Radio frequency sustained ion energy

• US 4,057,462 A
• Filed: 02/26/1975
• Issued: 11/08/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
• Original Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Energy Research and Development Administration
• Inventors: Jassby, Daniel L., Hooke, William M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Engle, Samuel W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cangialos, S. A.
• Application Number:
  US05/553,196
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 176/1, 176/2, 176/3, 176/5, 176/7, 333/95 R, 333/99 PL, 313/231.3, 313/360-363, 315/111.1, 315/111.7
• US Class Current: 376/107
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/18 wherein the fields oscillate at very high frequency, e.g. in the microwave range , e.g. using cyclotron resonance
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/10 Nuclear fusion reactors

Abstract

Electromagnetic (E.M.) energy injection method and apparatus for producing and sustaining suprathermal ordered ions in a neutral, two-ion-species, toroidal, bulk equilibrium plasma. More particularly, the ions are produced and sustained in an ordered suprathermal state of existence above the average energy and velocity of the bulk equilibrium plasma by resonant rf energy injection in resonance with the natural frequency of one of the ion species. In one embodiment, the electromagnetic energy is injected to clamp the energy and velocity of one of the ion species so that the ion energy is increased, sustained, prolonged and continued in a suprathermal ordered state of existence containing appreciable stored energy that counteracts the slowing down effects of the bulk equilibrium plasma drag. Thus, selective deuteron absorption may be used for ion-tail creation by radio-frequency excitation alone. Also, the rf can be used to increase the fusion output of a two-component neutral injected plasma by selective heating of the injected deuterons.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for sustaining the energy of ordered charged particles in a confining magnetic field, comprising:

a. means for creating a neutral, two-ion-species, equilibrium, bulk plasma column in a closed toroidal magnetic confinement having helical magnetic field lines for confining both the ordered and equilibrium plasma particles;

b. means containing titanium dioxide for injecting rf resonant energy into the plasma transverse to the axis of the plasma column in resonance with the natural frequency of one of the ions species; and

c. means for injecting colliding, neutral, ordered beams having stored energy into the confined plasma particles to produce colliding, suprathermal ions whose energy and direction are ordered, opposite and confined by the helical magnetic field lines, and

d. said rf energy is injected to sustain the energy of the colliding beams against plasma drag.