FORMATION OF A FIELD REVERSED CONFIGURATION FOR MAGNETIC AND ELECTROSTATIC CONFINEMENT OF PLASMA

• US 20100046687A1
• Filed: 11/02/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Inventors: Bystritskii, Vitaly, Garate, Eusebio, Rostoker, Norman, Binderbauer, Michl
• Granted Patent: US 9,370,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 376/128
• CPC Class Codes: G21B 1/05 with magnetic or electric plasma confinement
• CPC Class Codes: G21B 1/052 reversed field configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 7/00 Arrangements for direct production of electric energy from fusion or fission reactions obtaining electric energy from radioactive sources G21H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/03 using electrostatic fields
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/10 using externally-applied magnetic fields only , e.g. Q-machines, Yin-Yang, base-ball
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/12 wherein the containment vessel forms a closed or nearly closed loop G21B1/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/14 wherein the containment vessel is straight and has magnetic mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/16 using externally-applied electric and magnetic fields
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/00 Energy generation of nuclear origin
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/10 Nuclear fusion reactors

Abstract

A system and method for containing plasma and forming a Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) magnetic topology are described in which plasma ions are contained magnetically in stable, non-adiabatic orbits in the FRC. Further, the electrons are contained electrostatically in a deep energy well, created by tuning an externally applied magnetic field. The simultaneous electrostatic confinement of electrons and magnetic confinement of ions avoids anomalous transport and facilitates classical containment of both electrons and ions. In this configuration, ions and electrons may have adequate density and temperature so that upon collisions they are fused together by nuclear force, thus releasing fusion energy. Moreover, the fusion fuel plasmas that can be used with the present confinement system and method are not limited to neutronic fuels only, but also advantageously include advanced fuels.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of

causing a plasma comprising charged electron and ion particles to rotate within a chamber,

forming a magnetic poloidal self field surrounding the rotating plasma due to the current carried by the rotating plasma, and

increasing the rotational energy of the plasma to increase the magnitude of the self-field to a level that causes the formation of a magnetic field within the chamber with field reversed topology.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of creating a magnetic guide field with axially extending field lines within the chamber.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of increasing the rotational energy of the plasma includes increasing the rotational energy of the plasma to increase the magnitude of the self-field to a level that overcomes the magnitude of the guide field causing field reversal.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of causing the plasma to rotate within the chamber includes applying ponderomotive forces from an azimuthal electric field to the charged particles.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of applying pondermotive forces includes creating an azimuthal electric field within the chamber.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of creating a azimuthal electric field includes increasing current running through a betatron flux coil concentric with a principle axis of the chamber.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of accelerating the rotating plasma to fusion level rotational energy by increasing the rate of change of the current running through the betatron flux coil.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of creating the guide field includes energizing a plurality of field coils and mirror coils extending about the chamber.

9. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of increasing the magnitude of the guide field to maintain the rotating plasma at a predetermined radial size.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of accelerating the rotating plasma to fusion level rotational energy.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the steps of injecting ion beams of fusion level energy into the magnetic field with field reversal within the chamber and trapping the beams in betatron orbits within the chamber.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of creating an electrostatic well within the chamber.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of magnetically confining ions within the magnetic field having field reversed topology, and electrostatically confining electrons within the electrostatic well.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of forming fusion product ions.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of exiting the fusion product ions from the magnetic field with field reversed topology in an annular beam.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the rotational energy of the plasma is increased to a range of about 75 eV to 125 eV.

17. The method of claim 7 wherein the rotational energy of the plasma is increased to a range of about 100 keV to 3.3 MeV.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of neutralizing the ion beams with a plurality of electrons and electrically polarizing the neutralized ion beams.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the steps of

drifting the polarized and neutralized ion beams un-deflected through the magnetic field with field reversal, and

depolarizing the ion beams.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of depolarizing the ion beams includes the steps of contacting the ion beam with the plasma within the magnetic field with field reversal and draining the electric polarization from the ion beams.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of injecting the ion beams includes injecting the ion beams orthogonal to a principal axis of the chamber and at a radial position from the principle axis where the plasma is contained within the magnetic field with field reversal.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of trapping the beams includes exerting a Lorentz force due to the magnetic field with field reversal on the ion beam to bend the ion beam into a betatron orbit.