JPS6151274B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for generating a composite plasma stream. The problems that have prevented the satisfactory containment of plasma by magnetic fields are the inherent instability of plasmas encapsulated in many magnetic field geometries and the lack of stable termination due to tapering and discontinuities in the magnetic field. It is.
As a result of this instability and intermittent problem, devices that existed in the past were unable to obtain Nτ products high enough to obtain fusion. According to Lawson's conditions, the Nτ product must be greater than 10 ¹⁴ s/cm ³ with a confinement time between approximately 0.1 s and 1.0 s for a steady-state reactor. Even the most advanced prior art devices, such as those of tokamaks, have not been able to reach a suitable degree of confinement time of the magnitude required in Lawson's conditions. Laser or "microexplosion" devices have similarly failed to obtain Nτ products close to those required by Lawson's conditions. A more extensive analysis of the prior art may be found in the following articles: Bishop, Amasa, “Project Shouted: America’s Plan in Controlled Fusion,” Addison-Wesley Publishers, Reading, Massachusetts, USA, 1958 (Bishop, Amasa, “Project
Sherwood: USProgram in Controlled
Fusion”, Addison Wesley Publishing
Company, Reading, Massachusetts, USA;
1958;); Post Richard F., “Perspectives on Fusion Power,” Contemporary Physics, No. 26, April 1973, p. 30-
38 (Post, Richard F. “Prospects for Fusion
Power”, Physics Today, Vol.26.April, 1973,
pp.30-38;); Tatsuk James L “The Energy of Fusion”
La Luciercier, No. 3, October 1972, p. 857-
872 (Tuck, James L. “L′ Energie de
Fusion”, LA Recherche, Vol.3, October,
1972, pp. 857-872.); Gough, William H., and Eastlund, Bernard J., "Prospects of Fusion Power," Science America, 224, No. 2, pp. 50-64, 1971 (Gough.
William C. and Eastlund.Bernard J., “The
Prospects of Fusion Power”, Scientific
American, Vol.224, No.2, pp.50−64, 1971.
): In view of the failures of pre-existing systems and techniques in attempting to achieve satisfactory confinement of fuel plasmas, and in view of the fact that conventional devices generally consist of small modifications of the basic techniques for plasma confinement. , there is believed to be a need for new approaches to the problems posed by nuclear fusion, and in particular there is believed to be a need for utilizing new plasma flows. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new method of generating unique composite plasma flows. Another object of the invention is to provide a new device for creating unique composite plasma streams. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a novel method for manipulating and utilizing unique complex plasma flows. In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, terms used in this specification are defined as follows. (a) The nucleus consists of a so-called cylindrical plasma flow, poloidal and toroidal currents, and corresponding toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields. (b) The envelope is a conductor of the plasma that can capture and compress the external magnetic field of the helical plasma stream. The envelope can be a physical interface between the object in which the PMK is surrounded and the magnetic field of the nucleus. (c) Combining the core, plasma stream, and envelope
PMKs, which are spatially separated by a vacuum region and typically at different temperatures. (d) The envelope encloses and seals the external magnetic field of the nucleus with almost no gaps. (e) A composite plasma stream comprises at least two different plasma streams spatially separated from each other, such as in a plasma stream-envelope-nucleus combination (PMK), where the plasma stream-envelop-nucleus combination is: They interact with each other through electric or magnetic fields applied to each conductor. Referring now to the drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate identical or corresponding elements throughout the figures, and in particular, FIG. 1 diagrammatically depicts a first step of the method of the invention. gaseous deuterium 1
0 or equivalent to this, the atmosphere of a material that creates high-energy plasma is created by a pair of high-voltage electrodes 12, 1.
It is made in the area between 4. Electrodes 12, 14
is connected to a suitable high voltage power supply 16. The source 18 of ionization energy may include, for example, the electrodes 12,
The ionizing energy is arranged to project or concentrate ionization energy into the region of deuterium atmosphere between 14 and 14. The projected ionization energy is concentrated in a generally helical shape, thus creating a generally helical ionization path 20 of ionized particles between the electrodes 12,14. A high voltage potential generated by power supply 16 is applied to electrode 1 by closing switch 22.
When applied between 2 and 14, the high voltage potential difference between the two electrodes causes a discharge along the ionization path 20 in the atmosphere 10. The result is a helical shock current 24 as shown in FIG. electrode 12,1
Current 2 based on the very large potential difference between 4
The extremely fast rise time of 4 results in the formation of magnetic energy that is rapid enough to displace the ionized gas surrounding the ionization channel in a seemingly explosive manner. In this sense, the current 24 was tentatively named a shock current. This force creates a low pressure or near vacuum region 26 surrounding the helical shock current 24. Similarly, the high force of the shock current 24 and the high temperature radiation create and maintain an ionized boundary layer or envelope 28 that forms the interface between the atmosphere 10 and the low pressure region 26. In addition to the impulsive expansion of the ionized gas due to the fast rise time, the impulse current 24 seeks to enhance the ionization of the magnetized and ionized gas in the boundary layer or envelope 28. The virtual helical path through which the shock current 24 follows is important because of its magnetic properties. This discharge path may have a single loop shape (ring shape), but a third
As shown in detail in the figures, the shock current 24 typically flows according to a plurality of loop shapes, two of which are shown in the figures as loops 30 and 32. Each of these current loops produces a magnetic field shown in FIG. 3 with magnetic field lines 34. The magnetic fields produced by the various current loops combine to unite the current loops into a single toroidal current loop as shown in FIG. The toroidal current loop results in a composite plasma nucleus 36 formed according to the present invention. The plasma nucleus 36 generates a poloidal magnetic field around it, as shown by magnetic lines of force 34 . FIG. 5 shows in detail the shape of the dynamic energy of the plasma core 36, and in particular shows the circular surface current 38 circulating around the minor axis of the toroidal core.
The surface current 38 is induced by the current flowing in a loop and produces a toroidal magnetic field within the center of the plasma core 36, indicated by magnetic field lines 40. This surface current is formed for almost the same reason as the toroidal current described above. In FIG. 2, the ionized layer or envelope 2
It will be recalled that 8 is formed around the shock current 24 before it becomes a plasma nucleus 36 .
Once the plasma nucleus 36 is formed, the portion of the shock current on either side of the helix or loop quickly dissipates. At the same time, the portions of the jacket portion facing these non-loop portions also disappear. As a result, the outer covering 28
As shown in FIG. 6, the entire area surrounding the plasma nucleus 36 tends to collapse into an ellipsoid. 6th
As shown, the composite plasma flow exhibits a jacket-core combination, PMK42. This combination is almost stable, and since the high temperature, large current plasma nucleus 36 exists in a vacuum, it does not disappear rapidly. The current in the plasma core also creates a strong poloidal magnetic field, represented by magnetic field lines 34, that holds ionized particles in the envelope 28, causing the envelope to collapse into a low pressure, low density region. Prevented. On the other hand, the outer cover 28
is prevented from expanding where the force of the internal poloidal magnetic field equals the fluid pressure of the external medium. Alternatively, the plasma nucleus may be composed of any other medium of sufficient electrical conductivity that can be used to capture the magnetic field of the nucleus and that can be used to compress the magnetic field of the plasma nucleus. . FIG. 7 shows a poloidal current 44 circulating around the envelope 28 through the center of the toroidal-shaped plasma core 36 along the field lines of the poloidal magnetic field produced by the plasma core 36. FIG. Current 44 will create a toroidal magnetic field within region 26, as shown by magnetic field lines 46. The combined state of the magnetic fields of the toroidal type and poloidal type shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is not shown. However, the combination of poloidal and toroidal magnetic fields is important;
Kruskal relates to the stability parameter known as the Shafranov limit. The long-term stability of this shape is facilitated by the fact that the ratio of the poloidal and toroidal current components varies with time within certain limits. This is due to the different components of toroidal and poloidal conductivity and magnetic energy whose value decays at different rates. This is conventionally known as dynamic stability. The initial energy used to form the helical ionization path can be of any of many types. For example, electron beam, ion beam or X-ray energy may be used. Additionally, laser energy or conventional corona discharge devices may be used. Very powerful flash lamps and optical concentrators can also be used to create a helical ionization path. Other techniques for creating helical ionization paths include Li ⁶ or
It also includes the use of a wire _- like material made of ^LiH23 . A vortex flow of gas with a helical rarefaction path can also be used, as can the particular instability of a linear discharge producing a helical path. Of course, numerous other techniques for forming ionization channels are within the skill of the art and readily understood. To form the plasma core 36 of the PMK 42 as described above, the initial helical discharge was described as collapsing into a single toroidal loop shape. This collapsing of the current and the interaction of the specific magnetic force results in the formation of a circular surface current 38 that flows around the small diameter of the plasma core 36, creating a toroidal magnetic field 40 and stabilizing its shape. The poloidal current 44 flowing on the surface of the envelope 28 is, in some cases, created automatically by the disturbance in the magnetic field caused by the initial formation of PMK. On the other hand, this current flows through the electrode 1 through the center of the opening of the plasma nucleus 36.
This can be induced by creating a second discharge between 2 and 14. The poloidal current 44 creating an internal toroidal magnetic field 46 also tends to stabilize the shape of the PMK. In addition, the viscosity and pressure of the external fluid surrounding the PMK envelope exerts a damping effect on any expansion and contraction of the core due to magnetic bonding and constrains the volume, thereby further stabilizing the shape of the PMK. be done. Region 26 and the high magnetic pressure near the torus within the PMK prevent the nuclear current from losing conductivity due to diffusion of current molecules. As a result, the nuclear current persists for a considerable time, during which time its main loss of energy takes place via hot radiation into the envelope 28. Naturally, the duration or lifetime of the nuclear current and the resulting lifetime of the PMK depends on the total energy and temperature of the PMK, the pressure of the surrounding gas atmosphere, impurities in the atmosphere, the nature of the vacuum in region 26, and the plasma flow. Instability varies significantly. From the foregoing, it is clear that the shape of the PMK plasma stream does not depend on any external magnetic or electric field for its existence. Rather, it is analogous to a charged storage battery, where the temperature, ambient fluid pressure,
Depending on the initial amount of energy, energy can be stored or retained for a relatively considerable period of time. However, more energy can be delivered to the PMK by mechanically and hydraulically compressing the PMK. In this regard, it should be noted that the ionized envelope 28
The valence electrons that form the plasma nucleus 36 do not normally penetrate the strong poloidal magnetic field created by the circulating current that forms the plasma nucleus 36. Accordingly, physical fluid pressure can be applied to the jacket 28 to compress it. However, the compression of the envelope acts to compress the poloidal magnetic field shown by field lines 34;
This results in an increase in the energy and temperature of the plasma nucleus. Therefore, the temperature and energy inside PMK are
It can be increased by applying mechanical fluid pressure to the outer surface of the jacket 28. Given the small dimensions of the plasma core relative to the envelope diameter, the bipolar magnetic field decreases inversely as the cube of the radius. Therefore, if gas or liquid pressure were used to apply fluid pressure to the envelope, the particles would of course diffuse through the envelope. However, these particles are exposed to intense short wavelength photons or neutrons radiated by the plasma nucleus 36 and become ionized, thus becoming part of the envelope 28 and disrupting the magnetic field within the PMK. It cannot penetrate in large quantities. Therefore, the original PMK
The internal energy of prevents molecules of the surrounding fluid medium from penetrating into region 26, so that this region remains close to its vacuum. PMKs can also be energized by external electric fields, magnetic fields, and electric fields, as is clear in the art. Furthermore, the external magnetic and electric fields are
Can be used to physically manipulate PMKs. Similarly, even external fluid pressure and mechanical devices can
can be used to move or manipulate objects, since PMKs behave to some extent in a manner similar to semi-rigid objects, much like regular soap suds. It is possible to move the PMK by a mechanical tool, for example a metal piston;
This is because the image current induced in the metal piston by the radiation by the PMK and the stray magnetic field causes repulsion of the PMK body. An apparatus for forming PMKs by the method described above is shown schematically in FIG. As shown, a structural envelope 48 of generally oval cross-section has the two electrodes 12, 14 described above mounted within its enclosed volume. A transparent partition 50, which may be made of quartz, for example, may be used to partition the structure envelope 48 into a PMK generation chamber (trigger chamber) or ignition chamber 52 and an ionization energy chamber 54. A high intensity helical flash lamp filament 56 connected to a suitable power source 58 is mounted in the ionizing energy chamber 54. It will be recognized in the art that this flash lamp merely represents one of the various types of ionizing energy sources that may be substituted. Similarly, transparent partition 50
means that, when used, it is at least transparent to the type of energy generated by the energy source selected for use in the ionization energy chamber 54. A suitable reflective surface 60 is coated on the inner surface of the ionizing energy chamber 54 and reflects the energy produced by the flashlamp filament 56 (or any suitable energy source) at the focal point or focal zone 62 of the ignition chamber 52. We provide a device for concentration. Alternatively, the partition 50 may be configured as a lens for concentrating the ionization energy. The high intensity radiation produced by the ignition of filament 56 creates a desired helical ionization path in atmosphere 10 within ionization energy chamber 52 . Therefore, the helical ionization channel 20
By closing the switch 22 at the precise moment when the PMK is fully formed in the focal region 62, a helical strike current 24 of the type shown in FIG.
This results in the formation of The initial pressure of atmosphere 10 within structure envelope 48 is preferably within the range of 0.5 to 5.0 atmospheres. PMK plasma shapes can be formed with widely varying initial energies and a wide range of dimensions. For a torus pressure of 870 atm and a jacket pressure of atmospheric pressure,
The PMK jacket diameter, total magnetic energy, and
This will result in a current and a toroidal diameter, respectively.

Table 1 The main feature of the present invention is the ability to compress plasma nuclei to hitherto unimaginable pressures by applying appropriate mechanical pressure to the envelope. The magnetic field outside a magnetic pole decreases inversely as the cube of its radial distance. This means that the energy density or pressure decreases in inverse proportion to the sixth power. This law does not apply for small distances, but for this purpose the distribution of energy is (1/r ³ - ε) ² in ε1, depending on the ratio of the envelope radius b to the main ring radius R. do. However, in general, the important elements that must be observed when forming PMKs are:
This is the time of rapid current generation to create the depressurized region 26. The voltage or energy required for a given this current rise time to make a PMK is
It is determined primarily by well-known physical characteristics such as the pressure of the atmosphere 10, the resistance of the atmosphere, the inductance of the discharge path, and the distance between the electrodes 12,14. Therefore, PMK with a small diameter of about 10 cm is
20~20 to have a total energy output on the order of 10 kilojoules
It can be formed into a small production chamber with a diameter of 100 cm. These small, low-energy PMKs can have lifetimes on the order of one second depending on the exact atmospheric conditions, including the pressure and type of gas used. The initial energy for generating PMK is obtained from conventional high voltage sources, such as lightning simulating machines and capacitors of the type currently used in various types of nuclear research equipment. Of course, the exact temperature of the core depends on the energy of the PMK, the density and atomic number of the molecules, the magnetic pressure, and many other factors. Similarly, the envelope temperature will vary depending on the exact conditions under which the PMK is formed. However, this envelope temperature is significantly lower than the core temperature. The core temperature of the compressed large PMK exceeds the temperature required for nuclear fusion, and the cold envelope acts as a radiative and magnetic shield between the core and the chamber wall. The second method and apparatus for making PMK shapes is
It is shown in FIG. In the embodiment of FIG. 9, compression vessel 64 is shown as being able to correspond to production chamber 52 of FIG. The shape, material of construction, and pressure capacity of the pressure vessel 64 are determined by the size and energy of the PMK to be produced, as is clear in the art. A vacuum pump 66 is connected to the interior of the pressure vessel 64 to reduce the pressure therein via a suitable pressure valve 68. A conventional plasma generating gun 70 is mounted in a suitable hole 72 in the wall of the pressure vessel 64. As is well known in the art, plasma gun 70 may project and generate plasma of any suitable shape into pressure vessel 64 . In the apparatus of the present invention, the plasma generation gun 7
0 is preferably as shown schematically at 74.
It is selected to generate toroidal plasma. A high-energy coil or air-core inductor 76 having a substantially cylindrical shape is mounted on the wall of the pressure vessel 64, and its center hole 78 is located concentrically with the gun 70, so that the toroidal shape generated in the gun 70 can be avoided. The plasma passes through the center hole of coil 76. A high energy power supply 80 is coupled to the high energy coil 76 through a suitable circuit breaker 82 to energize the coil 76. Supply device 8
0 is a conventional high power supply, preferably of the type that operates to create strong magnetic fields in known fusion test machines. The coil (or coils) is configured to create a poloidal and toroidal magnetic field to induce the appropriate current regime in the plasma core, as described above in the embodiments.
The plasma gun control device 84 controls the gun 70 to start generating plasma and projecting it into the pressure vessel 64.
is connected to. Further, the control device 84 is connected to the coil circuit circuit breaker 82 and the fusing film control device 86, and operates both of these devices.
Diaphragm controller 86 is coupled to a plurality of gas pressure sources 88 symmetrically located around the inner surface of pressure vessel 64 . Each of the gas pressure sources 88 is initially sealed by a frangible diaphragm 90. Gas pressure source 88 is a cylinder or container of compressed gas sealed with a diaphragm that ruptures explosively in response to receiving an electrical ignition signal from diaphragm controller 86 . Alternatively, the gas pressure source may simply have an appropriate amount of gas contained within an explosive housing, with the housing being ignited by a signal from the diaphragm controller 86. Of course, many equivalent types of conventional fluid pressure sources may be used in place of the specific construction described above. In operation, the pressure vessel 64 is connected to the vacuum pump 66.
The pressure is first reduced. Next, large energy coil 76
is energized by the coil's power supply 80 to create a strong magnetic field near the coil 76, particularly in the area of the central hole 78. The plasma gun control 84 is then activated and a toroidal plasma is generated and projected from the center hole 78 of the coil 76. Alternatively, a high energy coil can be mounted inside the pressure vessel 64 opposite the gun 70. The toroidal plasma is then projected towards the central hole of the coil and becomes reflected therefrom with absorption of energy. The plasma gun control device 84 is connected to the circuit breaker 82 for the coil circuit so as to send a disconnection signal at just the right time.
4 passes through the center hole 78. In contrast, the ionization of toroidal plasmas is induced or promoted by electromagnetic or molecular beam devices such as those suggested for ionization of the channels in the method of FIG. A toroidal plasma is formed near the center hole 78. The high energy coil 76 is actually an air core inductor, with the center hole 7
It is of course recognized that 8 is the air core of the inductor.
Alternatively, the inductor may contain a permeable core with a suitable void in the core material so that the core can form near the void space. When plasma 74 passes through the air core at the moment the coil power supply circuit is interrupted, a large amount of magnetic energy transfers from the lost magnetic field of coil 76 to the plasma. Thus, plasma 74 exits coil 76 with greatly increased energy. plasma 7
4 moves toward the center of the pressure vessel 64,
A second suitably timed signal from plasma gas controller 84 activates diaphragm controller 86 to explosively rupture individual diaphragms 90;
Therefore, due to the high pressure gas emitted from the gas pressure source 88,
A resulting shock wave front 92 is created. This front surface 92 surrounds and is now ionized by the radiation of a highly energized toroidal plasma 74, which has become a plasma nucleus 36 of the type previously described. The front surface 92 then becomes equal to the jacket 28 described above. As a result,
PMK is formed within the pressure vessel 64. Various modifications of the apparatus shown in FIG. 9 are possible.
For example, the coil 76 may be removed from the interior of the pressure vessel 64 once PMK has formed to prevent damage from the high heat within the vessel. Furthermore, the eighth
The apparatus shown can be combined with the apparatus shown in FIG. 9 to the extent that the plasma gun 70 of FIG. 9 is replaced with a high intensity flash lamp 56 or an equivalent energy source of the type described with respect to FIG. . Accordingly, PMK may be formed in the container of FIG. 9 by the method described with respect to FIG. At this time, the gas pressure device of FIG. 9 is configured to increase the concentration of energy of the plasma nuclei 36 after PMK has already been formed.
Can be used to compress PMKs. Having described the general characteristics of PMK and how to generate it in the aforementioned materials, emphasis will now be placed on techniques that utilize the unique properties of PMK to produce fusion. In particular, one of the most unique properties of PMK is its ability to be compressed by mechanical forces such as fluid pressure. This feature allows the energy of the PMK to be increased dramatically and easily by using conventional, inexpensive mechanical or chemical energy sources such as conventional hydraulic techniques and the like. Referring now to FIG. 10, an apparatus for producing fusion energy using PMK is schematically shown. The device has a production chamber 94, which is an eighth
It may be equivalent to the production chamber 52 of the figure or the pressure vessel 64 of FIG. The pair of electrodes 12, 14 is the 10th electrode.
PMK as shown in the figure and by the above-mentioned discharge method.
is equivalent to the electrode shown in the apparatus of FIG. When this method of forming PMK is used, equipment must be provided for generating ionization energy of the type shown in FIG. Although this apparatus is not shown in FIG. 10, it will be appreciated that it may be easily coupled to the production chamber 94 of FIG. Alternatively, a plasma gun device of the type shown in FIG. 9 may be used to generate PMK. In this case, the control device and shock wave generator shown in FIG. 9 must be added to the generation chamber 94 shown in FIG. 10. Accordingly, PMK may be generated in the generation chamber 94 of the apparatus of FIG. 10 by any technique. When PMK is generated, the fluid pressure control device 9
A fluid pressure device comprising a fluid pressure source 96 controlled by 8 is used to compress the PMK. In particular, the fluid pressure source includes a suitable gas or liquid supply connected via pressure lines 100 to a plurality of suitable pressure inlets 102 located around the periphery of production chamber 94 . Of course, multiple remote control valves (not shown) can be connected to pressure inlet 102 if desired.
It is recognized that it can be used to open and close. Pressure detector 104 is preferably located on a wall portion of production chamber 94 and provides a feedback signal to fluid pressure controller 98 in response to the actual pressure present within production chamber 94 . In operation, the PMK is first fired and the fluid pressure within the firing chamber 94 is then increased to compress the PMK to the appropriate diameter. At this time, a mechanical device or magnetic field is used to physically transport the PMK into the furnace chamber 106, which is enclosed within a furnace housing 108 that is attached to the production chamber 94. The device for moving the PMK in FIG. 10 is shown as a piston 110 driven by a piston drive 112. The piston drive may be a conventional hydraulic unit, an internal combustion chamber, a combination of hydraulic and internal combustion devices, or any other suitable power source. Additionally, a separate pressure sensor (not shown) can be provided in the furnace chamber 106 so that a pressure control device can be coupled to the furnace chamber. Piston 110 is used to move PMK into furnace chamber 106 and may also be used to further compress PMK transferred into the furnace chamber. Alternatively, another fluid pressure of the fusible nuclei in gas or liquid form may be provided from the fuel source 114. Also, a variable pressure source 116 may be used to further increase the pressure in the furnace chamber in conjunction with the action of the piston 110. Energy exchange device 118
is connected to the walls of the furnace chamber 106 by tubes 120 which carry a cooling fluid, such as liquid lithium or other suitable reactor cooling fluid, through a cooling furnace network in the walls of the furnace chamber 106. Can be used to circulate. Of course, the technology of energy transfer is highly developed, and any suitable prior art energy transfer device or system may be
It can be used instead of the device shown diagrammatically in the figure. The absence of cooling within the magnetically encapsulated coils is a significant advantage of the present invention over previously described tokamaks or similar large coil encapsulated toruses. The dimensions and structure of the device shown in FIG.
Determined by PMK dimensions and output. Therefore,
The device shown in FIG. 10 varies widely in dimensions. However, the numerical values discussed above with respect to the structure shown in FIG. 8 apply to the structure of FIG.
Applies to the structure of the diagram. In the device shown in Figure 10, the pressure of 1000 atmospheres or more is
Obtained using conventional state of the art techniques. This increase in pressure significantly increases the energy concentration of the PMK, which can significantly increase the temperature and density of the PMK and extend the lifetime of the PMK. If the initial dimensions of the PMK are large enough, the increase in pressure and decrease in volume can easily cause an increase in the plasma nuclear energy to a temperature above the fusion temperature, thereby increasing the pressure within the reactor chamber 106. Fusion occurs. In order to provide a continuous output of fused energy, it is contemplated that the batteries of a device of the type shown in FIG. 10 may be configured and continuously energized. Thus, as the PMK in each device burns, each device provides an energy output, and when the PMK disappears, subsequent ignition occurs and the furnace devices continue to provide energy output as they continue to produce power. is given. Many variations and modifications of the invention are possible. For example, in the embodiment of FIG. 9, it is possible to remove the plasma gun, and the toroidal plasma is
It can be generated simply by using a high energy coil at a pre-ionized atmosphere pressure of the type shown in FIG. However, in this modification, an external magnetic field is provided to move the toroidal plasma from the air core of the coil 76 to an appropriate position near the center of the pressure vessel 64, so that when a shock wave is generated, the toroidal plasma is moved in front of the shock wave. It is necessary to ensure that they are arranged symmetrically within 92. It should also be mentioned that in the embodiment of FIG. 8 and the above-described discharge method for generating PMK, the discharge between the electrodes 12 and 14 should be instantaneously and precisely generated across the ionization path 20. is important. Appropriate timing and control devices are therefore preferably coupled between the ionization power supply 58 and the high voltage switch 22 so that the switch 22 closes at a suitable moment after the ionization energy source is started. There is. Furthermore, the method of FIG. 9 can also be applied to the method of FIG. 8, in which case the beam of ions, gas or plasma jet is encased by pressure waves in the fluid. The body for the helical discharge path can be created in a pre-evacuated chamber. This pressure wave may be pre-ionized or pre-heated by an electromagnetic wave or molecular beam device to facilitate the capture of the magnetic field in connection with the formation of the toroid. Furthermore, although the invention has been described with primary emphasis on its use as a unique plasma purpose and technique for generating fusion energy, it also has many other applications. There is. For example, high-energy PMKs can be utilized as highly intense light sources for laser delivery purposes or any other purpose. Similarly, this PMK
can also be used as a powerful electromagnetic heat source. Furthermore,
This PMK can be used as a device for storing and transporting large amounts of electromagnetic energy generated over short intervals. Additionally, this PMK can be used as a device for simulating other types of high energy magnetic and electromagnetic phenomena. Many additional uses of PMK and the aforementioned methods and apparatus for generating PMK are readily apparent in the art. It should be noted that a continued fusion reaction can be maintained by the method and apparatus of the present invention by appropriately selecting the fuel material. Choosing the right material is
To maintain the fusion reaction, a small amount of raw fuel nuclei forms a hot plasma that allows them to fuse continuously. In the embodiment of FIG. 9, plasma gun 70 can be removed and hole 72 sealed with a transparent partition of the type shown at 50 in FIG. Thus,
The ionization energy source can be located outside the pressure vessel 64, and the apparatus of FIG.
The operating style will be changed to the same as the equipment shown in the figure. A brief explanation of the technical idea of the present invention explained above is as follows. (a) First, particles are ionized in a spiral between a pair of electrodes 12 and 14 in a gas using, for example, a plasma gun. That is, a spiral ionization path 20 is formed. (b) A high voltage is momentarily applied between the electrodes to cause the following phenomenon. 1. The helical ions are discharged along the path 20, forming a nucleus through which the impulse current 24 flows. 1. Because the nucleus is at a very high temperature, the gas around the nucleus expands rapidly, forming a low-pressure region 26 and an envelope 28 (formed by ionized particles in the form of plasma). In this state, the gases in the core, low-pressure region, and envelope are replenished with the gas surrounding them and circulated. (c) When the voltage applied between the electrodes is cut off, the spiral shock current collapses and becomes a ring-shaped (toroidal) plasma flow as shown in Figure 4. As a result, a surface current as shown in Fig. 5 flows (the current accompanied by ionized plasma shown in Fig. 3 can be roughly divided into a horizontal component and a vertical component, and the horizontal component is shown in Fig. 4). (d) The surface current 44 forms a toroidal magnetic field 46 as shown in FIG. 7. The toroidal magnetic field 46 and the poloidal magnetic field 34
A composite plasma flow is maintained by this. Also,
The poloidal magnetic field 34 keeps the envelope from collapsing into the low pressure region. In this invention, the term "composite plasma" refers to the plasma confined in the core and the plasma formed in the envelope.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a schematic illustration of the first stage of the method of the invention showing ionization in the atmosphere, in particular in a spiral path; FIG. 2 is a discharge in the vacuum region along the ionized path of FIG. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the connection of the magnetic fields of adjacent windings generated by the discharge in Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the toroidal current and its magnetic field. Figure 5 is an illustration showing the internal toroidal magnetic field and poloidal surface current generated in the plasma torus, and Figure 6 is the plasma flow-envelope-nucleus combination. Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the composite plasma flow of PMK showing the internal poloidal magnetic field of PMK. Figure 7 shows the poloidal current in the envelope and the internal toroidal magnetic field created by the toroidal current core. FIG. 8 is a schematic configuration diagram of an embodiment of the apparatus for the method of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of another embodiment of the same as above, and FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the same. This is a schematic configuration diagram of yet another example, in which 10 is deuterium;
12 and 14 are electrodes, 16 is a high-voltage power supply, 20 is an ionization path, 22 is a switch, 28 is a jacket, 34 is a magnetic field line, 36 is a toroidal current loop (plasma nucleus), 42 is a PMK, 48 is a structure jacket, 50 is a transparent partition, 58 is a power source, 64 is a pressure vessel, 76 is an inductor, 78 is a center hole of the inductor, 80 is a power supply device, 82 is a circuit breaker for the coil circuit,
86 is a diaphragm control device, 88 is a gas pressure source, 92 is a shock wave front, 94 is a generation chamber, 96 is a fluid pressure source, 98
106 is a fluid pressure control device, 106 is a furnace chamber, 110 is a piston, 112 is a piston drive device, 116 is a variable pressure source, and 118 is an energy exchange device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. By forming a spiral ionization path 20 in a part of the container containing gas and applying a high voltage thereto, a ring-shaped plasma flow 36 and this plasma flow are created. forming an envelope 28 having a surrounding low-pressure gas region, a plasma flow surrounding this region, and a flow of current 44 along the central axis of said ring-shaped plasma flow; , and a method for generating a composite plasma flow, characterized in that a toroidal magnetic field is formed by each of the plasma flows of the outer jacket, and the composite plasma flow is maintained by both of these magnetic fields. 2. The method of generating a composite plasma flow according to claim 1, wherein the spiral ionization path is formed by supplying spiral optical energy into the gas. 3. A container 48, a partition 50 that divides the container into an ignition chamber 52 filled with gas, and an ionization energy chamber 54, and a partition 50 that is provided facing the ignition chamber at a predetermined distance from each other. A pair of electrodes 12, 14
and a means provided in the ionization energy chamber for supplying spiral light energy through the partition between the electrodes and forming a spiral ionization path 20 therein and applying a high voltage between the electrodes. A composite plasma flow generation device comprising means for forming an ionization path into a ring-shaped plasma flow. 4. The composite plasma flow generating device according to claim 3, wherein the means for forming the ionization path includes means 56 for focusing optical energy between the electrodes in a spiral manner.