Plasma electric generation and propulsion system
First Claim
1. A plasma-electric power generation and propulsion system comprising a chamber having a principle axis and first and second ends, a first magnetic field generator for creating an azimuthally symmetric magnetic field within the chamber with a flux substantially parallel to the principle axis of the chamber, a current coil concentric with the principle axis of the chamber for creating an azimuthal electric field within the chamber, an energy conversion system coupled to the first end of the chamber, and a magnetic nozzle coupled to the second end of the chamber.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and apparatus for controlled fusion in a field reversed configuration (FRC) magnetic topology and conversion of fusion product energies directly to electric power. Preferably, plasma ions are magnetically confined in the FRC while plasma electrons are electrostatically confined in a deep energy well, created by tuning an externally applied magnetic field. In this configuration, ions and electrons may have adequate density and temperature so that upon collisions they are fused together by the nuclear force, thus forming fusion products that emerge in the form of an annular beam. Energy is removed from the fusion product ions as they spiral past electrodes of an inverse cyclotron converter. Advantageously, the fusion fuel plasmas that can be used with the present confinement and energy conversion system include advanced (aneutronic) fuels.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A plasma-electric power generation and propulsion system comprising
a chamber having a principle axis and first and second ends, a first magnetic field generator for creating an azimuthally symmetric magnetic field within the chamber with a flux substantially parallel to the principle axis of the chamber, a current coil concentric with the principle axis of the chamber for creating an azimuthal electric field within the chamber, an energy conversion system coupled to the first end of the chamber, and a magnetic nozzle coupled to the second end of the chamber.
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13. A comprising the steps of
generating an FRC about a rotating plasma within a chamber having first and second ends, and ejecting an annular beam of fusion product ions from the first and second ends of the chamber, converting the energy of the fusion product ions ejected from the first end into electric power, and converting the energy of the fusion ions ejected from the second end into thrust.
Specification