RU2546196C2 - Method of transportation of electron beam for long distance power transmission and device for its implementation - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: electricity.

SUBSTANCE: electron beam is transported along the curving evacuated channel (1) with a direct-axis (8) as smooth line and the wall (4), fabricated from the material capable to electrisation. Meanwhile the channel, used for transportation, is fitted with the conducting shell adjacent to the external surface (6) of its walls (2), or this surface has a conductive coating (7). The shell or the coating (7) is energised by the potential using the terminals (9), which induces on the internal surface (5) of the channel wall a negative charge with obtaining in the channel of the potential barrier exceeding the maximum energy of electrons of the transported beam.

EFFECT: possibility of transportation of high energy electron beams in combination with ensuring of wide freedom of selection of geometrical parameters of the channel without hitting the channel wall by electrons and elimination of necessity in use of devices of magnetic beam control.

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Description

The invention relates to the field of electric power and is intended for use when transmitting energy over a long distance in the form of a beam of accelerated electrons, namely for transporting such a beam.

Despite the fact that the technology of traditional means of transporting energy over long distances using high-voltage wire power transmission lines has reached a very high level of development, one cannot ignore the relatively large energy losses that occur in such lines, which can be several times even with a long line, even in the optimal case percent (see, for example: VV Tkachenko. Optimal voltage loss in power lines. Electrotechnical complexes and control systems, 2010, No. 1, pp. 61-63 [1]). In this case, we mean only losses caused by a voltage drop on the line wires, and there are also losses on the magnetization reversal of the steel core, which are supplied with aluminum wires to increase strength, losses caused by corona discharge, etc. (G.Ya. Aleksandrov. Electric Power Transmission, St. Petersburg, Polytechnic University Publishing House, 2009 [2]). In commensurate with the current wavelength of the industrial frequency of super-long (5000-10000 km or more) overhead lines, radiation losses will also be noticeable.

This leads to an ongoing search for alternative ways of energy transfer. One of the directions of such searches is the transfer of energy by electron beams. The idea of such a transfer, as follows from a number of publications (see, for example: Zh. Alferov, E. Velikhov. Energy without borders. Russia in global politics, No. 1. January - March 2003 [3]; L. I. Rudakov. High-precision beams of charged particles. Soros Educational Journal, 1996, No. 2 [4]) belongs to G.I. Budker. It is associated with its discovery related to the electron stabilized beam, registered in the State registry of discoveries of the USSR under No. 82 with a priority of May 1952, described in the article: G.I. Budker. Relativistic stabilized electron beam. Atomic energy, 1956, T. 1 [5]. In the Budker beam, the Coulomb repulsion of electrons is partially compensated by ion charges. It is assumed that energy transfer can be carried out by transporting an electron beam through a metal pipe [4]. It is noted that, according to experts, the conversion of the energy of liquid or gaseous fuel into the energy of an electron beam with its subsequent transportation may be more economically feasible than transporting the fuel to its place of consumption with the subsequent generation of electricity (E. Velikhov. Russia-North-East Asia Bridge. Lukoil-press, September 1999; http://asiapacific.narod.ru/countries/apr/most_russia_sva.htm [6]).

The foregoing illustrates the relevance and prospects of developments related to this area.

However, there is a problem of the stability of these beams due to the presence of a number of types of instability and the causes that cause it (see, for example, S. Yu. Udovichenko. Non-potential theory of low-frequency instabilities of relativistic electron beams. Abstract of dissertation for the degree of candidate of physical and mathematical sciences. Moscow 1984 [7]). The presence of the stability problem was also previously noted by Lawson (J. Lawson. Physics of charged particle beams. Moscow, Mir, 1980, p. 272) [8]. The opinion of the insurmountable difficulties of creating such a beam even in the absence of instabilities was also expressed there.

In addition, under real conditions, an extended channel for transporting an electron beam can have numerous bends with various radii of curvature, in particular, due to the fact that it must follow the terrain. This necessitates additional magnetic control of the electron beam in the channel for its turns, which is noted by the developers of the corresponding projects (see, for example: EA Abrahamyan. Electricity through pipes. Young technician, 1984, No. 1 [9]). Since the current in the channel during energy transfer on an industrial scale must be very large, as a result of which the channel forms a very intense intrinsic magnetic field, the creation of means for magnetic control will be a daunting task.

At the same time, a method and device have recently become known that allow the electron beam to be transported through a curved channel and free from the aforementioned problems of beam stability and the need to use magnetic means. These method and device are disclosed in RF patent No. 2462009, publ. 09/20/2012 [10].

According to the patent [10], to transport a beam of charged particles through a channel having bends, use a vacuum channel having a wall made of material capable of electrification, and transport the beam through this channel in the presence of electrification of the inner surface of its wall with a charge sign, identical with the charge of the beam particles, while observing the following relation between the energy E and the charge Q of the beam particles with the electric strength U _{pr of the} wall material and the geometric parameters of nal - the smallest radius R of curvature of the longitudinal axis, the smallest wall thickness d and the largest distance h between two points of the inner surface of the channel located in the cross section of the channel on the same normal to the specified surface:

$$E/Q<Rd{U}_{PR}/h\text{(*)}$$

With a circular cross section of the channel, the parameter h is nothing more than the diameter of the channel lumen. With regard to the transport of electrons, the charge on the inner surface of the channel wall should be negative. The electrons of the transported beam are supposed to be pre-accelerated, which is taken into account by the presence of the parameter E in the above condition ( ^∗ ). The very concept of “beam” suggests that the speed of electrons in the desired direction of motion, corresponding to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the channel, is significantly higher than in the transverse direction. This condition corresponds to the definition of a beam of charged particles, see, for example: I.N. Sacks. Transportation of charged particle beams. Novosibirsk, Publishing House “Science” (Siberian Branch), 1991, p. 59 [11].

However, this method and device has a limitation associated with the fact that, when used, the electrification of the inner surface of the channel wall is carried out by the electrons of the transported beam itself, some of which are deposited on the wall. In this case, the possibility of transporting the beam is limited by the need to satisfy condition ( ^∗ ). Given the properties of the wall material and channel geometry, i.e. the right-hand side of inequality ( ^∗ ), this prevents the increase of the electron energy E, and for a given energy, i.e. the left side of inequality ( ^∗ ), prevents the radius R of curvature of the bends of the channel from decreasing and the diameter h of the channel clearance to increase.

The method and device according to the patent [10] are closest to the method and device according to the invention.

The present invention relates to a method of transporting an electron beam for purposes of energy transfer and a device for its implementation, aimed at achieving a technical result, namely, that the energy E of the electrons of the transported beam can be increased compared to that which, given the properties of the wall material and channel geometry defined by the right side of the inequality ^(*), and for E electrons radius R of curvature of the channel of given energy may be chosen smaller and the diameter of the lumen of the channel h - bol Chez than that determined by the left side of ^(*) bounding the bottom ratio R / h. Both of these factors are important given the intended nature of the proposed inventions for energy transfer mainly on an industrial scale with channel geometry “attached” to a given path and its corresponding topography. Below, when disclosing the inventions, other types of achievable technical result can be named.

In the proposed method for transporting a beam of accelerated electrons, as well as in the closest known method according to the patent [10], this transportation is carried out along a bending evacuated channel with a longitudinal axis in the form of a smooth line and a wall made of material capable of electrification.

To achieve the specified technical result, in contrast to the closest known method, in the proposed method, the specified channel is used during transportation of the indicated electron beam, additionally equipped with an electrically conductive shell adjacent to the outer surface of its wall or an electrically conductive coating deposited on this surface. A potential is induced at said electrically conductive shell or coating, which induces a negative charge on the inner surface of the wall of said channel to produce a potential barrier in this channel that exceeds the highest electron energy of the transported beam.

The proposed device for transporting a beam of accelerated electrons, as well as the closest known device according to the patent [10], is made in the form of a vacuum channel having bends with a longitudinal axis in the form of a smooth line and a wall made of material capable of electrification.

To achieve the specified technical result, in contrast to the closest known device, in the proposed device the specified channel is additionally provided with an electrically conductive shell adjacent to the outer surface of its wall or an electrically conductive coating deposited on this surface. This sheath or coating is an electrode for connection to an external voltage source.

The specified channel of the proposed device used in the implementation of the proposed method using this device is laid along the route for transmitting energy transferred by the indicated electron beam, and has bends corresponding to this route.

Said electrically conductive shell or coating of the external channel wall of the device of the invention, connected to an external voltage source, is intended for supplying them with the implementation of the proposed method of potential inducing a negative charge on the internal surface of the wall of the channel, which provides a potential barrier in this channel that exceeds the highest electron energy transported beam.

When implementing the proposed method using the proposed device, the aforementioned induced negative charge can significantly exceed the charge created by the closest known method on the channel wall of the closest known device by the electrons of the beams moving in the channel themselves, and practically can be done by any one that allows creating in the channel near the inner surface of its wall of a potential barrier that cannot be overcome for the electrons of the transported beam. This measure, with the smooth character of the channel bends (when the longitudinal axis has the appearance of a smooth line), allows achieving the above-mentioned types of technical result due to the fact that the electrons of the beam during its transportation with turns in the places of the channel bends do not fall on the wall of the latter, and this result is achieved without using tools to create magnetic fields. Due to the aforementioned possibility of a wider variation of the energy of transported beams and the geometric parameters of the channel, both greater freedom of choice during design, depending on various preferences, and the ability to use the same channel for changing the beam parameters are ensured.

The invention is illustrated by drawings, which show:

- figure 1 - the proposed device (longitudinal section) for implementing the method according to the invention;

- figure 2 - channel of the proposed device in cross section;

- figure 3 - potential distribution in the lumen of the channel of the proposed device.

The proposed device contains (figure 1) a vacuum annular channel 1 with a wall 4 made of a material capable of electrification, such as glass, ceramics with good electrical insulation properties and high electrical strength or other dielectric with suitable indicators of these properties. Channel 1 has a longitudinal axis 8 in the form of a smooth (i.e., without jumps derivative) line. The image of the channel part by dashed lines is used to symbolize its large extent. Channel 1 is laid along the route for transmitting energy transferred by the electron beam, and has bends corresponding to this route. It may have other necessary bends, in particular compensation, to prevent damage to the channel due to thermal expansion or compression of its material. All bends of the channel should be made while maintaining the smoothness of the longitudinal axis 8.

Figure 2 shows in enlarged with respect to figure 1 the cross-section of the channel 1 in the particular case when it is round; h is the diameter of the lumen of the channel, d is the thickness of its wall. A round cross-sectional shape is the most technologically advanced and preferred, but another shape is possible in the form of a smooth convex line, for example elliptical or oval.

Channel 1 is provided with an electrically conductive shell adjacent to the outer surface 6 of its wall 2 or an electrically conductive coating deposited on this surface. The specified shell or coating is shown at 7. The shell or coating 7 when using the proposed device for implementing the proposed method is connected to an external voltage source (not shown in the drawings), for which terminal 9 is intended. The shell or coating 7 should not have gaps, so that throughout along the channel, they were under the same potential.

Channel 1 has an input end 2 and an output end 3. The input end 1 is intended for injection through it into the channel 1 of the electron beam to be transported. The accelerated electron injector, which communicates energy intended for transmission to the consumer, is not shown in the drawings. The output end 3 of channel 1 is designed to output through it an electron beam delivered through the channel and to be transmitted to the consumer. The means interacting with the consumer are not included in the composition of the proposed device and are not shown in the drawings. The input of the electron beam into channel 1 and the output from it for transmission to the consumer are conventionally shown in Fig. 1 by arrows A and B.

After injection into the channel 1 of the electrons forming the transported beam, the latter moves along the channel 1, repeating its bends and not coming into contact with the inner surface 5 of the wall 4 of the channel, which is ensured by the presence of induced negative charges on the surface 5. In Fig. 1, the presence of such charges is conditionally shown only for a small part of channel 1. These charges are induced due to the fact that the shell (coating) 7 is supplied with the corresponding potential from an external voltage source to which terminal 9 is connected. In the lumen of the channel, a drop to it to the center along the radius, the distribution of potential U (r), the form of which is shown in Fig.3. The coordinate r is counted from the center of the cross section of the channel. Its highest value, equal to h / 2, corresponds to the level U _{B of the} potential barrier arising in the channel near the inner surface of its wall. It is selected so that the energy of electron motion in the transverse direction is insufficient to overcome the value U _{B of the} potential barrier and hit the electrons on the channel wall. For example, at an energy of 100 keV injected into the channel of electrons, the potential barrier U _B equal to 100 kV is quite sufficient to prevent the electron from falling onto the wall, so even if all the energy of the electron turns into the energy of its transverse motion, this barrier will not be overcome. The conditions for the electron to hit the wall are most favorable in places where the channel bends, since in these places the electrons can have a velocity component directed towards the wall. The appearance of a transverse velocity component in an electron is also possible as a result of collision with residual gas molecules. Therefore, an important requirement is to maintain a good vacuum in the channel.

In experiments that were carried out at a vacuum of the order of 10 ^-10 mm Hg, the motion of electrons with an energy of E = 100 kV injected into a self-closed channel, acquiring the shape of a ring with a diameter of 40 cm, remained for several hundred seconds. Even in a much shorter time — 100 seconds, beam electrons with the indicated energy travel in such an annular channel, making many revolutions, a path of the order of 1.6 · 10 ⁷ km. This indicates a completely satisfactory quality of the channel and the vacuum in it. In a real situation, if we conditionally take the length of the energy transfer line using an electron beam to be 10,000 km, the electrons have to go a 1600 times smaller path in a correspondingly shorter time, so that the losses associated with non-ideal vacuum, at its indicated level, are negligible.

Another possible cause of energy losses in the proposed device when implementing the proposed method with its help may be radiation on curved sections of the route. However, an assessment of the influence of this factor shows that these losses are also small. Even if we assume the presence of one million turns (i.e., one turn for every 10 meters) 90 degrees each with a radius of 1 m over a length of 10,000 km, the radiation loss for one electron with an initial energy of 100 keV will be a little more than 0.02 eV. In other words, each electron will lose several times less than one millionth of its original energy.

The value of the transported energy depends, among other factors, on the density n of electrons in the beam, which, in turn, depends on the value of the potential barrier U _B and the radius h / 2 of the channel lumen. For this dependence, you can get the ratio:

, $$n=\frac{\mathrm{one}}{\mathrm{four}}{\left(\frac{\mathrm{four}{U}_B}{e^{2}h}\right)}^{3/2}$$

,

where e is the electron charge.

At U _B = 10 ⁵ V and h / 2 = 10 cm we have: n≈10 ¹⁹ 1 / cm ³ . When an electron beam moves in a channel, its effective focusing occurs. Assuming that the electron beam is concentrated mainly in the part of the channel volume adjacent to the axial line, the radius of which is 0.01 of the channel clearance radius, i.e. 1 mm, we obtain an estimate of 30 m ³ for the volume of the channel part occupied by electrons. In such a volume, with the density n = 10 ¹⁹ 1 / cm ³ = 10 ²⁵ 1 / m ³ found above, there are 30 · 10 ²⁵ electrons. It has already been said above that a channel with a length of 10,000 km and an electron with an energy of 100 keV = 10 ⁵ eV passes through the time Δt≈6.1 · 10 ^-2 s. During such a time, the above-found number of electrons passes through the channel. Therefore, in 1 second, 30 · 10 ²⁵ : 6.1 · 10 ^-2 ≈5 · 10 ²⁷ electrons with a total energy of 5 · 10 ²⁷ · 10 ⁵ = 5 · 10 ³² eV can be passed through the channel. Such energy, delivered in 1 second, corresponds to a power of 5 · 10 ³² eV / s ≈ 8.3 · 10 ¹¹ watts, or, roundly, 800 GW. For comparison, we indicate that the design capacity of one of the largest in the world Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station is 6.4 GW.

Very large powers can be transmitted even with significantly lower values of electron energy, the receipt of which (as well as the values of 100 keV used above in the examples) is not a problem. Given the enormous amount of power obtained in the above assessment, it can be stated that the inventions have a very large “margin” in terms of the possibility of their use for transferring energy of electron beams that could actually be created.

Thus, the proposed invention is quite suitable for use in the transfer of energy in the form of a beam of accelerated electrons over long and ultra-long distances.

To convert the energy transmitted by the proposed device in accordance with the proposed method, which is the energy of moving electrons, more convenient for traditional ways of use, well-known technical solutions can be applied after appropriate adaptation, for example, according to copyright certificates of the USSR No. 376027 [12] (publ. 08/05/1978), No. 686160 [13] (publ. 09/15/1979), No. 1565740 [14] (publ. 05/15/1990) and US patent No. 7417356 [15] (publ. 08/26/2008).

Information sources

1. V.V. Tkachenko. Optimal voltage loss in power lines. Electrotechnical complexes and control systems, 2010, No. 1, pp. 61-63.

2. G.Ya. Alexandrov. Transmission of electrical energy. St. Petersburg, Publishing House Polytechnic University, 2009.

3. J. Alferov, E. Velikhov. Energy without limits. Russia in global politics, No. 1. January - March 2003.

4. L.I. Rudakov. High current beams of charged particles. Soros Educational Journal, 1996, No. 2.

5. G.I. Budker. Relativistic stabilized electron beam. Atomic Energy, 1956, Vol. 1.

6. E. Velikhov. Bridge Russia - Northeast Asia. Lukoil Press, September 1999; http://asiapacific.narod.ru/countries/apr/most_russia_sva.htm.

7. S.Yu. Udovichenko. Non-potential theory of low-frequency instabilities of relativistic electron beams. Abstract of dissertation for the degree of candidate of physical and mathematical sciences. Moscow, 1984.

8. J. Lawson. Physics of charged particle beams. Moscow, Mir, 1980, p. 272.

9. E.A. Abrahamyan. Electricity - through pipes. Young technician, 1984, No. 1.

10. RF patent No. 2462009, publ. 09/20/2012.

11. I.N. Sacks. Transportation of charged particle beams. Novosibirsk, Publishing House “Science” (Siberian Branch), 1991, p. 59.

12. USSR Author's Certificate No. 376027, publ. 08/05/1978.

13. Copyright certificate of the USSR No. 686160, publ. 09/15/1979.

14. Copyright certificate of the USSR No. 1565740, publ. 05/15/1990.

15. US patent No. 7417356, publ. 08/26/2008.

Claims (3)

1. The method of transporting a beam of accelerated electrons, carried out along a bending evacuated channel with a longitudinal axis in the form of a smooth line and a wall made of material capable of electrification, characterized in that during transportation use the specified channel, additionally provided adjacent to the outer surface of its wall an electrically conductive shell or an electrically conductive coating deposited on this surface, to which a potential inducing on the inner surface of the wall is supplied th channel to obtain a negative charge potential barrier exceeding the highest energy electrons in the beam transported. 2. A device for transporting a beam of accelerated electrons, made in the form of a bending evacuated channel with a longitudinal axis in the form of a smooth line and a wall made of material capable of electrification, characterized in that it is equipped with an electrically conductive shell adjacent to the outer surface of the wall of the channel or deposited on this surface by an electrically conductive coating, which is an electrode for connecting to an external voltage source. 3. The device according to claim 2, characterized in that the said channel is made round in cross section.

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