TWI430285B - Plasma electric generation system - Google Patents

Description

Plasma power generation system

The present invention relates generally to the field of plasma physics, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for constraining plasma to enable nuclear fusion and for converting energy from fusion products to electricity.

The fusion of two light nuclei is a process by which they combine to form a heavier one. The fusion process is in the form of a very large amount of energy that rapidly moves the particles. Because the positive charge of the atomic nucleus - due to the protons it contains - has a repulsive electrostatic or Coulomb force in between. For the two nuclei that fuse, this repellent barrier must be overcome, which occurs when the two nuclei are combined close enough, in which a short range of nuclear forces becomes strong enough to overcome the Coulomb force and fuse the nuclei. The energy necessary to overcome the Coulomb barrier by the nucleus is provided by its thermal energy, which must be extremely high. For example, if the temperature is at least 10 ⁴ eV scale - roughly corresponding to Kjeldahl (absolute) 100 million degrees, the fusion rate is detectable. The rate of a fusion reaction is a function of temperature and is described by one of its quantities called reactivity. For example, the reactivity of a D-T reaction has a broad peak between 30 keV and 100 keV.

Typical fusing reactions include: D-D → He ³ (0.8 MeV) + n (2.5 MeV), D+T → α (3.6 MeV) + n (14.1 MeV), D + He ³ → α (3.7 MeV) + p (14.7 MeV), and p + B ^{1 1} → 3α (8.7 MeV),

Among them, D is deuterium, T is tritium, α is a nucleus, n is a neutron, p is a proton, He is a sputum, and B ^{1 1 is} boron. -11. The numbers in parentheses in the equations refer to the kinetic energy of the fused product.

The first two reactions listed above - D-D and D-T - are neutronic, meaning that the majority of the energy of the fused product is contained by fast neutrons. The disadvantages of neutron reactions are: (1) rapid neutron fluxes cause a number of problems, including structural damage to the reactor walls and high-order radioactivity for most constituent materials; and (2) fast medium The energy of the sub-unit is collected by converting its thermal energy to electrical energy, which is extremely inefficient (less than 30%). The advantages of the neutron reaction are: (1) the peak of its reactivity is at a relatively low temperature; and (2) its loss due to radiation is relatively low because of the atomic sequence of 氘 and 氚.

The reactants of the other two equations - D-He ³ and p-B ^{1 1} - are called advanced fuels. Instead of producing fast neutrons, as in the neutron reaction, the fused product is charged particles. One advantage of advanced fuels is that they produce fewer neutrons and are therefore less susceptible to the disadvantages associated therewith. In the case of D-He ³ , some fast neutrons are produced by secondary reactions, but these neutrons consider only about 10% of the energy of the fused product. This p-B ^{1 1} reaction system has no fast neutrons, although it produces some slow neutrons caused by the secondary reaction, but produces fewer problems. Another advantage of advanced fuels is that their fused products contain charged particles whose kinetic energy can be directly converted to electricity. With a suitable direct energy conversion process, the energy of the fusion products of advanced fuels can be collected with a high efficiency, possibly over 90%.

Advanced fuels also have shortcomings. For example, the advanced fuel has a higher atomic sequence (2 for He ³ and 5 for B ^{1 1} ). Therefore, its radiation loss is larger than that of the neutron reaction. In addition, it is much more difficult to fuse advanced fuels. The reactivity of its peak occurs at a much higher temperature and does not reach the high reactivity as D-T. What is required to fuse the reaction system by one of the advanced fuels is that it becomes a higher energy state, and the reactivity thereof is remarkable. Therefore, the advanced fuel system must be constrained for a longer period of time, where it can be to the appropriate fusion conditions.

The containment time for a plasma is Δt=r ² /D, where r is a minimum plasma size and D is a diffusion coefficient. A typical value of the diffusion coefficient is D _c = a _i ² /τ _{i e} , where a _i is the ion radius of gyration and τ _{i e} is the ion-electron collision time. A diffusion system based on a typical diffusion coefficient is referred to as a typical transport. The Bohm diffusion coefficient attributed to the instability of the short wavelength is D _B = (1/16) a _i ² Ω _i , where Ω _i is the ion gyration frequency. The diffusion according to this relationship is called an anomalous migration. For the fusion condition, D _B /D _C =(1/16)Ω _i τ _{i e} 10 ⁸ , an abnormal migration system results in a much shorter constraint time than a typical migrant. This relationship is determined by how large the plasma must be in one of the fusion reactors, by the requirement that the constraint time for a given amount of plasma must be one nuclear fusion reaction with respect to the plasma. The time is longer. Therefore, typical migration conditions are more desirable for a fusion reactor, allowing for a smaller initial plasma.

In the early experiments on the ring constraint of plasma, a constraint time Δ t r ² / D _B system observation. Department of progress in the last forty years has been to improve the confinement time △ t 1000 r ² / D _B . An existing fusion reactor concept is Tokamak. For the past three decades, fusion attempts have been directed to the Tokamak reactor using D-T fuel. Such attempts have been made in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The recent experimental research on Tokamak suggests: typical migration Δ t The r ² / D _C system is possible, where the smallest plasma size can be reduced from metric to centimeters. These experiments involve the injection of a high energy beam (50 to 100 keV) to heat the plasma to a temperature of 10 to 30 keV. See: W. Heidbrink & GJ Sadler, 34 Nuclear Fusion 535 (1994). The high energy beam systems of these experiments were observed to be slow and typical diffusion, while the thermoplasma continued to diffuse rapidly. The reason for this is that the high-energy beam ion system has a large radius of rotation, and is therefore insensitive to variations in the wavelength (λ < a _i ) which is shorter than the ion rotation radius. Short-wavelength variations tend to average on one cycle and are therefore deleted. However, the electronics have a much smaller radius of rotation, so they respond to changes and are abnormally migrating.

Because of the abnormal migration, the minimum size of the plasma must be at least 2.8 meters. Due to this size, the ITER is built to be 30 meters high and 30 meters in diameter. This is the smallest D-T Tokamak type reactor that is feasible. For advanced fuels such as D-He ³ and p-B ^{1 1} , the Tokamak type reactor system will have to be much larger because the time to have a nuclear reaction for a fuel is much longer. Another problem with the use of D-T fuel, the Tokamak type reactor, is that the majority of the energy of the fused product is carried by the 14 MeV neutron, which causes radiation damage and is caused by neutron flux. The degree of reaction is almost all of the constituent materials. In addition, the conversion of its energy to the power system must be by a thermal process with an efficiency of no more than 30%.

Another proposed reactor architecture is a collision beam reactor. In a collision beam reactor, a background plasma is bombarded by an ion beam. The bundles comprise ions having a much greater energy than the thermoplasm. It has become infeasible to produce a useful fusion reaction for this type of reactor system because the background plasma system causes the ion beam to decelerate. Various proposals have been made to reduce this problem and maximize the number of nuclear reactions.

For example, U.S. Patent No. 4,065,351 to the name of the U.S. Pat. In U.S. Patent No. 4,057,462 to Jassby et al., electromagnetic energy is injected to counteract the overall equilibrium plasma drag effect of an ionic species. The annular restraint system is identified as a Tokamak. U.S. Patent No. 4,894,199 to Rostoker, the bismuth and bismuth bundles are injected at the same average speed and captured in a Tokamak, mirror, or field reversed configuration (FRC). Low density cold background plasma is present for the sole purpose of capturing the beam. The bundles react because of their high temperature, and the deceleration system is mainly caused by electrons accompanying the injection of ions. The electron system is heated by ions, in which case the deceleration system is minimized.

However, a balanced electric field system of any of these devices does not perform any task. In fact, there is no attempt to reduce or even consider an abnormal migration.

Other patents consider the electrostatic confinement of ions and, in some cases, the magnetic constraints of electrons. These patents include: U.S. Patent No. 3,258,402 to Farnsworth, and U.S. Patent No. 3,386,883 to Farnsworth, which disclose the electrostatic confinement of ions and the inertial constraints of electrons; U.S. Patent No. 3,530,036 to Hirsch et al., and Hirsch et al. U.S. Patent No. 3, 530, 497, to the name of Farnsworth; U.S. Patent No. 4,233, 537 to the disclosure of the disclosure of the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No., which is similar to the Limpaecher and involves a point tip. None of these patents considers the electrostatic constraints of electrons and the magnetic constraints of ions. Although many research projects have existed on the electrostatic constraints of ions, they have not succeeded in establishing the required electrostatic field when the ions have the density required for a fusion reactor. Finally, none of the above cited patents discusses a field reversal architecture (FRC) magnetic topology.

The Field Inversion Architecture (FRC) was accidentally discovered during the experiment of the angle pinch (theta pinch) at the Naval Research Laboratory in about 1960. A typical FRC topology is illustrated in Figures 3 and 5, in which the internal magnetic field is reversed and the particle orbital system in an FRC is shown in Figures 6 and 9. Regarding FRC, many research programs have been supported in the United States and Japan. A general overview of the theory and experimentation of FRC research from 1960 to 1988. See: M. Tuszewski, 28 Nuclear Fusion 2033, (1988). A detailed report on the development of FRC is described in the 1996 study and recommendations for future research, see: L.C. Steinhauer et al., 30 Fusion Technology 116 (1996). So far, in the FRC experiment, the FRC system has been formed by the angular pinch method. The result of this method of formation is that the ions and electrons are each carrying half of the current, which is caused by a negligible electrostatic field in the plasma and is free of static confinement. The ions and electrons of these FRCs are magnetically constrained. For almost all FRC experiments, anomalous migration has been a prerequisite, see, for example, the Tuszewski paper at the beginning of paragraph 1.5.2 of page 2072.

Therefore, it is intended to propose a fusion system having a restraint system and an energy conversion system, the restraint system tends to substantially reduce or eliminate the abnormal migration of ions and electrons, and the energy conversion system converts the energy of the fusion product with high efficiency to electric power.

The present invention is directed to a system that facilitates control of direct conversion of a magnetic field having one field reversal topology and fused product energy to electrical power. Such a system, referred to herein as a plasma-electric power generation (PEG) system, preferably includes a fusion reactor that has a tendency to substantially reduce or eliminate one of the abnormal migration of ions and electrons. system. In addition, the PEG system includes an energy conversion system coupled to the reactor that directly converts the fused product energy to electricity with high efficiency.

In one embodiment, the abnormal migration system for ions and electrons tends to be substantially reduced or eliminated. The anomalous migration of ions tends to be avoided by magnetically confining the plasma to one of the field reversal architectures (FRC). For electrons, the abnormal migration of energy is avoided by adjusting an externally applied magnetic field to develop a strong electric field that electrostatically confines electrons to a deep potential well. As a result, the fused fuel plasma that can be used in such restraining devices and processes is not limited to neutron fuels, but is advantageously comprised of advanced or aneutronic fuels. For neutron-free fuels, the fusion reaction energy is almost entirely in the form of charged particles, ie, energetic ions, which can be manipulated to a magnetic field and cause little or no radioactivity depending on the fuel.

In a preferred embodiment, a plasma confinement reactor of a fusion reactor comprises: a chamber; a magnetic field generator for applying a magnetic field in a direction substantially along one of the major axes; and a ring A plasma layer comprising a circulating ion beam. The ion system of the annular plasma beam layer is substantially magnetically constrained within the orbit of the chamber, and the electron system is substantially confined to an electrostatic energy well. In a preferred embodiment, the magnetic field generator includes a current coil. Preferably, the magnetic field generator further includes a mirror coil adjacent the two ends of the chamber, which increases the magnitude of the applied magnetic field at both ends of the chamber. The system also includes one or more beam injectors for injecting a neutralized ion beam into the magnetic field, wherein the beam system enters an orbit due to forces caused by the magnetic field. In a preferred embodiment, the system forms a magnetic field having a topology of a field inversion architecture (FRC).

In another preferred embodiment, an alternative chamber arrangement prevents azimuthal image current from being formed in a central region of the chamber wall and enabling magnetic flux to penetrate the chamber for a fast period of time. The chamber, which is primarily comprised of stainless steel to provide structural strength and good vacuum characteristics, includes an axially interrupted current interrupter in the axial direction of the chamber wall that extends along substantially the entire length of the chamber. Preferably, there are three current interrupters that are separated from each other by about 120 degrees. The current interrupters include a slot or gap formed in the chamber wall 1311. An insert comprising an insulating material, preferably a ceramic or the like, is inserted into the grooves or gaps. Inside the chamber, a metal shroud covers the insert. On the outside of the chamber, the insert is attached to a sealing panel, preferably formed of fiberglass or the like, which is formed by an O-ring seal and the surface of the stainless steel of the chamber wall. Vacuum barrier.

In another preferred embodiment, an inductive plasma source can be mounted in the chamber and includes an impact coil assembly, preferably a single-turn impact coil, preferably from a high voltage (about 5 to 15). kV) Power (not shown) is fed. A neutral gas system such as hydrogen (or other suitable gas fused fuel) is introduced to the plasma source via a Laval nozzle and through a direct gas feed. Once the gas system diverges from the nozzle and distributes itself to the surface of the coil winding of the impact coil, the windings are energized. The ultra-fast current and flux-up of the low-inductance impact coil results in a very high electric field within the gas that causes decomposition, ionization, and subsequent discharge of the formed plasma. The surface of the impact coil faces the central or intermediate plane of the chamber.

In still another preferred embodiment, an RF driver includes a quadrupole cyclotron positioned within the chamber and having four azimuthal symmetrical electrodes and a gap therebetween. A quadrupole cyclotron produces a potential wave that rotates in the same direction as the azimuthal angular velocity of the ions to a greater velocity. An ion system of appropriate velocity can capture this wave and be periodically reflected. This process increases the momentum and energy of the fuel ions, and this increase is transmitted to the fuel ions that are not captured by the collision.

In another embodiment, a direct energy conversion system is utilized to directly convert the kinetic energy of the fused product to electrical power by decelerating the charged particles passing through the electromagnetic field. Advantageously, the direct energy conversion system of the present invention has efficiency, particle energy tolerance, and electronic capability to convert the frequency and phase of the fused output power of approximately 5 MHz to match an external 60 Hz power gate (power The frequency of the grid).

In a preferred embodiment, the energy conversion system includes an inverse cyclotron converter (ICC) coupled to an opposite end of the fusion reactor. The ICC system has a hollow cylindrical geometry formed from a plurality of (preferably four or more) equal semi-cylindrical electrodes and having a small linear gap extending therebetween. In operation, an oscillating potential is applied to the electrodes in an alternating manner. The electric field E within the ICC has a multi-pole structure and disappears from the axis of symmetry and increases linearly with radius; the peak is at the gap.

In addition, the ICC system includes a magnetic field generator for applying a uniform unidirectional magnetic field in a direction that is substantially opposite to the applied magnetic field of the restraint system of the fusion reactor. Further away from one end of the fusion reactor power core, the ICC system includes an ion collector. Between the power core and the ICC is a symmetric magnetic tip (cusp), wherein the magnetic field of the constrained system is incorporated into the magnetic field of the ICC. An annular electron collector is positioned at the magnetic tip and electrically coupled to the ion collector.

In yet another preferred embodiment, the product nucleus and the charge-neutralized electron system appear as a circular bundle at a density from both ends of the reactor power core, wherein the magnetic tip is attributed to its energy difference And separate electrons and ions. The electrons follow the magnetic field lines to the electron collector and the ions pass through the tip where the ion trajectory is modified to follow a substantially helical path along one of the lengths of the ICC. The energy system is removed from the plasma as it is a helix through which it is connected to an electrode of a resonant circuit. The loss of vertical energy tends to be maximal for ions that are initially the highest energy of the circulating proximity electrode (where the electric field is the strongest).

Other aspects and features of the present invention will be apparent from the description of the accompanying drawings.

As shown in the drawings, a plasma power generation (PEG) system of the present invention preferably includes a CBFR (colliding beam fusion reactor) coupled to a direct energy conversion system. As mentioned above, an ideal fusion reactor solves the problem of abnormal migration of ions and electrons. A solution to the problem of abnormal migration as noted herein is to utilize a constrained system having a magnetic field of one of the field inversion architectures (FRC). The anomalous migration of ions is avoided by the magnetic constraints of FRC, which causes most ion systems to have large, non-adiabatic orbitals, making them non-sensitive to the abnormal migration of ions. Short wavelength variation. In particular, the presence of a magnetic field in a region of the FRC that disappears therefrom makes it possible to have a plasma containing one of the most non-gradual ions. For electrons, the abnormal migration of energy is avoided by adjusting the externally applied magnetic field to develop a strong electric field, and confining its static electricity to a deep potential well.

The fused fuel plasma that can be used in such restraining devices and processes is not limited to neutron fuels, such as: D-D, Deuterium-Deuterium or D-T, Deuterium-Tritium, and also advantageously include advanced fuels or no neutrons, such as: deuterium - helium ^{3 (D-He 3, deuterium} -helium-3) or hydrogen - boron ^{1 1 (p-B 1 1} , hydrogen-boron-11). (For a discussion of advanced fuels, see: R. Feldbacher & M. Heindler, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research , A271 (1988) JJ-64 (North Holland Amsterdam).) for such neutronless The fuel, fusion reaction energy is almost entirely in the form of charged particles, ie high energy ions that can be manipulated in a magnetic field and that cause little or no radioactivity depending on the fuel. The D-He ³ reaction produces one H ion and one He ⁴ ion and 18.2 MeV energy, while the p-B ^{1 1} reaction produces three He ⁴ ions and 8.7 MeV energy. Based on theoretical modeling of a fusion device utilizing neutron-free fuel, the output energy conversion efficiency can be as high as about 90%, for example, as described by K. Yoshikawa, T. Noma, and Y. Yamamoto. In Fusion Technology, 19, 870 (1991). These efficiencies significantly increase the desire for scalable (1-1000 MW), micro, low cost architectures for neutron-free fuels.

In a direct energy conversion process of the present invention, the charged particle system of the fused product can be decelerated and its kinetic energy is directly converted to electricity. Advantageously, the direct energy conversion system of the present invention has efficiency, particle energy tolerance, and electronic capability to convert the frequency and phase of the fused output power of about 5 MHz to match the frequency of an external 60 Hz power gate. .

Fusion constraint system

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of a restraint system 300 in accordance with the present invention. The restraint system 300 includes a chamber wall 305 that defines a restraint chamber 310. Preferably, the chamber 310 is cylindrical in shape and has a major axis 315 along the center of the chamber 310. For the application of the restraint system 300 to a fusion reactor, a vacuum or near vacuum must be established within the chamber 310. A betatron flux coil 320 positioned within chamber 310 is concentric with spindle 315. The beta accelerator flux coil 320 comprises a current carrying medium adapted to direct current to a long coil, as shown, preferably comprising parallel windings of a plurality of individual coils, and preferably about four The parallel windings of the individual coils form a long coil. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the current through the beta accelerator flux coil 320 will cause a magnetic field inside the beta accelerator flux coil 320 to be substantially in the direction of the spindle 315.

An outer coil 325 is wound around the outer side of the chamber wall 305. The outer coil 325 produces a relatively fixed magnetic field having a magnetic flux substantially parallel to the main axis 315. This magnetic field has an azimuth of symmetry. The approximated magnetic field due to the outer coil 325 being fixed and parallel to the axis 315 is most effective away from the two ends of the chamber 310. At each end of the chamber 310 is a mirror coil 310. The mirror coil 310 is adapted to generate an increasing magnetic field on the inner side of the chamber 310 at each end, thereby bending the magnetic field lines at each end inward. (See Figures 3 and 5.) As illustrated, the inward bending of the magnetic field lines helps confine the constrained regions of the plasma 335 within the chamber 310 (summarized between the mirror coils 330). Driven away from it will leak out of the two ends of the restraint system 300. The mirror coil 330 is adapted to generate an increased magnetic field at both ends, by various methods of the art, including: increasing the number of windings of the mirror coil 330, increasing through the mirror coil 330 The current, or overlapping mirror coil 330 and outer coil 325.

The outer coil 325 and the mirror coil 310 are shown on the outer side of the chamber wall 305 in Fig. 1; however, they may be on the inner side of the chamber wall 305. If the chamber wall 305 is constructed of a conductive material such as metal, it may be advantageous to place the coils 325, 330 on the inside of the chamber wall 305, as the time it takes for the magnetic field to diffuse through the wall 305 may be quite large and This causes the system 300 to be a slow response. Similarly, the chamber 310 can be in the shape of a hollow cylinder, and the chamber wall 305 forms a long annular ring. In this case, the beta accelerator flux coil 320 can be implemented on the outside of the chamber wall 305 at the center of the annular ring. Preferably, the inner wall forming the center of the annular ring may comprise a non-conductive material such as glass. As will be apparent, chamber 310 must be of sufficient size and shape to allow the circulating plasma beam or layer 335 to rotate about a major axis 315 at a given radius.

The chamber wall 305 can be constructed of a material that has high magnetic permeability, such as steel. In this case, the chamber wall 305 helps to keep the magnetic flux from leaking out of the chamber 310 due to the induced reverse current of the material, i.e., "compressing" it. If the chamber wall is made of a material having low magnetic permeability, such as plexiglass, another device for constraining the magnetic flux would be necessary. In this case, a series of closed loop, flat metal ring systems can be provided. Such a ring system, known in the art as a flux limiter, will be provided within outer coil 325 on the outside of circulating plasma beam 335. Furthermore, the flux limiters can be passive or active, wherein the active flux limiter will be driven by a predetermined current to further confine the flux to the chamber 310. . Alternatively, the outer coil 325 itself may act as a flux limiter.

As explained in more detail below, one of the charged plasma beams 335 containing the charged particles can be bound to the chamber 310 by its Lorentz force due to the magnetic field of the outer coil 325. within. As such, the ion system at the plasma beam 335 is magnetically constrained to the beta accelerator track that is large from the flux line of the outer coil 325, which is parallel to the major axis 315. One or more injection ports 340 are also provided with a circulating plasma beam 335 that is added to the plasma ions to chamber 310. In a preferred embodiment, the implant 340 is adapted to implant an ion beam into the circulating plasma beam 335 at about the same radial position from the spindle 315 (ie, about one of the following zero positions). (null) surface). Further, the implant 340 is adapted to inject an ion beam 350 that is tangential to and constrains the direction of the beta accelerator track of the plasma beam 335 (see Figure 17).

One or more background plasma sources 345 are also provided for injecting a cloud of non-energetic plasma into chamber 310. In a preferred embodiment, the background plasma source 345 is adapted to direct the plasma 335 to the center of the axial direction of the chamber 310. It has been known that directing the plasma system in this manner helps to better constrain the plasma 335 and results in a higher density plasma 335 within the confinement region within the chamber 310.

Vacuum chamber

As mentioned above, the application of a CBFR restraint system necessitates establishing a vacuum or near vacuum on the inside of the chamber. Since the interaction between the neutral and the plasma fuel (sputtering, charge exchange) always presents an energy loss path, the remaining density limited to the reactor chamber is important. Moreover, impurities due to poor vacuuming chambers will cause contamination of side reactions during operation, and an excess of energy will be drawn during the initial period as the system must burn the remainder.

To achieve a good class of vacuum, it is usually the use of chambers and crucibles involving stainless steel and low outgassing materials. In the case of metals, good vacuum properties are in turn matched to good structural properties. However, conductive materials such as stainless steel and the like present various problems associated with their electrical properties. Although these negative effects are all linked, they appear in different ways. The most negative characteristics are: the slow diffusion of the magnetic field through the chamber wall, the accumulation of charge on the surface, the complete change of the response time of the system to the transient signal, and the formation of the image current that affects the desired magnetic topology on the surface. . Materials that do not have such undesired specific and well-surfaced vacuum properties are insulators such as ceramic, glass, quartz, and a lower degree of carbon fiber. The main problem with these materials is the structural integrity and potential for accidental damage. Manufacturing problems such as poor processing capabilities of ceramics are further limiting.

In one embodiment, as depicted in Figures 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D, an alternative chamber 1310 is proposed to minimize such problems. The CBFR chamber 1310 is preferably comprised primarily of a metal, preferably stainless steel or the like, to provide structural strength and good vacuum properties. However, the cylindrical wall 1311 of the chamber 1310 includes an insulating break 1360 in the axial direction of the wall 1311 that extends along the entire length of the chamber 1310 and in the central portion of the chamber 1310 or the power core of the CBFR. region. Preferably, as depicted in Figure 2B, there are three current interrupters 1360 separated from each other by about 120 degrees. As depicted in FIG. 2C, the current interrupter 1360 includes a slot or gap 1362 in the wall 1311 of the chamber 1310 and a sealing groove or seat 1369 formed in the periphery of the slot 1362. An O-ring seal 1367 is received in the groove 1369. As depicted in FIG. 2D, the groove 1362 extends substantially the entire length of the chamber 1310 while retaining sufficient stainless material to form an azimuthal continuous portion of the wall 1311 adjacent the ends thereof to provide structural integrity and Allow a good quality vacuum to sit on both ends. For improving structural integrity and preventing inward rupture, as depicted in FIG. 2A, chamber 1310 is preferably a rib 1370 comprising a plurality of azimuthal angles of a complex array that is integrally formed on chamber wall 1311. Or coupled to the surface of the chamber wall 1311 by welding or the like.

As depicted in Figure 2C, the gap 1362 is filled with an insert 1364 formed of a ceramic material. The insert 1364 extends slightly into the interior of the chamber 1310 and is covered on the inside by a metal cover 1366 to prevent secondary plasma emission from the collision of the primary plasma ions of the circulating plasma beam with the ceramic material. On the outside of the chamber 1310, the insert 1364 is attached to a sealing panel 1365 which forms a vacuum barrier by an O-ring seal 1367 and a stainless steel surface of the chamber wall 1311. To maintain the desired vacuum properties, the sealing panel 1365 is preferably formed from a substrate, preferably fiberglass or the like, which is relatively flexible and provides a relatively tight seal with one of the O-ring seals 1367. This will be the case for a ceramic material, especially when the inward pressure is slightly deformed by the chamber 1310.

The insert or ceramic insulator 1364 on the inside of the slot 1362 preferably prevents current from flowing across the gap 1362 and thus prevents azimuthal image current from forming on the chamber wall 1311. One of the image current systems Lenz's Law states that it is a natural tendency to resist any change in magnetic flux: for example, a change in the magnetic flux that occurs in the flux coil 1320 during the formation of an FRC, such as Said later. Without the slot 1362 in the cylindrical wall 1311 of the chamber 1310, the varying magnetic flux at the flux coil 1320 causes an equal and opposite inductive induced current to form on the wall 1311 of the stainless steel, thereby counteracting the inside of the chamber 1310. Flux changes. Although the induced image current will be weaker (due to inductive losses) than the current applied to the flux coil 1320, the image current tends to be strongly reduced or applied to the chamber 1310. When not specified, it tends to be a constraint characteristic that negatively affects the magnetic field topology and changes to the inside of the chamber 1310. The presence of the slot 1362 prevents the azimuth image current from being a continuous portion of the azimuth angle formed on the wall 1311 toward the median plane of the chamber 1310 and away from the two ends of the chamber 1310 to the wall 1311. The only image current that is carried by the chamber wall 1311 toward the intermediate plane and away from the two ends of the chamber 1310 is extremely weak, and the current flows parallel to the longitudinal axis of the slot 1362. The current systems do not have a magnetic confinement field that affects the axial direction of the FRC, since the magnetic image field generated by the image current flowing longitudinally through the chamber wall 1311 exhibits only radial and azimuthal components. The azimuthal image current system formed by the azimuthal continuous conducting portion of the wall 1311 near the two ends of the chamber 1310 tends to have a confinement characteristic that does not adversely affect and/or is altered to the inside of the chamber 1310 due to the magnetic properties of the adjacent portion. The topology is not important for the constraints of the plasma.

In addition to preventing azimuthal image current from being formed in chamber wall 1311, slot 1362 provides one of the fluxes for self-field coil 1325 and mirror coil 1330 to penetrate chamber 1310 for a rapid period of time. As a result, slot 1362 is a fine-tuning and feedback control that enables the millisecond level of the applied magnetic field.

Charged particles in FRC

Figure 3 shows the magnetic field of a field reversal architecture (FRC) 70. The system has symmetry about the cylinder of its axis 78. In the FRC, there are two regions of magnetic field lines: an open region 80 and a closed region 82. The surface that divides the two regions is referred to as interface 84. The FRC system forms a magnetic field that disappears from one of the cylindrical zero surface 86. In the central portion 88 of the FRC, the magnetic field system is not noticeable to change in the axial direction. At the end 90, the magnetic field is perceived to change in the axial direction. The magnetic field along the central axis 78 is reversed in the direction of the FRC, which results in the term "reverse" of the field inversion architecture (FRC).

In FIG. 4A, the magnetic field on the outer side of the zero surface 94 is in a first direction 96. The magnetic field on the inside of the zero surface 94 is in a second direction 98 opposite one of the first directions. If an ion system moves in direction 100, the Lorentz force 30 acting on it is directed toward the zero surface 94. This is easy to understand by applying the right-hand rule. For particles that move in the diamagnetic direction 102, the Lorentz force is always directed toward the zero surface 94. This phenomenon results in a particle orbit known as the beta accelerator track, which will be described later.

Figure 4B shows one of the ions moving in the reverse diamagnetic direction 104. The Lorentz force in this case is directed away from the zero surface 94. This phenomenon is caused by a type of track called a drift orbit and will be described later. The diamagnetic direction for the ions is directed to the reverse diamagnetic direction of the electrons, and vice versa.

Figure 5 shows an annular plasma layer 106 that is rotated in the diamagnetic direction 102 of the ions. The ring 106 is positioned around the zero surface 86. The magnetic field 108 established by the annular plasma layer 106 is coupled to an externally applied magnetic field 110 to form a magnetic field having an FRC topology (which is shown in Figure 3).

The ion beam system forming the plasma layer 106 has a temperature; therefore, the velocity of the ions forms a frame in which Maxwell is distributed over the average angular velocity of the ion beam. Collisions between ions at different velocities result in a fusion reaction. For this reason, the plasma beam layer or power core 106 is referred to as a collision beam system.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing the main type of ion trajectory of a collision beam system, referred to as a beta accelerator track 112. A beta accelerator track 112 can be represented as a sine wave centered on one of the zero circles 114. As described above, the magnetic field at the zero circle 114 disappears. The plane of the track 112 is perpendicular to the axis 78 of the FRC. The ions of this track 112 move from a starting point 116 to their diamagnetic direction 102. The ion system of one of the beta accelerator rails has two motions: oscillating in one of the radial directions (perpendicular to the zero circle 114) and translation along one of the zero circles 114.

Figure 7A is a diagram of a magnetic field 118 of an FRC. The horizontal axis of the graph represents the distance (in centimeters) from the FRC axis 78. The unit of the magnetic field is kilogauss. As depicted, the magnetic field 118 disappears from the zero circle radius 120.

As shown in FIG. 7B, moving one particle system near the zero circle will see a gradient 126 of the magnetic field pointing away from the zero surface 86. The magnetic field on the outer side of the zero circle is in a first direction 122, and the magnetic field on the inner side of the zero circle is in a second direction 124 opposite one of the first directions. Cross product ×▽ B is given, where ▽ B is the gradient of the magnetic field; therefore, by applying the right-hand rule, it can be understood that the direction of the gradient drift is in the direction of the counterdiamagnetic, regardless of whether the ion is The zero circle 128 is outside or inside.

Figure 8A is a diagram of an electric field 130 of an FRC. The horizontal axis of the graph represents the distance (in centimeters) from the FRC axis 78. The unit of the electric field is volts/cm. As depicted, the electric field 130 disappears close to the zero circle radius 120.

As shown in FIG. 8B, the electric field for the ions is unconstrained; it is directed away from the direction 132, 134 of the zero surface 86. As before, the magnetic field is in the opposite direction 122, 124 between the inside and the outside of the zero surface 86. It can be understood by applying the right-hand rule: × The direction of the drift is in the diamagnetic direction 102, whether the ion is on the outside or inside of the zero surface 136.

Figures 9A and 9B are diagrams showing another type of common track of an FRC, which is referred to as a drift track 138. The drift track 138 can be on the outer side of the zero surface 114, as shown in Figure 9A, or on the inside thereof, as shown in Figure 9B. If × The drift system dominates, the drift track 138 rotates in the diamagnetic direction, or if the gradient drift dominates, it is in the reverse diamagnetic direction. The drift track 138 shown in Figures 9A and 9B is rotated from the starting point 116 in the diamagnetic direction 102.

As shown in Figure 9C, a drift track can be viewed as a small circle that rolls over a relatively large circle. The small circle 142 is rotated about its axis 144 in the sense. It also scrolls in the direction 102 to the great circle 146. Point 140 will track one of the paths in space, similar to 138.

Figures 10A and 10B are shown in the direction of the Lorentz force at the end of a FRC 151. In FIG. 10A, an ion system is shown moving to a magnetic field 150 at a velocity 148 in the diamagnetic direction 102. It is understandable to apply the right-hand rule that the Lorentz force 152 system tends to push the ions back to the area of the closed field line. Therefore, in this case, the Lorentz force 152 is a constraining ion. In Fig. 10B, an ion system is shown moving to a magnetic field 150 at a speed 148 in the reverse diamagnetic direction. It is understandable to apply the right-hand rule that the Lorentz force 152 system tends to push ions to the region of the open field line. Therefore, in this case, the Lorentz force 152 system releases the restraining ions.

Magnetic and electrostatic constraints on FRC

A plasma layer 106 (see FIG. 5) can be formed in an FRC that surrounds the zero surface 86 by implanting a high energy ion beam in the diamagnetic direction 102 of the ion. (The detailed discussion of the different methods of forming the FRC and the plasma ring is as follows.) In the circulating plasma layer 106, most of the ion systems have a beta accelerator track 112 (see Figure 6) that is high energy and non-slow. Therefore, it is not sensitive to the short wavelength variation that causes abnormal migration.

The momentum immortality principle is based on a relationship between the angular velocity ω _{i of the} ions and the angular velocity ω _{e of the} electrons in a plasma layer 106 formed in an FRC and under equilibrium conditions. The relationship is: In the formula (1), the Z-type ion atom is present, the m _i- based ion mass, the e-system electron charge, the B _0- based applied magnetic field, and the c-system light velocity. The three free parameters exist in this relationship: the applied magnetic field B ₀ , the angular velocity ω _{e of the} electron, and the angular velocity ω _{i of the} ion. If both of them are known, the third party can be determined by equation (1).

Because the plasma layer 106 is implanted by the ion beam system is formed to the FRC, the angular velocity ω _i by ion implantation system of the kinetic energy of the beam W _i is determined, the kinetic energy is given by W _i lines: Here, V _i =ω _i r ₀ , where V _i is the ion implantation velocity, ω _i is the ion cyclotron frequency, and r ₀ is the radius of the zero surface 86. Because the electron mass m _e system compared to ion mass m _i and for the many smaller, the electron beam in the kinetic energy of the system has been ignored.

For a fixed injection velocity (ω _i ) of the beam, the applied magnetic field B ₀ can be adjusted such that ω _e of different values is available. As will be displayed, adjustment of the external magnetic field B ₀ also leads to different electric field values in all of the inner plasma layer. This feature of the invention is illustrated in Figures 11A and 11B. Figure 11A shows three graphs of the electric field (in volts/cm) obtained for the same injection velocity ω _i = 1.35 × 10 ⁷ s ^{- 1} and for three different values of applied magnetic field B ₀ . :

The values of ω _e in the upper list are determined according to equation (1). It can be understood that ω _e >0 in equation (1) means Ω ₀ >ω _i such that the electrons are rotated in their reverse diamagnetic directions. Figure 11B shows the potential (in volts) for B ₀ and ω _{e for} the values of the same group. The horizontal axis of Figures 11A and 11B represents the distance from the FRC axis 78 and is shown in the chart in centimeters. The electric field and potential are strongly dependent on ω _e .

The above results can be explained on a simple physical basis. When the ion system rotates in the diamagnetic direction, the ion system is magnetically constrained by the Lorentz force. This is shown in Figure 4A. For the electrons that rotate in the same direction as the ions, the Lorentz force is in the opposite direction, so that the electron system will not be constrained. The electrons leave the plasma and the result is an excess of positive charge. This sets an electric field that prevents other electrons from leaving the plasma. At equilibrium, the direction and magnitude of this electric field is determined by the principle of momentum immortality.

The electrostatic field is a very important task in the migration of electrons and ions. Therefore, an important aspect of the present invention is that a strong electrostatic field is established inside the plasma layer 106, and the size of the electrostatic field is controlled by the value of the applied magnetic field B ₀ which can be easily adjusted.

As illustrated, if ω _e >0, the electrostatic field constraints are directed to electrons. As shown in FIG. 11B in the first, the depth of the well system can be adjusted by the applied magnetic field B ₀ increases. In addition to being close to a very narrow region of the zero circle, the electron system always has a small radius of gyration. Therefore, the electron system responds to short wavelength variations with an abnormally fast diffusion rate. This diffusion is actually to help maintain the potential well once the fusion reaction occurs. The higher energy fusion product ions leave the plasma. In order to maintain the charge quasi-neutrality, the fusion product must be pulled from it by the electrons, mainly from the surface of the plasma layer. The density of electrons on the surface of the plasma is extremely low, and the electron system that leaves the plasma by fusion of the product must be replaced; otherwise, the potential well system will disappear.

Figure 12 shows a Maxwell distribution 162 of electrons. Only the extremely high energy electrons from the tail 160 of the Maxwell distribution can reach the surface of the plasma and exit by the fused ions. The tail portion 160 of the distribution 162 is thus continuously established by its electron-electron collision near the high density region of the zero surface. The high energy electron system still has a small radius of gyration such that the anomalous diffusion system allows it to reach the surface quickly enough to conform to the leaving fusion product ions. High-energy electrons lose their energy and raise the potential well and leave with very little energy. Although the electron system can quickly cross the magnetic field, due to abnormal migration, abnormal energy loss tends to be avoided because very little energy is migration.

Another result of the potential well is directed to a strong cooling mechanism for electrons, which is similar to evaporative cooling. For example, for evaporating water, it must be the potential heat to supply evaporation. This heat is supplied by the remaining liquid water and surrounding media, which in turn rapidly heats up to a lower temperature faster than the alternative energy of the thermal migration process. Similarly, for electrons, the potential well depth is equivalent to the potential heat of the evaporated water. The electron system supplies its energy required to raise the potential well by a heating process, which again supplies the energy of the Maxwell tail to make the electrons escapable. The heating process thus results in a lower electron temperature since it is much faster than any heating process. Because of the large difference between electrons and protons, the energy transfer time from protons is about 1800 times smaller than the electron heating time. This cooling mechanism also reduces the radiation loss of electrons. This is especially important for advanced fuels in which the radiation loss is enhanced by fuel ions having an atomic sequence Z (i.e., Z > 1) greater than one.

The electrostatic field also affects ion migration. The majority of the particle orbitals of the plasma layer 106 are the beta accelerator track 112. Large angle collisions (ie, collisions with a scattering angle between 90 and 180 degrees) can change a beta accelerator orbit to a drift orbit. As mentioned above, the direction of rotation of the drift orbit is determined by × The competition between drift and gradient drift is determined. If × The drift system dominates, and the drift track rotates in the diamagnetic direction. If the gradient drift dominates, the drift orbit is rotated in the reverse diamagnetic direction. This is shown in Figures 13A and 13B. Figure 13A shows the transition from a beta accelerator track to a drift orbit, which occurs at point 172 due to a 180° collision. The drifting orbital system continues to rotate in the opposite direction because × The drift system dominates. Figure 13B shows another 180° collision, but the electrostatic field in this example is weak and the gradient drift dominates. The drifting orbital system is thus rotated in the reverse diamagnetic direction.

The direction of rotation of the drift orbit determines whether it is a constraint. The particle system moving in a drift orbit will also have a velocity parallel to the FRC axis. The time it takes for a particle to travel from one end of the FRC to the other (as a result of its parallel action) is referred to as the transition time; therefore, the drift track is at one of the scales of the transition time and reaches one end of the FRC. As shown in Figure 10A, the Lorentz force at the two ends of the FRC is only a constraint for the drift orbit of its rotation in the diamagnetic direction. Thus, after a transition time, the ion system losses in the drift orbit of its rotation in the reverse diamagnetic direction.

This phenomenon is a consideration of the loss mechanism for ions, which is expected to exist in all FRC experiments. In fact, in these experiments, the ion system carries half the current and the electron system carries the other half. Under these conditions, the electric field inside the plasma is negligible, and the gradient drift is always dominant. × drift. Therefore, all drift trajectories generated by large angle collisions are lost after a transition time. These experiments report that they are fast ion diffusion rates compared to those predicted by typical diffusion estimates.

If it has a strong electrostatic field, × The drift system dominates the gradient drift and the drift orbit is rotated in the diamagnetic direction. This is shown above in relation to Figure 13A. When these orbital systems reach the two ends of the FRC, they are areas that are reflected back to the closed field line by the Lorentz force; therefore, they remain constrained to the system.

The electrostatic field system of the collision beam system can be strong enough to × The drift system dominates the gradient drift. Thus, the electrostatic field of the system will avoid ion migration by eliminating this ion loss mechanism, which is a loss cone similar to a mirror device.

Another dimension of ion diffusion can be understood by considering the effects of small angles, electron-ion collisions of the beta accelerator track. Figure 14A shows a beta accelerator track 112; Figure 14B shows the same track 112 at a small angle of electron-ion collision as the considerr 174; Figure 14C shows the track of Figure 14B followed by a factor The longer one of time 10 is 176; and, the 14D picture shows the track of Figure 14B at which it is a longer time 178 of a factor of 20. It can be seen that the topology of the beta accelerator track is not changed due to small angles, electron-ion collisions; however, the amplitude of its radial oscillations increases with time. In fact, the orbital system shown in Figures 14A through 14D increases over time, indicating a typical diffusion.

Composition of FRC

The program used to form an FRC is mainly an angular pinch-field inversion procedure. In this conventional method, a bias magnetic field is applied by an outer coil surrounding a neutral gas back filling chamber. Once this has occurred, the gas system is ionized and the bias magnetic field is sealed in the plasma. Second, the current in the outer coil is rapidly reversed and the oppositely oriented magnetic field lines are connected to the previous sealing line to form a closed topology of the FRC (see Figure 3). This process is primarily based on experience and there is almost no mechanism to control the composition of the FRC. As a result, this method has poor reproducibility and no adjustment ability.

Conversely, the FRC construction method of the present invention allows for adequate control and provides a more transparent and replicable process. In fact, the FRC constructed by the method of the present invention is adjustable and its shape and other properties are directly affected by the manipulation of the magnetic field applied by the outer field coil 325. The FRC composition by the method of the present invention also results in the formation of electric fields and potential wells in a manner detailed above. Moreover, the method of the present invention can be readily extended to accelerate FRC to reactor stratification parameters and high energy fuel currents, and is advantageously a typical constraint for enabling ions. Moreover, the technology can be applied to a micro device and is extremely robust and easy to implement - for all highly desirable features of the reactor system.

In the method of the present invention, the FRC is structured with respect to the circulating plasma beam 335. It will be appreciated that the circulating plasma beam 335 (because it is a current) establishes a poroidal magnetic field, as would be the case for a current in a looped wire. Inside the circulating plasma beam 335, the induced magnetic self-field is opposite to its externally applied magnetic field due to the outer coil 325. On the outside of the plasma beam 335, the magnetic self-field is in the same direction as the applied magnetic field. When the plasma ion current system is sufficiently large, the self-field system overcomes the applied magnetic field and the magnetic field is reversed to the inside of the circulating plasma beam 335, thus forming an FRC topology, as shown in Figures 3 and 5.

The necessary conditions for field reversal can be estimated by a simple model. Consider a current I _{P carried} by one of the main radius r ₀ and the minor radius a << r ₀ . The magnetic field in the center of the ring (perpendicular to the ring) is B _p = 2π I _P / ( cr _o ). Assume that the ring current I _P = N _p e (Ω ₀ /2π) is carried by N _P ions having an angular velocity Ω ₀ . For a single ion that circulates at a radius r ₀ = V ₀ / Ω ₀ , Ω ₀ = eB ₀ / m _i c is the cyclotron frequency for an external magnetic field B ₀ . It is assumed that V ₀ is the average velocity of the beam ions. The field reversal system is defined as: It means N _P >2 r ₀ /α _i , and ^{_{Wherein, α i = e 2 / m}} i c 2 = 1.57 × 10 - 1 6 cm and the ion beam energy system . In the one-dimensional model, the magnetic field from the plasma current is B _p = (2π / c ) i _p , where i _p is the current per unit length. The necessary condition for field inversion is i _p > eV ₀ /π r ₀ α _i =0.225 kA/cm, where B ₀ =69.3 G and . For the case that it has a periodic ring and B _z is on average with the axial coordinate < B _z 〉=(2π/ c )( I _p / s ) (s-ring spacing), if s=r ₀ , the model will have the same The same average magnetic field of the model is modeled by i _p = I _p / s .

Combined beam/beta accelerator construction technology

One preferred method of constructing a FRC in the restraint system 300 is referred to herein as a combined beam/beta accelerator construction technique. This approach is combined with a low energy plasma ion beam and a beta accelerator using a beta accelerator flux coil 320.

The first step in this method utilizes a background plasma source 345 to inject a background plasma of a substantially annular cloud layer into chamber 310. The outer coil 325 generates a magnetic field inside the chamber 310 to magnetize the background coil. In the short interval, the low energy ion beam is injected into the chamber 310 through the implanted crucible 340 and substantially externally applied to the magnetic field within the chamber 310. As described above, the ion beam is captured within the chamber 310 by the magnetic field with a large beta accelerator track. The ion beam system can be generated by an ion accelerator, such as an accelerator comprising an ion diode and a Marx generator (see: RBMiller, An Introduction to the Physics of Intense Charged Particle Beams , (1982) ). As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the applied magnetic field will apply a Lorentz force to the implanted ion beam once the ion beam is entering the chamber 310; however, it is desirable that the beam system is undeflected, And thus does not enter a beta accelerator track until the ion beam reaches the circulating plasma beam 335. To solve this problem, the ion beam system is electron neutralized, and as shown in Fig. 15, when the ion beam 350 is directed through a suitable magnetic field, such as a unidirectional applied magnetic field within chamber 310, a positive charge The ions are separated from the negatively charged electrons. The ion beam 350 thus obtains its electrical self-polarization due to one of the magnetic fields. The magnetic field can also be generated along the path of the ion beam by, for example, a permanent magnet or by an electromagnet. When subsequently introduced into the confinement chamber 310, the resulting electric field is balanced by the magnetic force of the beam particles, allowing the ion beam to drift undeflected. Figure 16 shows a front view of ion beam 350 as it contacts plasma 335. As depicted, the electrons from the plasma 335 travel along the magnetic field lines into and out of the beam 350, which thus depletes the electrical polarization of the beam. When the beam is no longer electrically polarized, the beam is added to its circulating plasma beam 335 which is wound around one of the spindles 315, as shown in Figure 1 (see also Figure 5).

When the plasma beam 335 is traveling in its beta accelerator orbit, the mobile ion system contains a current that then causes an angular magnetic self field. To create an FRC topology within chamber 310, the velocity of the plasma beam 335 must be increased, thereby increasing the magnitude of the magnetic self field caused by the plasma beam 335. When the magnetic self-field is large enough, the direction of the magnetic field at the radial distance of the axis 315 within the plasma beam 335 is reversed, resulting in an FRC (see Figures 3 and 5). It will be appreciated that the radial distance of the circulating plasma beam 335 to be maintained in the beta accelerator track must increase the applied magnetic field from the outer coil 325 as the circulating plasma beam 335 increases in velocity. A control system is therefore arranged to maintain a suitable applied magnetic field as specified by the current through the outer coil 325. Alternatively, a second outer coil can be utilized to provide an additional applied magnetic field that is the radius of the track that is required to maintain the plasma beam as the plasma beam is accelerated.

To increase the speed of the circulating plasma beam 335 in its orbit, the beta accelerator flux coil 320 is placed. Referring to Fig. 17, it can be understood that an azimuthal electric field E induced in the inner side of the chamber 310 by the current system of the beta accelerator flux coil 320 is increased by Ampere's law. The positively charged ions of the plasma beam 335 are accelerated by the induced electric field, resulting in a field reversal as described above. When it is neutralized and polarized, the ion beam 350 is applied to the circulating plasma beam 335 as described above, and the plasma beam 335 depolarizes the ion beam.

For field reversal, the circulating plasma beam 335 is preferably accelerated to a rotational energy of about 100 eV, and preferably in the range of about 75 eV to 125 eV. To achieve fusion-related conditions, the recycled plasma beam 335 is preferably accelerated to about 200 keV and preferably in the range of about 100 keV to 3.3 MeV.

The FRC structure was successfully demonstrated using a combined beam/beta accelerator construction technique. The combined beam/beta accelerator architecture is experimentally implemented in a chamber of 1 m in diameter and 1.5 m in length, using an externally applied magnetic field of up to 500 G, induced by a beta accelerator flux coil 320 up to 5 kG. one plasma rotating magnetic field, and 1.2 × 10 ^{- 5} Torr vacuum one. In the experiment, the background plasma system having 10 ^{1 3} cm ^- one of the ^three density and the ion beam neutralization system a hydrogen bundle having 1.2 × 10 ^{1 3} cm ^{- 3} density one, 2 × 10 ⁷ cm /s one of the speeds, with a pulse length of approximately 20 μs (at half height). The field reversal system was observed.

Beta accelerator construction technology

Another preferred method of constructing the FRC in the restraint system 300 is referred to herein as a beta accelerator construction technique. This technique is based on directly driving the beta accelerator to induce current to accelerate a cycle of plasma beam 335, using a beta accelerator flux coil 320. One preferred embodiment of such a technique is applied to the restraint system 300 depicted in Figure 1, except that low energy ion beam implantation is not necessary.

As indicated, the main component of the beta-accelerator construction technique is the beta accelerator flux coil 320, which is mounted in the center of the chamber 310 and along the axis of the chamber 310. Due to its separate parallel winding architecture, coil 320 exhibits a very low inductance and, when coupled to a suitable power supply, has a low LC time constant that enables a rapid rise in current to flux coil 320.

Preferably, the FRC is structured by energizing the outer field coils 325, 330. This provides an axially directed field near the two ends and a radial magnetic field component to axially constrain the plasma of its injection chamber 310. Once a sufficient magnetic field is established, the background plasma source 345 is energized from its own power supply. The plasma stream emanating from the lance is directed along the axial direction and spreads slightly due to temperature. As the plasma reaches the mid-plane of the chamber 310, a continuous, axially extending, cold, slowly moving plasma system of the annular layer is established.

At this time, the beta accelerator flux coil 320 is energized. The rapidly rising current at coil 320 results in a rapidly changing axial flux in one of the coils. Due to the inductive effect, this rapid increase in axial flux causes the generation of an azimuthal electric field E (see Fig. 18) which is popular in the space of the flux coil. With Maxwell's equation, this electric field E is directly proportional to the change in magnetic flux strength inside the coil, ie, a faster booster coil current rise will result in a stronger electric field.

The inductively established electric field E is coupled to the charged particles of the plasma and causes a ponderomotive force that accelerates to the particles of the toroidal plasma layer. Due to its small mass, the electronics undergo accelerated initial species. The initial current system formed by this process is therefore primarily attributed to electrons. However, a sufficient acceleration time (approximately a few hundred microseconds) will eventually result in an ionic current. Referring to Fig. 18, this electric field E accelerates electrons and ions in opposite directions. Once both species reach their terminal velocity, the current system is approximately loaded by ions and electrons.

As mentioned above, the current contained by the rotating plasma causes a self magnetic field. When the self-magnetic field generated by the current in the plasma layer becomes a magnetic field that can be applied compared to the external field coils 325, 330, the generation of the actual FRC topology begins. At this point, the magnetic reconnection occurs and the initial open field line of the externally generated magnetic field begins to close and form the FRC flux surface (see Figures 3 and 5).

The basic FRC system established by this method exhibits a small amount of magnetic field and particle energy, which is typically not a reactor related operational parameter. However, the inductive electrical acceleration field will continue as long as the current system at the beta accelerator flux coil 320 continues to increase at a fast rate. The effect of this process is that the energy and total magnetic field strength of the FRC continue to grow. The scope of this process is therefore primarily limited by the flux coil power supply, which requires a large energy reservoir due to the continuous delivery of current. However, it is important to directly accelerate the system to reactor related conditions.

For field reversal, the circulating plasma beam 335 is preferably accelerated to a rotational energy of about 100 eV, and preferably in the range of about 75 eV to 125 eV. To achieve fusion-related conditions, the recycled plasma beam 335 is preferably accelerated to about 200 keV and preferably in the range of about 100 keV to 3.3 MeV. When an ion beam system is applied to the circulating plasma beam 335, as described above, the plasma beam 335 depolarizes the ion beam.

The FRC component system using the beta accelerator construction technology was successfully demonstrated in the following parameter hierarchy: Vacuum chamber size: about 1 meter in diameter and 1.5 meters in length. Beta accelerator coil radius: 10 cm. Plasma track radius: 20 cm. The average external magnetic field generated in the vacuum chamber is up to 100 Gauss and has a rise period of 150 microseconds and a reflectance ratio of 2 to 1. (Source: outer coil and beta accelerator coil.). BACKGROUND plasma (substantial hydrogen) -based of from about 10 ^{1 3} cm ^- average ^density of less than 10 eV of motion (Kinetic) characterized in temperature is described. . The continuous operation of this architecture is limited by the total energy stored in the experiment and is summarized as approximately 30 microseconds.

The experiment was carried out by first injecting a background plasma layer by means of a two-group coaxial cable gun mounted on the indoor side in an annular manner. Each of the eight spray guns is mounted to one of the two mirror coil assemblies. The spray gun azimuth is spaced equidistant and offset relative to the other set. This configuration allows the gun to be triggered simultaneously and thus produces a layer of annular plasma.

At the time of the establishment of this layer, the beta accelerator flux coil is energized. The current that rises above the windings of the beta accelerator coil causes an increase in the magnetic flux inside the coil, causing it to curl around an azimuthal electric field of the beta accelerator coil. The rapidly rising and high current of the beta flux flux coil produces a strong electric field that accelerates the annular plasma layer and thus induces a significant current. A sufficiently strong plasma current produces a magnetic self field that changes the external supply field and causes the field reversal architecture to occur. The detailed measurement of the B-dot loop is identified as the range, intensity, and duration of the FRC.

An example of a typical data is shown by the trajectory of the B-point detection signal of Figure 19. The data curve A represents the absolute strength of the axial intermediate plane of the laboratory (75 cm from each end plate) and the axial component of the magnetic field at a radial position of 15 cm. The data curve B represents the absolute intensity of the axial component of the magnetic field at the axial center plane of the chamber and at a radial position of 30 cm. Therefore, the data set of curve A indicates the magnetic field strength on the inner side of the fuel plasma layer (between the beta accelerator coil and the plasma), while the data set of curve B is the magnetic field strength depicted on the outer side of the fuel plasma layer. . The data clearly indicates that the internal magnetic field is reversed (negative) between about 23 and 47 microseconds, while the external magnetic field remains positive, ie, the orientation is not reversed. The time of reversal is limited by the increase in current of the beta accelerator coil. Once the peak current system reaches the beta accelerator coil, the induced current current at the fuel plasma layer begins to decrease and the FRC system decays rapidly. To date, the life of the FRC has been limited by the energy that can be stored by the experimenter. For injection and capture experiments, the system can be upgraded to provide longer FRC lifetimes and accelerate to reactor related parameters.

In short, this technology is not only to produce a tight FRC, but also to be robust and straightforward to implement. Most importantly, the basic FRC system produced by this method can be easily accelerated to the rotational energy and magnetic field strength of any desired level. This is decisive for the fusion application of high energy fuel bundles with typical constraints.

Induction plasma source

The above-described beta accelerator and beam/beta accelerator FRC technology are all based on the transfer of energy to a background plasma via the flux coil 320. Similar to a transformer, the flux coil performs the task of the primary winding of the transformer, and the plasma acts as the secondary winding. In order for this induction system to operate efficiently, it is necessary that the plasma is a good conductor.

In contrast to typical conductors (such as metals), a plasma system becomes less resistive as its temperature increases and is therefore more conductive. In particular, the temperature of the plasma electrons is an important task and is determined to a considerable extent as a function of one of the electron-ion collisions. Essentially, the dissipation is due to its resistance caused by electron-ion collisions: the higher the collision frequency, the higher the resistivity. This is due to the collection phenomenon in the plasma, in which the cross section of the Coulomb collision is screened. The collision frequency (the continuous collision is the rate at which it occurs) is essentially the density, the Coulomb scattering cross section of the screening, and the thermal (or average) velocity of the collision/scattering charge, ie: v _c =nσv. By definition, v is proportional to The σ system is proportional to v ⁴ or is therefore proportional to T ^{- 2} . Therefore, the collision frequency v _c is proportional to nT ^{- 3 / 2} . The resistivity is related to the collision frequency due to η = v _c m/ne ² . Therefore, the resistivity is proportional to T ^{- 3 / 2} and obviously has no density - this is a direct result of one of the following facts: even if the number of charge carriers increases with density, the number of scattering centers is also increased. . Therefore, higher temperatures result in higher plasma conductivity and less dissipation losses.

To achieve its preferred properties constrained to an FRC, a thermo-electric plasma system is therefore highly desirable. In the case of the PEG system, the increased electron temperature results in an improved FRC start (the plasma becomes a better conductor, the inductive coupling between the plasma and the flux coil is preferred), the preferred current Maintenance (reduced plasma resistivity results in less friction/dissipation loss and therefore less current loss), and higher magnetic field strength (the stronger the current, the greater the self-field). The proper electronic temperature during the initial plasma formation and before the flux coil is engaged will result in a better coupling of the flux coil to the plasma (which is advantageous to reduce the azimuthal image current formed on the chamber wall) ). This system in turn will cause an enhanced beta accelerator acceleration (smaller resistivity results in better inductive transfer of energy from the flux coil to the plasma) and plasma heating (transfer direction energy represented by the rotating current) Some will heat up and convert to random energy - which ultimately leads to heating of the plasma by the flux coil), which will therefore increase the ion-electron collision time (due to higher temperatures) and reduce dissipation (less The resistivity) and finally allows for a higher FRC field to be achieved (higher currents result in stronger fields).

To achieve a better initial plasma temperature, an inductive plasma source is proposed. As depicted in FIGS. 20A, 20B, and 20C, the inductive plasma source 1010 can be mounted within the chamber 310 at approximately the end of the flux coil 320 and includes a single turn of the impact coil assembly 1030. Preferably, it is fed by a high voltage (about 5 to 15 kV) power source (not shown). A neutral gas system, such as hydrogen (or other suitable gas fused fuel), is introduced to the plasma source 1010 via a Laval nozzle 1020 and through a direct gas feed. The airflow system is preferably controlled by groups of ultra-fast puff valves to create a clean impact front end. Once the gas system diverges from the nozzle 1020 and distributes itself to the surface of the coil winding 1040 of the impact coil 1030, the winding 1040 is energized. The ultra-fast current and flux-up of the low-inductance impact coil 1030 results in a very high electric field within the gas that causes decomposition, ionization, and subsequent discharge of the formed plasma. The surface of the impact coil 1030 faces the center of the chamber 310.

In a preferred embodiment, the impact coil 1030 includes an annular dish-shaped body 1032 defined by an outer ring 1034 formed on an outer periphery thereof and an annular hub 1036 formed on an inner periphery thereof. The ring 1034 and the hub 1036 extend axially beyond the surface of the body 1032 that forms the edge of an open top annular channel 1035. The body 1032, the ring 1034 and the hub 1036 are preferably formed by a single molded structure of a suitable non-conductive material having good vacuum properties and low outgassing properties, such as: glass, Plexiglass, pyrexic acid, pyrex, quartz, ceramic, or the like.

A multi-segment cover 1012 is preferably coupled to the ring 1034 of the impact coil 1030 to limit the generated plasma from rapid drift. Each segment 1014 of the cover 1012 includes a plurality of axially extending fingers 1016. The end of each segment 1014 includes a mounting bracket 1015.

The coil winding 1040 is preferably secured to the surface of the coil body 1032 by a channel 1035 using epoxy or some other adhesive. To obtain the fast electromagnetic characteristics of the impact coil 1030, it is important to keep its inductance as low as possible. This is achieved by using as many as possible strand windings 1040 and establishing coil windings 1040 as parallel wound strands 1042. In an exemplary embodiment, coil winding 1040 is a 24104 parallel stranded wiring 1042, each of which performs a loop. Each of the wires 1042 begins at an entry point 1044 that is positioned 15 degrees apart from the outer periphery of the body 1032 and terminates after an exit point 1046 having only one axis that wraps around the inner diameter of the body 1032. Thus, coil winding 1040 covers the entire area between the inner and outer edges of channel 1035. Preferably, the shares 1042 of the group are connected to the same capacitor storage unit. In summary, the power system can be fed to all of the strands 1042 from the same capacitor storage unit, or as in an exemplary embodiment, the three strands of the 10 groups of 1042 are each connected together and separated by two One of the capacitor storage units is fed together.

An annular dish-shaped nozzle body 1022 is coupled to its inner periphery to the hub 1036 to form the Laval nozzle 1020. The surface 1024 of the nozzle body 1022 facing the hub 1036 has an expanding mid-section profile defined by an annular gas plenum 1025 between the surface 1024 and the end face 1037 of the hub 1036. Adjacent to the outer periphery of the nozzle body 1022, the surface 1024 has a contracting-expanding profile defined by an azimuthal extension of the Laval nozzle exit between the surface 1024 and the end face 1037 of the hub 1036. 1023.

Attached to the opposite side of the hub 1036 is a valve seat ring 1050 and a plurality of valve seats 1054 formed at the outer end faces of the ring 1050. The valve seat 1054 is aligned with a gas feed passage 1052 that is formed through the hub 1036.

In operation, a neutral gas system is fed through its ultra-fast jet valve of valve seat 1054 to its gas passage 1052 that extends through hub 1036. Because of the constricted portion of the nozzle outlet 1023, the gas system tends to feed and fill the annular gas chamber 1025 before it is diverged from the nozzle 1020. Once the gas system diverges from the nozzle 1020 and distributes itself to the surface of the coil winding 1040 of the impact coil 1030, the winding 1040 is energized. The ultra-fast current and flux rise of the low inductance impact coil 1030 results in a very high electric field within the gas that causes decomposition, ionization, and subsequent discharge of the formed plasma from the impact coil 1030. The surface faces the center of the chamber 310.

The current ramp-up is preferably synchronized to the strands 1042 of all of the strands 1042 or groups that it is intended to trigger together. Another option that may be and potentially beneficial is to trigger different groups of shares at different times. A delay can be carefully placed between the shares 1042 that are connected to different groups to trigger different groups of shares at different times. When triggering the different groups of shares at different times, it is important that the groups are symmetrical such that the configuration is azimuthally symmetric and provides sufficient coverage of the surface of the coil winding 1040 to carry the wiring 1042 to any given power pulse. In this way, it is possible to establish at least two consecutive and unique plasma pulses. The delay between pulses is limited by how much neutral gas is available. In fact, it may be possible to individually trigger the pulses between about 5 and 600 microseconds.

In practice, the input operating parameters are preferably as follows: Charging voltage: about 10 to 25 kV split supply current: up to about 50 kA total current pulse/rise time through all combined windings: up to about 2 microseconds Gas pressure: about -20 to 50 psi plenum size: about 0.5 to 1 cm ³ per valve, ie about 4 to 8 cm ³ total gas volume per shot

In an exemplary embodiment, the input operating parameters are as follows: charging voltage: 12 to 17 kV separated supply, ie: from -12 to +12 kV current: 3 to 4 kA per group, ie: through combination 16 to 36 kA total current pulse/rise time for all windings: 1 to 1.5 microseconds Gas pressure: -15 to 30 psi Air chamber size: 0.5 to 1 cm ³ per valve, ie 4 to 8 per emission Cm ³ total gas volume

By using this method of operating parameters of the inductive plasma source 1010 is above the established plasma-based has the following advantageous characteristics: density ~ 4x10 ^{1 3} cm ^{- 3} Temperature ~ scale ~ 10-20 eV diameter annular 40-50 Cm axial drift speed ~5-10 eV

Due to the shape and orientation of the source 1010, the appearing plasma is annular in shape and has a tendency to be equal to a diameter of the rotating plasma ring forming the FRC. In the present system of PEG, two such inductive plasma sources 1010 are preferably placed at respective axial ends of chamber 310 and are preferably triggered in parallel. The two formed plasma distributions are axially drifted toward the center of the chamber 310, which is the plasma forming the annular layer, followed by acceleration by the flux coil 320, as described above.

RF drive for ion and electronics for FRC

An RF current driver called a rotomak has been used in FRC, in which the current system is mainly carried by electrons. One of the rotating radial magnetic fields produced by the two phase antennas is involved. The electrons are magnetized and fixed to the rotating magnetic field lines. This maintains current until the Coulomb collision of ions with electrons causes the ions to accelerate and reduce the current. However, the rotomak system is not suitable for maintaining this current indefinitely, but it has been successful for milliseconds.

In the FRC of the system, the current system is mainly carried by ions that are in the orbit of the beta accelerator, and the orbital systems will not be fixed to the rotating magnetic field lines. The ion system of the large orbit is important for stability and typical diffusion. Instead of the antenna, the electrode system is used as a cyclotron, and the ion system is driven by an electrostatic wave. The problem is completely static, because the frequency of the RF is less than 10 million cycles (Megacycle), making this wavelength (30 m) much longer than plasma of any size. The electrostatic field can penetrate the FRC plasma more easily than electromagnetic waves.

The electrostatic wave system produced by the electrodes is designed to travel at a speed close to the average azimuthal velocity of the ions or electrons. If the wave travels faster than the average velocity of the ions, it will accelerate and thus compensate for the drag due to ion-electron collisions. However, the electron system is accelerated by collision with the Coulomb of ions. In this case, the wave system must have a speed that is slower than the average speed of the electrons and the electron system will accelerate the wave. The average electron velocity is less than the average ion velocity such that the electronics must be driven at two different frequencies. The higher frequency will be for the ions and the energy system must be supplied by an external circuit. For electrons, the energy system can be drawn at a lower frequency.

Electrode system

A quadrupole RF drive system is shown in Figures 21A and 21B. As depicted, the RF drive system includes a quadrupole cyclotron 1110 located within chamber 310 and having four azimuthal symmetrical electrodes 1112 with a gap 1114 therebetween. The quadrupole cyclotron 1110 generates a potential wave that rotates in the same direction as the azimuthal angular velocity of the ions to a greater velocity. An ion system of appropriate velocity can capture this wave and be periodically reflected. This process increases the momentum and energy of the fuel ions, and this increase is transmitted to the fuel ions that are not captured by the collision. The fuel ion from the fuel plasma 335 can be replaced by injecting a neutral at any convenient rate.

An alternative and complementary method of driving current is to add to the electrode system an additional field coil 1116 positioned relative to the flux coil 325 and the quadrupole cyclotron 1110 and which is half the frequency of the cyclotron electrode 1112. By. However, the discussion presented below is specific to illustrate the form of electrodes only (without magnetic field coil 1116).

In Figure 21C, the electrode system is described for 2 electrodes and 4 electrodes.

The potential established by the electrode having the indicated applied voltage is indicated in Fig. 21C for the vacuum of the space r < r _b . The expression is for the lowest order harmonics. It is obtained by solving the following Laplace equation: Have appropriate boundary conditions. For example, for a two-pole cyclotron: Φ(r, θ, t) is finite.

Since Φ(r, θ, t) is based on θ being periodic and having a period of 2π, it can be expanded to a Fourier series, namely: And u _n system satisfies the following equation: The lowest order harmonic system: Higher order harmonics:

Wave velocity system in azimuthal direction ±ω/(2 l -1), so that higher order harmonics have a smaller phase velocity and amplitude. These annotations are applied to the two cases of Figure 21C. The frequency ω will be close to ω _i , ie the rotational frequency of the ions balanced for one of the rigid rotors of the FRC. Therefore, for l =1, ω _i . For l = 2, ω _i /3, and the wave amplitude will be substantially lower; consider only the lowest order harmonic system and therefore a good approximation.

Plasma effect

The response of the plasma can be described by a dielectric tensor. The electric field produces a plasma current that produces charge separation based on the charge invariant equation: among them, Current density and ρ-type charge density. The appropriate equation is: or among them, Dielectric tensor and lanthanide polarization. If only the role of electrons is included in the tensor, Diagonal to one component: Where n is the density and B is the FRC magnetic field, n and B are rapidly changing with r and B = 0 is a surface of r = r ₀ in the plasma. Assuming that the electron has a small radius of gyration and the electric field changes slowly compared to the revolution frequency Ω _e = eB / mc , the expression for ε_ is derived. This approximation failed on a near zero surface. The characteristic orbital system changes from a drifting orbit to a beta accelerator orbit, which has a much smaller response to one of the electric fields, namely: ε _⊥ 1 is close to the zero surface of r = r ₀ . The ion system mainly has a beta accelerator orbit, and for the drift orbit, the response to the electric field is small because the electric field changes at the rate ω ω _i .

The net result is that the Laplace equation is replaced by the following formula: It must be solved numerically. The additional term is zero near r=r ₀ . The potential system for the lowest order harmonic of the quadrupole case has the following form: And a similar form is for the two pole case. Waves traveling in the opposite direction relative to ions (or electrons) will be ignored.

Due to the acceleration of ions trapped in electrostatic waves

Suppose ω = 2 ω _i + △ ω , making the wave ω /2= ω _i + △ ω /2 is slightly faster than the ion. The standard rigid rotor distribution function is based on the assumption of ions:

The distribution function of the reduction:

The wave velocity of the electrostatic wave generated by the quadrupole cyclotron is v _w = rω /2 = rω _i - Δ v _w . Move faster ion reflections than waves, if This system increases the wave energy, namely: Slower ion reflection than wave, if And the wave system loses energy at the rate: The net result is by variable = v _θ - v _w is simplified by the change, ie: approximate Causes:

This system has a form similar to Landau damping, but it is not physically identical because Landau damping (growth) is a linear phenomenon and the system is clearly non-linear. due to If v _w = rω _i , there is no change in wave energy. If w _w > rω _i or Δ v _w > The wave energy system is reduced; for Δ v _w <0, the wave energy system is increased. This is similar to the interpretation of Landau damping. In the first case △ v _w > Compared with faster, more ions are slower than waves. Therefore, the wave energy is reduced. In the opposite case Δ v _w <0, the wave energy system increases. The former case is applied to maintain ion energy and momentum by means of a quadrupole cyclotron. The latter case provides the basis for a converter. Formulas (22) and (24) can be utilized to assess applicability to fusion reactor conditions.

When v _w - rω _i = Δ v _w v _i (ie: ion thermal velocity), the power system transferred to the ion: Where dW / dt is determined by equations (24) and (25).

To simplify the integration, Φ ₀ (r) is replaced by Φ ₀ (r ₀ ), ie, the value of the peak density, which is the lower limit of the wave amplitude.

Wherein, the linear density of the N _i -based ions, i =1, 2 is a combination of two types of ions, which is usually the case in a reactor.

The detailed calculation of F(r) indicates that the wave amplitude Φ ₀ (r ₀ ) is less than a factor of about 10 which is the maximum gap voltage of 2V ₀ . This will determine the limitations of this RF driver approach. The V ₀ system will be limited by the maximum gap voltage it can withstand, and the gap system for a 1 cm portion may be approximately 10 kV.

Reactor demand

For a current driver, a power P _i must be an ion that is transferred to the frequency ω _i , and a power P _e must be an electron that is transferred to the frequency ω _e . This system will compensate for the Coulomb interaction between electrons and ions, which reduces the ion rate and increases the electron rate. (In the absence of power transfer, the Coulomb collision system will result in the same rate of electrons and ions and no current). The average electric field to maintain the balance between electrons and ions is given by: 2π r ₀ 〈 E _θ 〉= IR (27) where Current/unit length, and Resistance / unit length. The linear density of electrons and ions of N _e , N ₁ and N ₂ , N _e = N ₁ Z ₁ + N ₂ Z ₂ , wherein the atomic order of Z ₁ and Z ₂ ions; t _{1 e} and t _{2 e} Momentum transfer time from ion to electron. The average electric field is the same for ions or electrons because N _e N _{i is} for quasi-neutral and the charge is opposite. Must be the power system transferred to the ion: P _i =2π r ₀ I _{i θ} 〈 E _θ 〉 (28) and it can be the power system taken from the electron: P _e =-|2π r ₀ I _{e θ} 〈 E _θ 〉| (29) where I _{i θ} = N _e eω _i /2π and I _{e θ} = N _e eω _e /2π.

For refueling the RF driver, the fuel system may be replaced by a rate given by the fusion time t _{F 1} =1/ n ₁ <σ v 〉 ₁ and t _{F 2} =1/ n ₂ <σ v 〉 ₂ Any energy; n ₁ and n ₂ are plasma ion densities and <συ> reactivity. The size will be the number of seconds. Neutral by injection (to replace the fuel ions that burn and disappearance) will be based time scale of milliseconds (depending on the mold is directed to 10 ^{1 5} cm ^- the ^density of the reactor) and ionized rapidly due to the Coulomb The collision accelerates up to the average ion velocity. However, this requires an add-on to < E _θ > and an add-on to power transfer to maintain a steady state. The additional person is: It will increase the required power transfer by about a factor of two.

The power system provides current drive and refueling without exceeding a maximum gap voltage amplitude of 10 kV/cm. Considering that the frequency system will be 1 megahertz and the magnetic field system will be 100 kilogauss in size, no breakdown will be expected. The power that must be transferred for current drive and refueling is similar to any current drive method. However, over the years, RF technology at 1-10 megahertz has been an established high efficiency technology. The method of using electrodes to replace the antenna has a significant advantage because the conditions for field penetration are more relaxed than electromagnetic waves. Therefore, this method will have advantages with respect to cycle power and efficiency.

Fusion

Significantly, the two techniques used to form a FRC in a constraining system 300 or the like described above can result in a plasma having a suitability to cause the nucleus to fuse thereto. In particular, the FRC system formed by such methods can accelerate the rotational energy and magnetic field strength to any desired level. This is important for the typical constraints of fusion applications and high energy fuel bundles. Thus, it is possible for the restraint system 300 to capture and constrain the high energy plasma beam for a sufficient period of time to cause one of its fusion reactions.

In order to cooperate with fusion, the FRC system formed by such methods is preferably accelerated to a suitable level of rotational energy and magnetic field strength by acceleration by a beta accelerator. However, the fusion system tends to require a specific set of physical conditions for any reaction to be performed. In addition, in order to achieve efficient combustion of the fuel and to achieve a true energy balance, the fuel system must remain in this state for substantially no change over an extended period of time. This is important because high kinetic energy temperatures and/or energy systems characterize a fusion-related state. Therefore, the generation of this state requires a considerable input of energy that can be recovered only if most of the fuel is fused. As a result, the constraint time of the fuel must be longer than its combustion time. This results in a true energy balance and is therefore a net energy output.

A significant advantage of the present invention is that the restraint system and the plasma system described herein can be of long constraint time, i.e., it exceeds the constraint time of fuel burn time. Thus, a typical state for fusion is characterized by the following physical conditions, which tend to vary based on fuel and mode of operation: average ion temperature: in the range of about 30 to 230 keV and preferably A range of about 80 to 230 keV.

The average electron temperature is in the range of about 30 to 100 keV and preferably in the range of about 80 to 100 keV.

The coherent energy of the fuel beam (injected ion beam and surrounding plasma beam) is in the range of about 100 keV to 3.3 MeV and preferably in the range of about 300 keV to 3.3 MeV.

The total magnetic field: in the range of about 47.5 to 120 kG and preferably in the range of about 95 to 120 kG (by one of about 2.5 to 15 kG and preferably about 5 to 15 kG) External application field).

Typical constraint time: greater than the fuel burn time and preferably in the range of from about 10 to 100 seconds.

Fuel ion density: in about ¹⁰¹⁴ to less than 10 ^{1 6} cm ^{- 3} and preferably one of a range of about ¹⁰¹⁴ to 10 ^{1 5} cm ^- one ³ range.

Total fusion power: preferably in the range of about 50 to 450 kW/cm (power per division of chamber length).

In order to comply with the above-described fusion state, the FRC system is preferably accelerated to one of the levels of coherent rotational energy, preferably in the range of about 100 keV to 3.3 MeV and more preferably in the range of about 300 keV to 3.3 MeV. Preferably, the FRC system is accelerated to a level of magnetic field strength, preferably in the range of from about 45 to 120 kG and more preferably in the range of from about 90 to 115 kG. At these levels, a high energy ion beam system that is neutralized and polarized as described above can be injected into the FRC and captured to form a plasma beam layer, wherein the plasma beam ion is magnetically constrained and the plasma beam is Electrostatics are electrostatically constrained.

Preferably, the electronic temperature is kept as low as practical to reduce the amount of bremsstrahlung radiation, which would otherwise result in loss of radiant energy. The electrostatic energy well system of the present invention provides an effective way to achieve this.

The ion temperature is preferably maintained at one of the levels of the burn-up that it provides for efficiency, due to the melting cross-section being a function of ion temperature. The high direct energy of the fuel ion beam is necessary to provide a typical migration as discussed in this application. This also minimizes the effects of instability of the fuel plasma. The magnetic field is consistent with the beam rotation energy. Part of it is established by the plasma beam (self-field) and in turn provides support and power to keep the plasma beam in the desired orbit.

Fusion product

The fused product is produced in the power core and is primarily near the zero surface 86 from which the product appears to be directed toward the interface 84 by diffusion (see Figures 3 and 5). This is due to the collision with respect to electrons (since the collision center with respect to ions does not change the center of mass and therefore does not cause it to change the field line). Because of its high kinetic energy (the fused product ion system has a much higher energy than the fuel ion), the fused product can be easily spanned across the interface 84. Once it is beyond the interface 84, it can exit along the open field line 80, assuming it experiences scattering from ion-to-ion collisions. Although this collision process does not result in diffusion, it can change the direction of the ion velocity vector so that it is directed parallel to the magnetic field. These open field lines 80 are connected to the core's FRC topology and to the uniform applied field provided on the outside of the FRC topology. The product ion system appears on different field lines, which follow an energy distribution. Advantageously, the product ions and the charge-neutralized electrons exhibit a rotating annular bundle in the form of two ends from the fuel plasma. For example, for a 50 MW design of a p-B ^{1 1} reaction, the beam systems will have a radius of about 50 cm and a thickness of about 10 cm. The strong magnetic field (typically about 100 kG) obtained on the outside of the interface 84, the product ion system has an associated distribution of the radius of gyration, which varies from about 1 cm to a minimum for most high energy product ions. A maximum of about 3 cm.

Initially, the product ion system has its description as M( v _{p a r} ) ² with The longitudinal direction of M( v _{p e r p} ) ² and the energy of rotation, v _{p e r p} , are related to the azimuthal angular velocity about the rotation of a field line around it as the center of the orbit. Since the field line is spread after it leaves the FRC topology, the rotational energy system tends to decrease while the total energy system remains fixed. This is the result of the adiabatic invariance of the magnetic momentum of the product ions. It is well known in the art that a charged particle system orbiting a magnetic field has a magnetic momentum associated with one of its actions. Moving with particles along a slowly changing magnetic field also exists One of the actions described by M( v _{p e r p} ) ² /B is gradually invariant. The product ion system that orbits its individual field lines has a magnetic momentum and this gradual invariance associated with its action. Since the B-system is reduced by a factor of about 10 (as indicated by the spread of the field lines), it is inferred that: v _{p e r p} will also decrease by about 3.2. Thus, when the product ions are in a uniform field region, their rotational energy system will be less than 5% of their total energy; in other words, almost all of the energy is in the longitudinal component.

Energy conversion

The direct energy conversion system of the present invention is included in one of the reverse cyclotron converters (ICC) 420 shown in FIGS. 22A and 22B, which is coupled to one of the collision beam fusion reactors (CBFR) 410 (partial display). Power core 436 is formed to form a plasma power generation system 400. A second ICC (not shown) may be symmetrically configured to the left of CBFR 410. A magnetic tip 486 is located between CBFR 410 and ICC 420 and is formed when CBFR 410 is combined with ICC 420.

Before describing ICC 420 and its operation in detail, an overview of a typical cyclotron is presented. In conventional cyclotrons, a high energy ion system having a velocity perpendicular to a magnetic field is rotated in a circular manner. The orbital radius of a high-energy ion is determined by the strength of the magnetic field and its charge-to-mass ratio, and increases with energy. However, the rotational frequency of the ions is irrelevant to its energy. This fact has been exploited in the design of cyclotrons.

Referring to Figure 24A, a conventional cyclotron 700 includes two mirrored C-shaped electrodes 710 formed as mirrored D-shaped cavities placed in a uniform magnetic field 720 having a perpendicular to symmetry. The field line of the electrode plane (ie: page). An oscillating potential is applied between the C-shaped electrodes (see Figure 21B). The ion I is emitted from a source placed in the center of the cyclotron 700. The magnetic field 720 is adjusted such that the rotational frequency of the ions is the rotational frequency that matches the potential and the associated electric field. If an ion I straddles the gap 730 between the C-shaped electrodes 710 in the same direction as the electric field, it is accelerated. By accelerating the ion I, its energy and orbital radius are increased. When the ion system has traveled a half circle arc (not experiencing an increase in energy), it again spans the gap. At this time, the electric field between the C-shaped electrodes 710 has reversed the direction. The ion I system is accelerated again, and its energy system is further increased. This process is repeated each time the ion crosses the gap 730, provided that its rotational frequency continues to match the rotational frequency of the oscillating electric field (see Figure 24C). On the other hand, when the electric field is in the opposite direction, if a particle system spans the gap 730, it will decelerate and return to the central source. Only the particle system having an initial velocity perpendicular to the magnetic field 720 and crossing the gap 730 at the appropriate phase of the oscillating electric field will accelerate. Therefore, proper phase matching is very important for acceleration.

In principle, a cyclotron system can be used to extract kinetic energy from ions of equal high energy from a bundle of beams. The deceleration of the ions by the cyclotron without the energy draw has been observed for protons, as described by Bloch and Jeffries (Phys. Rev. 80, 305 (1950)). The ion system can be injected into the cavity, causing it to decelerate relative to one of the oscillating fields. All of the ion systems will then follow the trajectory T of the accelerated ions as shown in Fig. 24A. Since the ion system is decelerated due to interaction with the electric field, its kinetic energy is converted into oscillating electrical energy of the circuit in which the cyclotron is part of it. Direct conversion to electrical energy will be achieved and tends to occur with extremely high efficiency.

In fact, the ion system of an ion beam will enter the cyclotron in all possible phases. Unless the varying phase is compensated for the cyclotron design, half of the ion system will accelerate and the other half of the ion system will decelerate. As a result, the maximum conversion efficiency will be effective at 50%. Moreover, the above-described annular fusion product ion beam system is an unsuitable geometry for conventional cyclotrons.

As will be described in more detail below, the ICC of the present invention conforms to the annular character of the fused product bundle exiting the FRC of the fusion reactor power core, the random relative phase of the ions of the beam, and the dispersion of its energy.

Referring back to FIG. 22A, a portion of one of CBFR 410 power cores 436 is shown on the left side, wherein a plasma fuel core 435 is constrained to an FRC 470, which is partially attributed to the field coil 425 from the outside. It is formed by applying a magnetic field. The FRC 470 includes a closed field line 482, a sub-interface 484, and an open field line 480, which, as described above, determines the properties of the annular bundle 437 of the fused product. The open field line 480 extends away from the power core 436 toward the magnetic tip 486. As noted above, the fused product emerges from the power core 436 along the open field line 480 in the form of an annular bundle 437 of electrons containing high energy ions and charge neutralization.

The geometry of ICC 420 is similar to a cylinder having a hollow length of about five meters. Preferably, four or more equal, semi-cylindrical electrodes 494 having small, upstanding gaps 497 form a cylindrical surface. In operation, an oscillating potential is applied to electrode 494 in an alternating manner. The electric field E within the converter has a quadrupole structure as indicated in the end view shown in Figure 22B. The electric field E disappears from the axis of symmetry and increases linearly with radius; the peak is at gap 497.

In addition, ICC 420 includes an outer field coil 488 to form a uniform magnetic field within the hollow cylindrical geometry of the ICC. Because the current flows through the ICC field coil 488 in a direction opposite to the direction of current flow through the CBFR field coil 425, the field line 496 at ICC 420 is in a direction opposite to the direction of the open field line 480 of the CBFR 410. And marching. At one end of the power core 436 that is furthest from the CBFR 410, the ICC 420 includes an ion collector 492.

A symmetrical magnetic tip 486 is formed between CBFR 410 and ICC 420, wherein open field line 480 of CBFR 410 is incorporated in field line 496 of ICC 420. An annular electron collector 490 is positioned at the magnetic tip 486 and is electrically coupled to the ion collector 492. As discussed below, the magnetic field of the magnetic tip 486 converts the axial velocity of the beam 437 to one of its rotational speeds with high efficiency. Figure 22C illustrates a typical ion track 422 within converter 420.

The CBFR 410 series has a cylindrical symmetry. The central portion of the fusion power core 436 and a fused plasma core 435 are constrained to the fusion reaction to proceed to one of the FRC 470 magnetic field topologies. As indicated, the product nucleus and the charge-neutralized electron system appear as an annular bundle 437 from both ends of the fuel plasma 435. For example, for a 50 MW design of a p-B ^{1 1} reaction, the beam systems will have a radius of about 50 cm and a thickness of about 10 cm. Annular beam system has a density n 10 ⁷ -10 ⁸ cm ³ . For this density, the magnetic tip 486 separates electrons and ions. The electrons follow the magnetic field lines to the electron collector 490 and the ions pass through the tip 486 where the ion trajectory is modified to follow a substantially helical path along one of the lengths of the ICC 420. The energy system is self-ionized as the ions are helically connected through their electrodes 494 to a resonant circuit (not shown). The loss of vertical energy is greatest for ions that are initially circulating close to the highest energy of electrode 494, and the electric field at electrode 494 is the strongest.

The ion system reaches the magnetic tip 486 by a rotational energy approximately equal to the initial total energy, ie: M v _p ² M v ₀ ² . When ions reach the magnetic tip 486, there is a distribution of ion energy and one of the initial radii r ₀ of the ions. However, the initial radius r ₀ tends to be approximately proportional to the initial velocity v ₀ . The radial magnetic field and the radial beam velocity are generated in one of the azimuthal directions of the Lorentz force. The magnetic field at the tip 486 does not change the particle energy but converts the initial axial velocity v _{p 0} to a residual axial velocity v _z and an azimuthal angular velocity v _⊥ , where v ₀ ² = v _z ² + v _⊥ ² . Azimuthal velocity v _⊥ based value may be determined from the regular (Canonical) immortal momentum principle:

A beam of ions enters the left hand side of the tip 486 by B _z = B ₀ , v _z = v ₀ , v _⊥ =0 and r = r ₀ . The beam ion system appears on the right hand side of the tip 486 by r = r ₀ , B _z = - B ₀ , v _⊥ = qB ₀ r ₀ / Mc and : among them, The cyclotron frequency. The rotational frequency of the ions is in the range of about 1-10 MHz, and preferably in the range of about 5-10 MHz, which is generated at the frequency at which it occurs.

In order for the ions through the tip 486, the effective ionic radius of gyration r width must be based of the tip 486 is greater than ₀ in radius. Reducing the axial velocity by a factor of 10 is quite experimentally feasible, so that the remaining axial energy system will be reduced by a factor of 100. Then, the 99% ion energy system will switch to rotational energy. The ion beam system has a distribution for one of the values of v ₀ and r ₀ . However, since r ₀ is proportional to v ₀ , as previously indicated by the nature of the FRC-based reactor, the efficiency for the conversion of all ions to rotational energy tends to be 99%.

As depicted in FIG. 22B, the symmetric electrode structure of ICC 420 of the present invention preferably includes four electrodes 494. A tank circuit (not shown) is coupled to electrode structure 494 such that the instantaneous voltage and electric field are as shown. The voltage and the energy storage circuit oscillate at a frequency ω = Ω ₀ . The electric field E at the azimuth angle of the gap 497 is illustrated in Figures 22B and 25. Figure 25 illustrates the electric field of the gap 497 between the electrodes 494 and the field it is subjected to as it rotates at an angular velocity Ω ₀ . It is obvious that in a complete rotation, the particle system will alternately accelerate and decelerate in the order determined by the initial phase. In addition to the azimuthal electric field E _θ , there is also a radial electric field E _r . The azimuthal electric field E _θ is greatest at the tip 497 and decreases as the radius decreases. Figure 22 assumes that the particles rotate to maintain a fixed radius. Because of the gradient of the electric field, the deceleration system will always dominate the acceleration. Accelerating the phase system increases the ionic radius so that the ionic radius will be larger when the ion system subsequently encounters a decelerating electric field. The deceleration phase dominates without regard to the initial phase of the ion, since the radial gradient of the azimuthal electric field E _θ is always positive. As a result, the energy conversion efficiency is not limited to 50% due to the initial phase problem associated with conventional cyclotrons. The radial electric field _Er is also important. It also oscillates and produces a net effect in one of the radial directions that returns the beam trajectory to the original radius with zero velocity perpendicular to the plane of the axis, as in Figure 22C.

The process by which ions are decelerated all the time is similar to the principle of strong focusing, which is an essential feature of modern accelerators, as described in U.S. Patent No. 2,736,799. The combination of a positive (focus) lens and a negative (defocus) lens is positive if the magnetic field has a positive gradient. A strong focus quadrupole paired lens system is illustrated in Figure 26. The first lens system is focused in the x direction and defocused in the y direction. The second lens is similar and the x and y properties are interchangeable. The magnetic field system disappears from the axis of symmetry and has a positive radial gradient. The net result for the ion beam passing through one of the two lenses is focused on all directions without ordering.

Similar results have been reported for a beam passing through a resonant cavity that contains a strong axial magnetic field and is operated in the TE _{1 1 1} mode (see: Yoshikawa et al.). This device is called a peniotron. In the TE _{1 1 1} mode, the resonant cavity has a standing wave, wherein the electric field has a quadrupole symmetry. These results are qualitatively similar to some of the results described herein. Quantitative differences exist in that the cavity size is much larger (10 meters long) and operates at much higher frequencies (155 MHz) and magnetic fields (10 T). An energy extraction system from a high frequency wave requires a rectifying diode antenna. The spectrum of the energy of the beam reduces the efficiency of the conversion. The presence of the two ions is a more serious problem, but the efficiency of the conversion is suitable for a D-He ³ reactor that produces 15 MeV protons.

A single particle orbit 422 for a particle of ICC 420 is illustrated in Figure 22C. This result was obtained by computer simulation and a similar result was obtained for peniotron. One of the ions entering a certain radius r ₀ spirals toward the length of the ICC and converges to a point of one of the same radius r ₀ after losing the initial rotational energy. The initial conditions are asymmetrical; the final state reflects this asymmetry, but it is irrelevant to the initial phase, causing all particle systems to slow down. The bundle at the ion collector end of the ICC is also annular and of similar size. The axial velocity will be reduced to a factor of 10 and the density is correspondingly increased. For single particles, one of 99% extraction efficiency is feasible. However, various factors, such as the vertical rotational energy of the toroidal beam before it enters the converter, can reduce this efficiency by about 5%. The power take-off will be about 1-10 MHz and preferably about 5-10 MHz, with an additional reduction in conversion efficiency due to power conditioning to connect to a power grid.

As shown in Figures 23A and 23B, an alternate embodiment of electrode structure 494 at ICC 420 can include two symmetric semi-circular electrodes and/or they taper to taper toward ion collector 492. Electrode 494.

The adjustment of the ion dynamics inside the main magnetic field of ICC 420 can be implemented using two auxiliary coil sets 500 and 510, as shown in Figures 27A and 27B. The two coil sets 500 and 510 relate to adjacent conductors and have opposite currents such that the magnetic field system has a short range. As illustrated schematically in Figure 27A, a magnetic field gradient will change the ion rotation frequency and phase. As illustrated schematically in Figure 27B, a multipole magnetic field will produce bunching, as in a linear accelerator.

reactor

Figure 28 illustrates a 100 megawatt (MW) reactor. The generator of the illustration illustrates a fused power core region having a superconducting coil that applies a uniform magnetic field and a magnetic flux coil for forming a magnetic field having a field inversion topology. The adjacent opposite end ICC energy converters of the fused power core region are used to directly convert the kinetic energy of the fused product to electrical power. The supporting equipment for such a reactor is described in Fig. 29.

Propulsion system

Figure 30 illustrates a plasma thrust propulsion system 800. The system includes an FRC power core 836 for receiving a fused fuel core 835 and the fused product from its ends is in the form of an annular bundle 837. An ICC energy converter 820 is coupled to one end of the power core. A magnetic nozzle 850 is positioned adjacent to the other end of the power core. The fusion product of the annular bundle 837 flows out from one end of the fused power core along the field line to the ICC for energy conversion, and flows out from the other end of the power core and along the field line from the nozzle for the thrust T .

While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, a particular embodiment thereof is shown in the drawings. However, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the particulars disclosed, but the invention is intended to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives in the spirit and scope of the scope of the appended claims. By.

1. . . Capacitor bank

2. . . Cryogenic equipment

3. . . accelerator

4. . . accelerator

5. . . Vacuum pump

6A. . . Lithium or sodium potassium alloy tank electromagnetic pump and heat exchanger

6B. . . Steam turbine and generator

7. . . Rectifier

8. . . Converter

9. . . Reactor profile

30. . . Lorentz force

70. . . Field Inversion Architecture (FRC)

78. . . Center axis (FRC axis)

80. . . Open area (field line)

82. . . Closed area

84. . . Interface

86. . . Zero surface

88. . . Central part of the FRC 70

90. . . End

94. . . Zero surface

96. . . First direction

98. . . Second direction

100. . . Ion movement direction

102. . . Antimagnetic direction

104. . . Reverse diamagnetic direction

106. . . Plasma layer

108, 110. . . magnetic field

112. . . Beta accelerator track

114. . . Zero circle (surface)

116. . . Starting point

118. . . magnetic field

120. . . Zero circle radius

122. . . First direction

124. . . Second direction

126. . . gradient

128. . . Zero circle

130. . . electric field

132, 134. . . Far from the zero surface 86

136. . . Zero surface

138. . . Drift orbit

140. . . point

142. . . Small circle

144. . . Rotate

146. . . Great circle

148. . . speed

150. . . magnetic field

151. . . Field Inversion Architecture (FRC)

152. . . Lorentz force

154, 156, 158. . . Graph

160. . . The tail of the Maxwell distribution 162

162. . . Maxwell distribution

172. . . Collision point

174. . . Track (Fig. 14B)

176. . . Track (Fig. 14C)

178. . . Track (Fig. 14D)

300. . . Constraint system

305. . . Wall

310. . . Constraint room

315. . . Spindle

320. . . Beta accelerator flux coil

325. . . Outer coil

330. . . Mirror coil

335. . . Fuel plasma (bundle)

340. . . Injection

345. . . Plasma source

350. . . Ion beam

400. . . Plasma power generation system

410. . . Collision beam fusion reactor (CBFR)

420. . . Reverse cyclotron converter (ICC)

422. . . Ion orbit

425. . . CBFR field coil

435. . . Plasma fuel core

436. . . Power core

437. . . Ring bundle

470. . . Field Inversion Architecture (FRC)

480. . . Open field line

482. . . Closed field line

484. . . Interface

486. . . Magnetic tip

488. . . ICC field coil

490. . . Electronic collector

492. . . Ion collector

494. . . electrode

496. . . Field line

497. . . gap

500, 510. . . Auxiliary coil set

700. . . Cyclotron

710. . . electrode

720. . . magnetic field

730. . . gap

800. . . Plasma thrust propulsion system

820. . . ICC energy converter

835. . . Fusion fuel core

836. . . FRC power core

837. . . Ring bundle

850. . . Magnetic nozzle

1010. . . Induction plasma source

1012. . . Cover

1014. . . segment

1015. . . Mounting bracket

1016. . . Finger

1020. . . Laval nozzle

1022. . . Nozzle body

1023. . . Nozzle outlet

1024. . . surface

1025. . . Air cavity

1030. . . Impact coil assembly

1032. . . Coil body

1034. . . Outer ring

1035. . . aisle

1036. . . hub

1037. . . End face

1040. . . Coil winding

1042. . . Wiring

1044. . . Entry point

1046. . . Exit point

1050. . . Seat ring

1052. . . Gas passage

1054. . . Seat

1110. . . Quadrupole cyclotron

1112. . . electrode

1114. . . gap

1116. . . Magnetic field coil

1310. . . room

1311. . . Wall

1320. . . Flux coil

1325. . . Field coil

1330. . . Mirror coil

1360. . . Current interrupter

1362. . . Slot or gap

1364. . . Insert

1365. . . Sealed panel

1366. . . Metal cover

1367. . . O-ring seal

1369. . . Ditch or seat

1370. . . Rib

The preferred embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation.

Figure 1 shows a partial view of an example constrained chamber.

Figure 2A shows a partial view of another example of a constraining chamber.

Figure 2B shows a partial cross-sectional view along line 2B-2B of Figure 2A.

Figure 2C shows a detailed view along line 2C of Figure 2B.

The 2D drawing shows a partial cross-sectional view along line 2D-2D of Fig. 2B.

Figure 3 shows the magnetic field of an FRC.

Figures 4A and 4B are shown in the direction of the diamagnetic and reverse diamagnetic directions of an FRC, respectively.

Figure 5 shows a collision beam system.

Figure 6 shows a beta accelerator track.

Figures 7A and 7B show the direction of the magnetic field and gradient drift of an FRC, respectively.

Figures 8A and 8B show the electric field of an FRC, respectively. × The direction of the drift.

The 9A, 9B, and 9C diagrams show ion drift trajectories, respectively.

Figures 10A and 10B show the Lorentz force at the end of an FRC.

Figures 11A and 11B show the adjustment of the electric field and potential of the collision beam system.

Figure 12 shows a Maxwell distribution.

Figures 13A and 13B show the transition from the beta accelerator track to the drift orbit due to a large angle of ion-ion collision.

Figure 14 shows the A, B, C, and D beta accelerator orbits when small angles of electron-ion collisions are considered.

Figure 15 shows a neutralized ion beam when it is electrically polarized.

Figure 16 is a front elevational view of a neutralized ion beam as it contacts the plasma in a confinement chamber.

Figure 17 is an end elevational view of a constraining chamber in accordance with a preferred embodiment of a starting procedure.

Figure 18 is an end elevational view of a constraining chamber in accordance with another preferred embodiment of a starting procedure.

Figure 19 shows the trajectory of the point B detector, indicating the composition of an FRC.

Figure 20A shows a view of an inductive plasma source that can be mounted within a chamber.

Figures 20B and 20C show partial views of such an inductive plasma source.

Figures 21A and 21B show a partial view of an RF drive system.

Figure 21C shows a schematic diagram of a two-pole and four-pole architecture.

Figure 22A shows a portion of a plasma power generation system including a crash beam fusion reactor coupled to one of the reverse cyclotron direct energy converters.

Figure 22B is an end view of the inverse cyclotron converter shown in Figure 19A.

Figure 22C shows one of the orbits of the ions shown in the inverse cyclotron converter.

Figure 23A shows a portion of a plasma power generation system including a collision beam fusion reactor coupled to another embodiment of a reverse cyclotron converter.

Figure 23B is an end view of the inverse cyclotron converter shown in Figure 20A.

Figure 24A shows a particle trajectory on the inside of a conventional cyclotron.

Figure 24B shows an oscillating electric field.

Figure 24C shows the altered energy of an accelerated particle.

Figure 25 is an azimuthal electric field showing the gap between the electrodes of the ICC which is suffered by an ion having an angular velocity.

Figure 26 shows a focused quadrupole doublet.

Figures 27A and 27B show an auxiliary magnetic field coil system.

Figure 28 shows a 100 MW reactor.

Figure 29 shows the reactor support equipment.

Figure 30 shows a plasma thrust propulsion system.

300. . . Constraint system

305. . . Wall

310. . . Constraint room

315. . . Spindle

320. . . Beta accelerator flux coil

325. . . Outer coil

330. . . Mirror coil

335. . . Plasma

340. . . Injection

345. . . Plasma source

Claims (47)

A system for driving plasma ions and electrons in a field reversal architecture (FRC) magnetic field, comprising: a chamber having a major axis; and a first magnetic field generator for establishing a magnetic field having azimuthal symmetry And a RF drive system coupled to a central region of the chamber, wherein the RF drive system generates a potential wave It rotates to the main axis of the chamber. The system of claim 1, further comprising a current coil concentric with the main axis of the chamber for establishing an azimuthal electric field within the chamber. The system of claim 1, wherein the RF drive system comprises a quadrupole cyclotron. The system of claim 3, wherein the quadrupole cyclotron comprises four semi-cylindrical electrodes forming a cylindrical surface. The system of claim 1, wherein the RF drive system comprises a two-pole cyclotron. The system of claim 5, wherein the two-pole cyclotron comprises two semi-cylindrical electrodes forming a cylindrical surface. The system of claim 2, wherein the RF drive system comprises a modulated field coil extending axially adjacent the periphery of the chamber and the current coil. For example, the system of claim 1 of the patent scope includes: within the room A power conversion system. The system of claim 8 wherein the power conversion system comprises a plurality of semi-cylindrical electrodes forming a cylindrical surface in a first end region of the chamber. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of electrodes are included in a spaced relationship to form a gap between two or more electrodes between adjacent electrodes. The system of claim 9, further comprising: a second magnetic field generator for establishing an azimuthally symmetric magnetic field within the first end region of the chamber and having substantially parallel to the chamber a magnetic flux of the longitudinal axis; an electron collector disposed between the first and second magnetic field generators adjacent to the first end of the plurality of electrodes; and an ion collector Positioned adjacent to the second end of one of the plurality of electrodes. The system of claim 10, further comprising: a second plurality of semi-cylindrical electrodes forming a cylindrical surface in a second end region of the chamber, wherein the second plurality of electrodes are included in a spacing relationship to form a gap between two adjacent electrodes; a third magnetic field generator for establishing an azimuthally symmetric magnetic field within the first end region of the chamber and having a substantial a magnetic flux parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chamber; a second electron collector disposed between the first and third magnetic field generators and adjacent to the first end of the second plurality of electrodes ;and A second ion collector positioned adjacent to the second end of one of the second plurality of electrodes. The system of claim 11, further comprising: an ion beam injector coupled to the chamber. The system of claim 13 wherein the plasma beam injector comprises a means for neutralizing the charge of the ion beam emitted by the injectors. The system of claim 1, wherein the RF drive system comprises two or more long electrodes forming a cylindrical surface. A method for driving ions and electrons in a field inversion architecture (FRC) using a system as claimed in claim 1, comprising the steps of: generating a FRC for one of the rotating plasmas; and establishing a potential wave, Rotate in the same direction as the azimuthal velocity of the ions of the rotating plasma. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of establishing a potential wave comprises: energizing a plurality of long electrodes forming a cylindrical surface. The method of claim 17, wherein the plurality of long electrodes form a long cyclotron. The method of claim 17, wherein the cyclotron is a quadrupole cyclotron. The method of claim 17, wherein the cyclotron is a two-pole cyclotron. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of: injecting a neutral ion to the wave. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of: capturing ions implanted in the wave. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of increasing the momentum and energy of the captured ions. A system for driving plasma ions and electrons in a field reversal architecture (FRC) magnetic field, comprising: a chamber having a major axis; and a first magnetic field generator for establishing a magnetic field having azimuthal symmetry Within a central region of the chamber and having a magnetic flux substantially parallel to the major axis of the chamber; a rotating layer of plasma of ions and electrons extending axially along a major axis of the chamber In the chamber, the plasma has a density of 10 ¹⁴ per cubic centimeter or more, wherein ions in the rotating layer of the plasma operate in a beta accelerator track perpendicular to the major axis of the chamber, and an RF drive system Coupling to a central region of the chamber, wherein the RF drive system generates a potential wave that transmits a rotating layer of plasma and rotates to a major axis of the chamber, wherein the potential wave has a magnitude greater than the radius of the chamber The wavelength. The system of claim 24, further comprising: a current coil concentric with the main axis of the chamber for establishing an azimuthal electric field within the chamber. The system of claim 24, wherein the RF drive system comprises a quadrupole cyclotron. Such as the system of claim 26, wherein the quadrupole The accelerator system includes four semi-cylindrical electrodes that form a cylindrical surface. The system of claim 24, wherein the RF drive system comprises a two-pole cyclotron. The system of claim 28, wherein the two-pole cyclotron comprises two semi-cylindrical electrodes forming a cylindrical surface. The system of claim 25, wherein the RF drive system comprises a modulated field coil extending axially adjacent the periphery of the chamber and the current coil. The system of claim 24, further comprising: a power conversion system within the room. The system of claim 31, wherein the power conversion system comprises a plurality of semi-cylindrical electrodes forming a cylindrical surface in a first end region of the chamber. The system of claim 32, wherein the plurality of electrodes are included in a spaced relationship to form a gap between the adjacent electrodes. The system of claim 32, further comprising: a second magnetic field generator for establishing an azimuthally symmetric magnetic field within the first end region of the chamber and having substantially parallel to the chamber a magnetic flux of the longitudinal axis; an electron collector disposed between the first and second magnetic field generators adjacent to the first end of the plurality of electrodes; and an ion collector Positioned adjacent to the second end of one of the plurality of electrodes. The system of claim 32, further comprising: a second plurality of semi-cylindrical electrodes forming a cylindrical surface in a second end region of the chamber, wherein the second plurality of electrodes are included in a spacing relationship to form a gap between two adjacent electrodes; a third magnetic field generator for establishing an azimuthally symmetric magnetic field within the first end region of the chamber and having a substantial a magnetic flux parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chamber; a second electron collector disposed between the first and third magnetic field generators and adjacent to the first end of the second plurality of electrodes And a second ion collector positioned adjacent to the second end of the second plurality of electrodes. The system of claim 32, further comprising: an ion beam injector coupled to the container. The system of claim 34, wherein the plasma beam injector comprises a means for neutralizing the charge of the ion beam emitted by the injectors. A method for driving ions and electrons in a field reversal architecture (FRC) magnetic field using a system as claimed in claim 24, comprising the steps of: generating an FRC having a rotation length with respect to plasma of ions and electrons a layer extending axially in a cylindrical chamber along a longitudinal axis of the chamber, the plasma having a density of 10 ¹⁴ per cubic centimeter or more, wherein in the rotating layer of the plasma track in the beta accelerator The ions orbit perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the chamber; and establish a potential wave that transmits a rotating layer of plasma and rotates in the same direction as the azimuthal angular velocity of the ions in the rotating layer of the plasma, wherein the potential The wave has a wavelength greater than one or more levels of the radius of the chamber. The method of claim 38, wherein the step of establishing a potential wave comprises: energizing a plurality of long electrodes forming a cylindrical surface. The method of claim 39, wherein the plurality of long electrodes form a long cyclotron. The method of claim 40, wherein the cyclotron is a quadrupole cyclotron. The method of claim 40, wherein the cyclotron is a two-pole cyclotron. The method of claim 38, further comprising the step of injecting a neutral ion to the wave. For example, the method of claim 42 further includes the step of capturing ions implanted in the wave. The method of claim 43, further comprising the step of increasing the momentum and energy of the captured ions. A method for driving ions and electrons in a field inversion architecture (FRC), comprising the steps of: establishing a magnetic field symmetrical about an azimuth within a central region of a chamber and having substantially parallel to the chamber a first magnetic field generator of a magnetic flux of the main shaft generates one FRC for a rotating plasma; and establishes a potential with an RF driving system coupled to a central region of the chamber A wave that rotates in the same direction as the azimuthal velocity of the ions of the rotating plasma. A method for driving ions and electrons in a field reversal architecture (FRC) magnetic field, comprising the steps of: establishing a magnetic field having an azimuth symmetry within a central region of a chamber and having substantially parallel to the A first magnetic field generator of a magnetic flux of one of the main shafts of the chamber produces an FRC having a rotating layer of plasma about ions and electrons extending axially in a cylindrical chamber along the longitudinal axis of the chamber The plasma has a density of 10 ¹⁴ per cubic centimeter or more, wherein the ions in the rotating layer of the plasma track in the beta accelerator orbit around the longitudinal axis of the chamber; and coupled to the plasma An RF drive system in the central region of the chamber establishes a potential wave that transmits a rotating layer of plasma and rotates in the same direction as the azimuthal angular velocity of the ions in the rotating layer of the plasma, wherein the potential wave has a ratio to the chamber The radius is also greater than one level of wavelength.