SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FORMING AND MAINTAINING A HIGH PERFORMANCE FRC
First Claim
1. A method for generating and maintaining a magnetic field with a field reversed configuration (FRC) comprisinggenerating a magnetic field with a magnetic system coupled to a confinement chamber, first and second diametrically opposed FRC formation sections coupled to the confinement chamber, and first and second divertors coupled to the first and second formation sections, the magnetic system including first and second mirror plugs positioned between the first and second formation sections and the first and second divertors and two or more saddle coils coupled to the confinement chamber,gettering the confinement chamber and the first and second divertors with a layer of gettering material from a gettering system coupled to the confinement chamber and the first and second divertors,generating an FRC in each of the first and second formation sections and translating each FRC toward a midplane of the confinement chamber where the FRCs merge into a merged FRC, the first and second formation sections comprising a modularized formation system,injecting neutral atom beams into the merged FRC from a plurality of neutral atom beam injectors coupled to the confinement chamber and oriented normal to the axis of the confinement chamber,injecting plasma into the merged FRC from first and second axial plasma guns operably coupled to the first and second divertors, the first and second formation sections and the confinement chamber, andelectrically biasing open flux surfaces of the merged FRC with one or more biasing electrodes being positioned within one or more of the confinement chamber, the first and second formation sections, and the first and second divertors
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods that facilitate the formation and maintenance of new High Performance Field Reversed Configurations (FRCs). An FRC system for the High Performance FRC (HPF) includes a central confinement vessel surrounded by two diametrically opposed reversed-field-theta-pinch formation sections and, beyond the formation sections, two divertor chambers to control neutral density and impurity contamination. A magnetic system includes a series of quasi-dc coils axially positioned along the FRC system components, quasi-dc mirror coils between the confinement chamber and the adjacent formation sections, and mirror plugs between the formation sections and the divertors. The formation sections include modular pulsed power formation systems that enable FRCs to be formed in-situ and then accelerated and injected (=static formation) or formed and accelerated simultaneously (=dynamic formation). The FRC system further includes neutral atom beam injectors, a pellet injector, gettering systems, axial plasma guns and flux surface biasing electrodes.
20 Citations
28 Claims
-
1. A method for generating and maintaining a magnetic field with a field reversed configuration (FRC) comprising
generating a magnetic field with a magnetic system coupled to a confinement chamber, first and second diametrically opposed FRC formation sections coupled to the confinement chamber, and first and second divertors coupled to the first and second formation sections, the magnetic system including first and second mirror plugs positioned between the first and second formation sections and the first and second divertors and two or more saddle coils coupled to the confinement chamber, gettering the confinement chamber and the first and second divertors with a layer of gettering material from a gettering system coupled to the confinement chamber and the first and second divertors, generating an FRC in each of the first and second formation sections and translating each FRC toward a midplane of the confinement chamber where the FRCs merge into a merged FRC, the first and second formation sections comprising a modularized formation system, injecting neutral atom beams into the merged FRC from a plurality of neutral atom beam injectors coupled to the confinement chamber and oriented normal to the axis of the confinement chamber, injecting plasma into the merged FRC from first and second axial plasma guns operably coupled to the first and second divertors, the first and second formation sections and the confinement chamber, and electrically biasing open flux surfaces of the merged FRC with one or more biasing electrodes being positioned within one or more of the confinement chamber, the first and second formation sections, and the first and second divertors
-
7. The method of claim 7 wherein the mirror plug coils are compact pulsed mirror coils.
-
16. A method for generating and maintaining a magnetic field with a field reversed configuration (FRC) comprising
generating magnetic field with a magnetic system coupled to a confinement chamber, first and second diametrically opposed FRC formation sections coupled to the confinement chamber, and first and second divertors coupled to the first and second formation sections, generating an FRC in each of the first and second formation sections and translating each FRC toward a midplane of the confinement chamber where the FRCs merge into a merged FRC, injecting neutral atom beams into the merged FRC from a plurality of neutral atom beam injectors coupled to the confinement chamber and oriented normal to the axis of the confinement chamber, and injecting plasma into the merged FRC from first and second axial plasma guns operably coupled to the first and second divertors, the first and second formation sections and the confinement chamber.
Specification