SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR COMPRESSING PLASMA
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus for compressing plasma, the apparatus comprising:
- a plasma gun configured to generate a compact toroid of plasma;
a plasma accelerator having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end, the plasma accelerator configured to receive the compact toroid at the first end and to accelerate the compact toroid along the longitudinal axis toward the second end; and
a liquid funnel system comprising a liquid funnel having a substantially cylindrical passage substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the plasma accelerator, the passage having a first inner diameter at a top end of the passage and a second inner diameter at a bottom end of the passage, the second inner diameter less than the first inner diameter, the liquid funnel system configured to receive the compact toroid from the second end of the plasma accelerator and to compress the compact toroid as the compact toroid moves along the passage from the top end toward the bottom end,wherein the system is configured such that a pressure of the compact toroid when below the top end is greater than a pressure of the compact toroid when above the top end.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Embodiments of systems and methods for compressing plasma are described in which plasma pressures above the breaking point of solid material can be achieved by injecting a plasma into a funnel of liquid metal in which the plasma is compressed and/or heated.
-
Citations
52 Claims
-
1. An apparatus for compressing plasma, the apparatus comprising:
-
a plasma gun configured to generate a compact toroid of plasma; a plasma accelerator having a first end, a second end, and a longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end, the plasma accelerator configured to receive the compact toroid at the first end and to accelerate the compact toroid along the longitudinal axis toward the second end; and a liquid funnel system comprising a liquid funnel having a substantially cylindrical passage substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the plasma accelerator, the passage having a first inner diameter at a top end of the passage and a second inner diameter at a bottom end of the passage, the second inner diameter less than the first inner diameter, the liquid funnel system configured to receive the compact toroid from the second end of the plasma accelerator and to compress the compact toroid as the compact toroid moves along the passage from the top end toward the bottom end, wherein the system is configured such that a pressure of the compact toroid when below the top end is greater than a pressure of the compact toroid when above the top end. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
-
32. A liquid metal funnel system configured for compressing plasma, the liquid metal funnel system comprising:
-
a liquid metal funnel having a substantially cylindrical passage having a first inner diameter at a first end of the passage and a second inner diameter at a second end of the passage, the second inner diameter less than the first inner diameter, the liquid metal funnel oriented such that the first end of the passage is higher than the second end of the passage, wherein the liquid metal funnel is configured to receive a plasma from a plasma injector and to compress the plasma as the plasma moves along the passage from the first end toward the second end. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
-
-
42. A method of compressing a plasma, the method comprising:
-
generating a toroidal plasma; accelerating the toroidal plasma along a longitudinal direction; introducing the accelerated toroidal plasma into a passage in a liquid funnel, the passage having a first size at a first end of the passage and a second size at a second end of the passage, the second size smaller than the first size; and compressing the toroidal plasma as the toroidal plasma moves from the first end of the passage toward the second end of the passage. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
-
Specification