), are transferred to the supporting electrode with good hydrogen adsorption property. It adsorbs on the surface or pressure partition surface, and at that time promotes the collision (inelastic collision) reaction between deuterium nuclei, and the well-known formula (1) or (2) below, or (1), (2
) It is thought that the simultaneous reactions of the equation proceed and the nuclear fusion reaction occurs more frequently than in the case without the above-mentioned pressure barrier. Here, T
represents a tritium nucleus (tritium), n represents a neutron, and p represents a proton (hydrogen nucleus).

D+D+ “He tenn ・(1)D+D→
T + p ... (2) In these reactions, whether or not a nuclear fusion reaction has occurred is confirmed by detecting n or p, but currently the method of measuring n with a neutron detector is will be adopted.

[Embodiment] FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram showing a prototype of the nuclear fusion generator according to the present invention, that is, an embodiment without a pressure partition structure. Further, FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of a control power source for generating a pulse voltage that drives the embodiment device of FIG. 3.

In FIG. 3, a reaction tank 21 is filled with a reaction liquid 22 using heavy water as a reactant (fuel). The reaction solution 22 is preferably pure heavy water, but considering economic efficiency, it may be made of heavy water diluted with normal water, or it may be a mixed solution with normal water in which a small amount of electrolyte is dissolved. .

A pair of discharge electrodes 23 are arranged symmetrically opposite each other at a predetermined interval in the reaction solution 22, and a terminal 24 is taken out from above to apply a pulsed high voltage between the electrodes. The pair of discharge electrodes 23 is formed by integrally forming a support electrode 29a made of a metal such as titanium or palladium that has good adsorption or occlusion properties for hydrogen, and a discharge electrode 23b made of a high melting point metal such as tungsten or tantalum. It is configured. The side where the pair of discharge electrodes 23b face each other is formed of a spherical surface, and the shape is not limited and may be rod-like or planar, but it is a shape that allows for underwater plasma discharge to be as homogeneous and reproducible as possible. This is desirable. The gap between the electrodes is set on the basis of about 3 cm. Further, a neutron detector (not shown) with good electrical shielding against pulse discharge noise and the like is disposed inside or outside the reaction liquid 22 to measure the amount of neutrons in the reaction product.

As for the control power source, as shown in FIG. The (+) side is connected to each terminal of a high voltage changeover switch 26, and each capacitor 25 is maintained in a charged state by a charging device (not shown). Note that the control circuit shown in FIG. 4 is not limited to this.

The pulse voltage applied to the pair of discharge electrodes 23 is changed by rotating and switching the neutral terminal connected to the positive terminal of the changeover switch 26, so that the pulse voltage applied to the pair of discharge electrodes 23 is changed to C1...C of the capacitor 25.
The voltage charged to n is applied periodically and sequentially at predetermined intervals. Note that the charging voltage is not limited to 20 kV, but may be adjusted depending on the difficulty of discharging the reaction liquid 22 in water.

In the fusion generator configured as described above, when a pulse voltage is applied to the electrode terminal 24, dielectric breakdown of the reaction liquid 22 occurs between the discharge electrodes Llb, and plasma 2 in the water
7 occurs, and for example, the charge charged in CI of the capacitor 25 becomes a pulse discharge and is consumed. Along with this plasma discharge, deuterium ions (deuterium nuclei D) are generated,
Further, since pressure waves are generated due to the discharge, deuterium ions (D) generated by dissociation of the heavy water D20 collide with the surface of the supporting electrode 23a and are trapped. Another D that continued to collide in this way
A nuclear fusion reaction according to the above-mentioned formula (1) or formula (2), which is called the D-D reaction, is generated. The nuclear fusion obtained in this way has a yield of 0.3 neutrons n per second as measured by the aforementioned neutron detector, whereas the conventional method using electrolysis detected 0.3 neutrons n per second.
Yields several tens to hundreds of times higher have been obtained.

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing an embodiment of a nuclear fusion generator according to the present invention. In the figure, numerals 21 to 27 indicate the same or corresponding parts as those used in the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, and their explanations will be omitted. 29a is a pressure partition made of, for example, cylindrical fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), and is attached to the discharge electrode 23 so as to surround the discharge electrode 23b, including the portion of the pair of discharge electrodes 23. . In this case, the FRP provides insulation between the discharge electrodes 23, and at the same time, the area formed by the discharge electrodes 23 and the cylindrical body of the pressure partition 29a forms a substantially sealed state. In this case, one or more holes 30 are provided around the discharge electrode 23b of the support electrode 23a of the discharge electrode 23 used as a negative electrode, which plays an important role in the nuclear fusion reaction described later. It goes without saying that the structure for the pressure partition wall 29a made of FRP must be formed to have strength and structure that can withstand bursting due to the above-mentioned pressure increase.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, when a predetermined pulse voltage is applied to the discharge electrode 23 via the electrode terminal 24, an underwater plasma discharge occurs between the discharge electrodes 23b and plasma 27 is generated. Deuterium nuclei (deuterium atoms in ionic state) generated by dissociation from heavy water in the reaction solution 22 by plasma 27
D is accelerated by the electric field and advances toward the negative electrode, and due to the effect of the pressure partition 29a, it is accelerated by the pressure wave 28 which has a pressure greater than the pressure without the pressure partition 29a as shown in FIG. 3, resulting in a pressure gradient. selectively proceeds toward the large hole 30, efficiently collides with the surface of the support electrode 23a made of titanium, etc., and is trapped, increasing the D-D reaction between deuterium nuclei at that location. The resulting neutron yield was approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that shown in FIG.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the pressure partition wall 29b is made of a cylindrical titanium material, and the discharge electrode 23
The pressure partition wall 29a is integrally assembled with a strong insulating material 31 interposed therebetween, and the pressure partition wall 29a is used as a D-D reaction surface. For this reason, as in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3, the support electrode 23a
The surface does not necessarily have to be made of titanium, etc.
It is made of ordinary metal. In addition, in this configuration, the arrangement is such that the gap between the discharge electrodes 23b can be narrowed to about 1/10 of that in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 so that the voltage applied to the electrode terminal 24 can be small. It has become. Note that the pressure partition wall 29b may be set to a ground potential, but more preferably it is grounded at a midpoint, and is set at 1/2 of the applied voltage.
That is, the midpoint voltage may be set to the ground potential. and,
The pressure bulkhead 29b has the same purpose as the embodiment of FIG.
A hole 30a is provided around the plasma 27 generation area.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the pressure wave 2 caused by the plasma 27
As shown in the figure, the deuterium atoms generated in the plasma 27 are accelerated by the electric field and the pressure wave 28, mainly the pressure wave 28, and are emitted in the direction of the hole 30a. As it progresses, nuclear fusion is efficiently performed on the titanium surface of the pressure partition wall 29b as in the case of FIG.

In addition to the above, as an application of the high thermal efficiency of nuclear fusion in the fusion generator according to the present invention, a heat exchanger is built into the reaction tank, and the power demand is increased by charging the capacitor using nighttime electricity and operating the device. For example, applications along the lines of load leveling/load leveling can be considered, such as water heaters and other power storage equipment.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a pressure partition is provided around a pair of discharge electrodes disposed in a reaction liquid containing heavy water as a reactant, and an underwater plasma is generated between the electrodes. The generation of deuterium ions caused by the discharge and the pressure of the pressure wave accompanying the discharge can be further increased, and this pressure wave causes the D
Since the -D nuclear reaction was carried out, the cross section of the I)-D nuclear reaction was able to be further increased compared to the case without a pressure partition, although the device configuration was extremely simple. As a result, the neutron yield obtained with conventional electrolytic fusion devices is 2
Yields that are orders of magnitude higher can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view showing one embodiment of this invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view showing another embodiment of this invention, and FIG. 3 is a prototype of the fusion generator of this invention. That is, a schematic cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention without a pressure partition; FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a control power source that drives the device;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an experimental device for cold fusion disclosed in the literature. In the figure, 21 is a reaction tank, 22 is a reaction liquid, 23 is a 15-pole, 24 is an electrode terminal, 25 is a capacitor, 26 is a changeover switch, 27 is a plasma, 28 is a pressure wave, 29a, 29
b is a pressure partition, 30.30a is a hole, and 31 is an insulating material.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A reaction tank filled with a reaction solution containing heavy water as a reactant, a pair of discharge electrodes disposed within the reaction tank, and a pulse voltage supplied to the pair of discharge electrodes. A nuclear fusion generator that has a control power source and causes a nuclear fusion reaction by generating deuterium ions by applying the pulse voltage to the pair of discharge electrodes and by pressure waves generated by underwater plasma discharge, A nuclear fusion generator characterized in that a partition wall structure for controlling the pressure of the pressure wave is disposed around the underwater plasma discharge region.