Directed beam fusion reaction with ion spin alignment
First Claim
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1. In a fusion reaction system where ions from two sources are forced by passage through magnetic fields to travel helically towards each other in opposite senses of rotation and directions at a common radius in a cylindrical annular reaction zone defined by two coaxial spaced apart cylindrical electrodes, the improvement comprising:
- (a) establishing a low velocity beam of gaseous ions from each said source;
(b) aligning the spins of said ions while at said low velocity to produce polarized ion beams;
(c) accelerating said ions in said polarized ion beams to fusion velocities for injection into said reaction zone;
(d) applying said magnetic fields to cause opposite directional travel of said ions in said polarized ion beams;
(e) establishing a D.C. radially directed electrostatic field between said coaxial cylindrical electrodes for confining said beams to said helical paths and compressing said ion beams, said D.C. electrostatic field being applied as the confining field free of any applied magnetic field in said annular reaction zone; and
(f) injecting each of said two oppositely directed polarized ion beams into said zone.
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Abstract
A nuclear fusion system is disclosed wherein a pair of beams are to traverse common helical paths in a reaction zone. Two sources of oppositely directed gaseous ions are provided for producing the beams with means for establishing helical flow of ions in common paths whose spins are aligned in both beams.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. In a fusion reaction system where ions from two sources are forced by passage through magnetic fields to travel helically towards each other in opposite senses of rotation and directions at a common radius in a cylindrical annular reaction zone defined by two coaxial spaced apart cylindrical electrodes, the improvement comprising:
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(a) establishing a low velocity beam of gaseous ions from each said source; (b) aligning the spins of said ions while at said low velocity to produce polarized ion beams; (c) accelerating said ions in said polarized ion beams to fusion velocities for injection into said reaction zone; (d) applying said magnetic fields to cause opposite directional travel of said ions in said polarized ion beams; (e) establishing a D.C. radially directed electrostatic field between said coaxial cylindrical electrodes for confining said beams to said helical paths and compressing said ion beams, said D.C. electrostatic field being applied as the confining field free of any applied magnetic field in said annular reaction zone; and (f) injecting each of said two oppositely directed polarized ion beams into said zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. In the generation of energy from fusion of atomic nuclei where two beams of fusible gaseous ions travel opposed in rotation along helical paths having common axes, radii and space for collision of ions in one beam with ions of the other beam in a cylindrical annular reaction zone defined by two coaxially spaced apart cylindrical electrodes, the improvement which comprises:
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(a) establishing two low velocity beams of gaseous ions; (b) establishing a predetermined ion spin alignment for ions in said beams so as to form two polarized ion beams, and accelerating the ions in each of said two polarized ion beams; (c) causing said two polarized ion beams to travel toward each other opposed in rotation along said helical paths; (d) establishing a D.C. radially directed electric field between said coaxial cylindrical electrodes for the ions in confining said beams to orbital paths and compressing said beams, said D.C. electric field being applied as the confining field free of any applied magnetic field in said annular reaction zone; and (e) injecting each of two oppositely directed polarized ion beams into said reaction zone.
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6. In a nuclear fusion system wherein a pair of beams are to traverse common helical paths in a cylindrical annular reaction zone defined by two coaxial spaced apart cylindrical electrodes, the combination therewith which comprises:
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(a) two sources of oppositely directed low velocity gaseous ions for producing said beams; (b) means for aligning the spins of the ions in each said beam for producing two oppositely directed polarized low velocity ion beams; (c) means for accelerating the ions in each of said two low velocity polarized ion beams; (d) means for establishing a D.C. radially directed electric field between said coaxial cylindrical electrodes for confining the ions in said beam to said paths and compressing said beams, said D.C. electric field being applied as the confining field free of any applied magnetic field in said annular reaction zone; and (e) means for causing the ions in each of said two oppositely directed ion beams to traverse said common helical paths and enter said annular reaction zone. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. In a fusion reaction system where ions from two sources are to pass through magnetic fields and electrostatic fields for helical travel toward each other on a common axis while rotating in opposite senses in orbital paths at a common radius in an annular reaction zone of circular symmetry at any given corss-section perpendicular to the axis of said paths and bounded by spaced apart outer and inner coaxial electrode walls for promoting collisions of ions in one beam with ions in the other beam, the improvement comprising:
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(a) establishing a low velocity beam of gaseous ions from each said source; (b) aligning the spins of said ions while at said low velocity to produce polarized ion beams; (c) extracting aligned ions free of electrons; (d) accelerating said extracted ions in said ion beams; (e) applying said magnetic fields to direct opposite travel of said accelerated ions in said polarized beams toward said orbital paths; (f) establishing a D.C. radially directed electrostatic field between said electrodes for confining said ion beams to said orbital paths free of negatively charged particles and where said D.C. field is applied as the confining field free of any applied magnetic field; and (g) injecting each of said two oppositely directed polarized ion beams into said zone.
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Specification