Plasma Centrifuge Heat Engine Beam Fusion Reactor
First Claim
1. A method of inducing nuclear fusion reactions comprising the following steps:
- Introducing a low-pressure gas into an evacuated enclosure,Placing a magnetic field lying symmetrically within all planes containing the cylindrical axis of the system within said enclosure by energizing an external solenoid in combination with end limiter structures to which said magnetic field lines are connected,Forming a rapidly rotating plasma by application of electrical potentials through said end limiters,Inducing a large, axis encircling current in said rotating plasma, said current sufficient to cause the magnetic field to reverse along the axis, forming a field-reversed configuration,Raising the temperature of said field-reversed configuration and surrounding open-field-line plasma to a value sufficient to allow beam-target operation,Introducing an energetic beam of particles into the field-reversed configuration and/or the surrounding open-field-line plasma region, andArranging the open-field-line plasma so that a plasma heat engine results, which engine converts plasma thermal energy with efficiency over 90% to rotational energy.
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Abstract
A system and apparatus for a magnetized plasma nuclear fusion reactor, incorporating special design features which induce a plasma heat engine cycle in a rapidly rotating plasma. The heat engine operates either continuously or by oscillations. A continuous heat engine is formed in the open field outside a field reversed configuration. The oscillatory system operates in synchronism with cyclic acceleration, collision, and deceleration of plasma masses to produce nuclear fusion reactions at an economically useful rate with a relatively small driving power required. A special magnetic field design is combined with applied electrical voltages at the end of the field lines to produce required conditions. Design features allow recovery of large fraction of collision heat which would otherwise be dissipated as a parasitic loss.
35 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of inducing nuclear fusion reactions comprising the following steps:
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Introducing a low-pressure gas into an evacuated enclosure, Placing a magnetic field lying symmetrically within all planes containing the cylindrical axis of the system within said enclosure by energizing an external solenoid in combination with end limiter structures to which said magnetic field lines are connected, Forming a rapidly rotating plasma by application of electrical potentials through said end limiters, Inducing a large, axis encircling current in said rotating plasma, said current sufficient to cause the magnetic field to reverse along the axis, forming a field-reversed configuration, Raising the temperature of said field-reversed configuration and surrounding open-field-line plasma to a value sufficient to allow beam-target operation, Introducing an energetic beam of particles into the field-reversed configuration and/or the surrounding open-field-line plasma region, and Arranging the open-field-line plasma so that a plasma heat engine results, which engine converts plasma thermal energy with efficiency over 90% to rotational energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An alternative method of inducing nuclear fusion reactions comprising the following steps:
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Producing a special magnetic field configuration consisting of field lines lying symmetrically in all planes containing the cylindrical axis of the system, Causing the central portion of each of said field lines to assume a carefully specified shape and magnetic field strength profile, Causing said field lines to rotate rapidly by arranging that each line terminate on an electrode with a specified electrical voltage, Placing a background plasma on said rotating field line configuration, and Driving plasma mass oscillations by stationary magnetic perturbations produced by coils placed near end of central field line region. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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- 20. Any additional variation of magnetic field and plasma arrangement which accomplishes a plasma heat engine using rapid rotation.
Specification