US3562530A - Method and apparatus of production of noncontaminated plasmoids - Google Patents

Method and apparatus of production of noncontaminated plasmoids Download PDF

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Publication number
US3562530A
US3562530A US699584A US3562530DA US3562530A US 3562530 A US3562530 A US 3562530A US 699584 A US699584 A US 699584A US 3562530D A US3562530D A US 3562530DA US 3562530 A US3562530 A US 3562530A
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United States
Prior art keywords
chamber
focal point
target
energy
wall
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Expired - Lifetime
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US699584A
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English (en)
Inventor
Terenzio Consoli
Lacelle Saint Cloud
Lucien Slama
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Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives CEA
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Commissariat a lEnergie Atomique CEA
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21B—FUSION REACTORS
    • G21B1/00—Thermonuclear fusion reactors
    • G21B1/11—Details
    • G21B1/23—Optical systems, e.g. for irradiating targets, for heating plasma or for plasma diagnostics
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01T—SPARK GAPS; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS; CORONA DEVICES; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES
    • H01T1/00—Details of spark gaps
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • H05H—PLASMA TECHNIQUE; PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS
    • H05H1/00—Generating plasma; Handling plasma
    • H05H1/02—Arrangements for confining plasma by electric or magnetic fields; Arrangements for heating plasma
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E30/00—Energy generation of nuclear origin
    • Y02E30/10—Nuclear fusion reactors

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT A method for producing and/or heating a 93498 plasmoid, consisting in disposing a target at a first conjugate focal point of a closed chamber which constitutes a mirror system and in producing at least at a second focal point which [54] METHOD AND APPARATUS 0F PRODUCTION OF is conjugate with said first focal point a substantial release of NONCONTAMINATED PLASMOIDS l7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.
  • An alternative method which appears to be very attractive consists of replacing the limited energy source formed by a parallel beam of a pulsed laser with a noncoherent source which generates higher energy level pulses in other words, the operation of the non coherent source is carried out with free" flashes of very substantial power. It is also an advantage to prevent any variation in the focal distance of a dioptric focusing system as a function of the wavelength ofthe incident radiation.
  • the present invention is directed to a method of producing plasma burst and to devices of composite structure wherein a mirror system, is employed so as to dispense with the need for preventing variation of the focal distance as a function of incident radiation the wavelength.
  • the invention proposes a method which comprises disposing a target at a first of the conjugate point of a closed chamber which constitutes a mirror system and in producing at least at one point which is conjugate with said first point a substantial release of electromagnetic energy in the form ofa pulse of very short duration, this energy being focused on said target which is thus heated to a high temperature,
  • FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a device according to the invention as shown in cross section along a plane of symmetry which passes through the foci;
  • FIGS. 2 to 8, which are similar to F107 1, show alternative forms of construction of the device of FIG. 1.
  • the closed chamber 10 has the shape of an ellipsoid of revolution. Said chamber is confined by a mass 12 of concrete which is buried underground and is endowed with sufficient mechanical strength to withstand the shock waves generated during operation.
  • the concrete structure 12 is fitted with an internal lining 14 formed of a material which has a high coefficient of reflection. Said lining 14 may consist ofa burnished metallic skin or of a coating of silica which is vitrified by means ofa preliminary series of explosions generated within the chamber 10.
  • Said chamber 10 is equipped with means 15 for producing therein a high vacuum (of the order of 10- Torr), as well as with means for measuring pressure or temperature, and with viewing windows.
  • a spherical charge 16 of a high explosive which is intended to constitute a radiation source and which is associated with an electric circuit 18 for initiating an explosion.
  • electric circuit 18 may comprise a capacitor-source circuit.
  • the spherical charge may also be suspended from triggering wiresv
  • the target may comprise a fragment of solid deuterium or of a solid deuterium tritium mixture.
  • the device shown in FIG. 1 is triggered by closing the capacitor 19 of the circuit 18
  • the spherical charge 16 of high explosive constitutes a spherical source of radiant energy which produces a spherical shock wave and an associated radiation which is reflected from the lining element 14 and focused at the target 20, thereby producing intense ionization and forming a neutron burst as a result of the fusion process which takes place at the target. Since the time of transport of impurities from the first focal point to the second is longer than the time of transfer of the radiation energy. the effect of the radiation (ionization and heating) is more rapid than the effect of contamination by the impurities.
  • the time interval or delay T which elapses between the arrival of radiation and the arrival of material impurities at the second focal point can be estimated; in this connection, with a focal distance of a few meters, an eccentricity of less than one-half and contaminating ions having an energy of 10 keV, time intervals of the order of one-tenth of a microsecond are obtained.
  • the radiation produced by the explosion must be such that it is reflected from the wall so that losses prior to focusing on the second focal point are not excessive; and on the other hand, it is necessary to ensure that an energy which has a high gradient in the vicinity of the second focal point can be focused thereon.
  • T is the energy of the ions, in K
  • S is the surface area of the radiant spherical volume at the origin of the time coordinates (namely that of the spherical explosive charge);
  • a is a coefficient of transfer efficiency which is variable between 0 and 1, depending on the state of the surfaces.
  • N T has no theoretical limitation and is solely dependent on the energy E,.
  • a burst of 10 neutrons is produced.
  • the burst would be l neutrons with a deuterium-tritium mixture.
  • the presence of the wall 21 makes it possible not only to maintain two atmospheres within the chamber but also to prevent contamination of the target 16 by the ions which are derived from the explosive sphere 16.
  • Said magnetic field could also confined the plasma which is created by the point, thereby initiating the explosion of the spherical charge 16,,:
  • the heat energy and light energy emitted by the explosive charge are reflected from the wall 14,, and focused onto the already preionized target 20,, so as to produce a burst of plasma and of neutrons.
  • FIG. 3 shows another alternative form in which the explosive sphere 16,, is replaced by a spark-gap 16,, which is brought to a potential very slightly below the disruptive potential by a capacitor bank.
  • triggering is effected by means of a pulsed laser.
  • one of the terminal faces can be flat and located at a point midway between the sphere 116, and the target 20, (the face 30 being indicated in chain target.
  • the magnetic field is of sufficient amplitude to ensure that the charged particles having the highest energies are capable of passing through it, it could be made possible to recover the energy by Hall effect.
  • FIGS. 2 to 8 a few variants are illustrated very diagrammatically in FIGS. 2 to 8, in which the walls limiting the chamber are merely shown in outline.
  • an explosive sphere I6 is again suspended at the first focal point of the chamber 14
  • the explosive is not triggered by an electric circuit, but by a concentration of energy from a laser beam.
  • the chamber is fitted with a dioptric system 22 which serves to focus the beam of a laser 24 onto the second focal point at which the target 20,, is located.
  • Said target can again be either suspended from a wire (not shown) or released in free fall, or maintained in levitation by means of electrodes (not shown).
  • the target can be formed by a fragment of deuterium or a mixture of deuterium and tritium in the solid state in order a vacuum is maintained within the entire chamber.
  • the laser 24 is triggered and the resulting flash is focused on the point 20,, by the dioptric system, whereupon a preionization of the target takes place.
  • the image of the laser beam or of the burst produced by the laser (with a vacuum of the order of one mil limeter of mercury) is then reflected along the walls 14,, of the chamber and focused on the first dotted lines in FIG. 4).
  • the device illustrated in FIG. 5 which can be considered in some degree as being symmetrical with that of FIG. 4.
  • the device comprises a central obstacle 34 delimited by reflecting walls having the shape of segments of an ellipse 28,, and of hyperboloids 30,, and 32,, which are homofocal with the wall 14,,.
  • FIG. 7 shows a chamber in which the wall 14, is constituted by four segments of ellipsoids having a common focal point.
  • the ellipsoids are identical and of revolution and the four other focal points are disposed at right angles to each other about the common point.
  • Four spherical explosive charges 16, which are located at the four separate points are triggered simultaneously. Triggering can be performed by focusing a laser beam on the common focal point, said beam being directed along a plane at right angles to that of FIG. 7.
  • this arrangement would produce a loss of energy as a result of the absence of a cap on each ellipsoid, this loss being of correspondingly smaller magnitude as the ellipsoids are of greater length.
  • This loss is avoided by providing screens 30fconstituted by caps or segments of hyperboloids which are homofocal with the ellipsoids and which extend through thesolid angle having a vertex 16f. Said segments are applied against the line of intersection of the ellipsoid considered with the adjacent ellipsoids.
  • the screens can be supported by full members, provided that said members do not project beyond the cones which are applied against the edges of the screens 30f, the vertices of said cones each being constituted by the corresponding focal point 16f.
  • FIG. 8 gives one example of an association in series of a plurality of ellipsoids which constitute a chamber 14g; in this case also, screens 30g, 30g, 30"g in the form of caps of hyperboloids which are homofocal with the ellipsoids are provided for the purpose of preventing energy losses.
  • any portion which is removed from an ellipsoid of revolution can be replaced by any one of an infinite number of segments of surface cut from a hyperboloid.
  • the hyperboloid segments must be homofocal with the ellipsoid by a cone which is applied against the contour of the removed portion, the vertex of said cone being constituted by the focal point at which the emission takes place; by way of illustration, hyperboloids of this type are shown in chain-dotted lines in FIG. 5.
  • a method for producing an outburst of nonpolluted plasma which comprises:
  • a closed chamber including: a catadiotric system having a first focal point and at least one second conjugated focal point;
  • said chamber comprises two paraboloidal sections having a common axis and being interconnected by means of a substantially tubular member.
  • said chamber is constricted in the central portion thereof by an annular enlarge ment of the chamber wall, said annular enlargement being defined by portions of surfaces of revolution whose generatrices are homofocal cones of said wall.
  • each of said ellipsoids is provided with a hyperboloidal reflecting surface screen which is homofocal with the noncommon focal point of each respective ellipsoid.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • Optics & Photonics (AREA)
  • Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Laser Beam Processing (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Metal Powder And Suspensions Thereof (AREA)
  • Particle Accelerators (AREA)
  • Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)
US699584A 1967-02-02 1968-01-22 Method and apparatus of production of noncontaminated plasmoids Expired - Lifetime US3562530A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR93498A FR1518806A (fr) 1967-02-02 1967-02-02 Procédé de production de bouffées de plasma et dispositif de mise en oeuvre du procédé

Publications (1)

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US3562530A true US3562530A (en) 1971-02-09

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US699584A Expired - Lifetime US3562530A (en) 1967-02-02 1968-01-22 Method and apparatus of production of noncontaminated plasmoids

Country Status (9)

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US (1) US3562530A (de)
BE (1) BE709351A (de)
CH (1) CH488371A (de)
DE (1) DE1300183B (de)
ES (1) ES349998A1 (de)
FR (1) FR1518806A (de)
GB (1) GB1195602A (de)
LU (1) LU55363A1 (de)
NL (1) NL6801494A (de)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2636485A1 (de) * 1973-10-24 1978-02-16 Paul M Koloc Verfahren und vorrichtung zur erzeugung und nutzbarmachung eines zusammengesetzten plasmaaufbaus
US4798952A (en) * 1987-05-19 1989-01-17 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Astable resonator photoneutralization apparatus
US20080157010A1 (en) * 2004-08-27 2008-07-03 Michel Bougeard Method and Apparatus For Generating Radiation or Particles By Interaction Between a Laser Beam and a Target
US20120168299A1 (en) * 2011-01-04 2012-07-05 Whitney R Roy Efficient boron nitride nanotube formation via combined laser-gas flow levitation

Families Citing this family (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4657721A (en) * 1973-05-21 1987-04-14 Kms Fusion, Inc. Target illumination
US4376752A (en) * 1975-09-02 1983-03-15 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Foam encapsulated targets
US4687618A (en) * 1975-09-02 1987-08-18 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Laser-fusion targets for reactors
FR2470462A2 (fr) * 1976-04-28 1981-05-29 Duracher Rene Allumeur pour moteur catalytique non polluant
US4357075A (en) 1979-07-02 1982-11-02 Hunter Thomas M Confocal reflector system

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2636485A1 (de) * 1973-10-24 1978-02-16 Paul M Koloc Verfahren und vorrichtung zur erzeugung und nutzbarmachung eines zusammengesetzten plasmaaufbaus
US4798952A (en) * 1987-05-19 1989-01-17 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Astable resonator photoneutralization apparatus
US20080157010A1 (en) * 2004-08-27 2008-07-03 Michel Bougeard Method and Apparatus For Generating Radiation or Particles By Interaction Between a Laser Beam and a Target
US20120168299A1 (en) * 2011-01-04 2012-07-05 Whitney R Roy Efficient boron nitride nanotube formation via combined laser-gas flow levitation
US8673120B2 (en) * 2011-01-04 2014-03-18 Jefferson Science Associates, Llc Efficient boron nitride nanotube formation via combined laser-gas flow levitation

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1518806A (fr) 1968-03-29
ES349998A1 (es) 1969-04-16
BE709351A (de) 1968-05-16
CH488371A (fr) 1970-03-31
DE1300183B (de) 1969-07-31
GB1195602A (en) 1970-06-17
NL6801494A (de) 1968-08-05
LU55363A1 (de) 1968-04-09

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