Compressed beam directed particle nuclear energy generator

• US 4,397,810 A
• Filed: 10/28/1980
• Issued: 08/09/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cosco Incorporated (Dorel Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Energy Profiles Incorporated
• Inventors: Salisbury, Winfield W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Behrend, Harvey E.
• Application Number:
  US06/201,544
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 376/107, 376/139-141, 376/146, 250/251, 250/423 R, 313/359.1, 313/369.1, 313/363.1, 313/231.41, 315/111.21, 315/111.41, 315/111.61
• US Class Current: 376/107
• CPC Class Codes: G21B 3/006 Fusion by impact, e.g. cluster/beam interaction, ion beam collisions, impact on a target
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/10 Nuclear fusion reactors

Abstract

Atomic nuclei undergo fusion reactions by forming two beams of fusible ions traveling at fusion producing velocities opposed in rotation along spiral paths having common axes (35a), common radii and occupy common space in a reaction zone (22) for fusion producing collisions of ions in one beam with ions in the other beam.

Means including sources (16 and 17) produce the oppositely traveling circumferential beams.

Radially directed electric fields are applied to the beams of strength increasing with increasing distance from sources (16 and 17) for beam compression into spiral paths of a common reduced diameter passing through common space in zone (22) to promote collisions between ions in the oppositely traveling beams as they travel in the common space.

Claims

1. The method of generating energy from fusion of atomic nuclei comprising:

(a) generating two oppositely directed beams of fusible ions which are forced to travel with opposite senses of rotation along coaxial paths;

(b) imposing radial D.C. electric fields on said beams to compress the beams in spiral paths and reduce the radii of said paths to a common small radius in a reaction zone of circular symmetry at any given cross-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, said D.C. electric fields being applied as the confining field in said reaction zone free of any applied magnetic field; and

(c) responding to energy production by the nuclear reactions resulting from said collisions.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said electric fields are radial fields and include a portion in which the field is uniform over the length of an elongated cylindrical reaction zone.

3. The method of claim 1 in which said two beams rotate in opposite directions and advance toward each other with reference to the points of generation from opposite directions.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said beams as generated are cylindrical.

5. A fusion reactor which comprises:

(a) source means for forming oppositely traveling circumferential beams of fusible ions which spiral about a common axis;

(b) means for applying radially directed D.C. electric fields to said beams of strength increasing with increasing distance from said source means for beam compression in spiral paths of a common reduced diameter passing through common space in a reaction zone of circular symmetry at any given cross-section perpendicular to the axis of said paths and bounded by spaced apart outer and inner coaxial electrode walls to promote collisions between ions in said oppositely traveling beams as they travel in said common space, said D.C. electric fields being applied as the confining field in said reaction zone free of any applied magnetic fields; and

(c) means responsive to energy produced from said collisions.

6. The reactor of claim 5 wherein said means for forming said two beams comprises sources of helium three ions and deuterium ions.

7. The reactor of claim 5 wherein said means for forming said two beams comprises sources of lithium six and deuterium.

8. The reactor of claim 5 wherein said means for forming said two beams comprises sources of boron eleven and protons.

9. The reactor of claim 5 wherein means are provided to cause said beams to be continuous.

10. The reactor of claim 5 wherein means are provided to cause said beams to be intermittent.

11. The method of generation of energy from fusion of atomic nuclei comprising:

(a) generating two coaxial beams of fusible ions of positive polarity in a zone free of free electrons and traveling at fusion producing velocities opposed in rotation along spiral coaxial paths, compressing said beams and reducing the radii thereof by a confining D.C. radial electric field with said paths having common axes, radii and space for collisions of ions in one beam with ions in the other beam said common space lying in a reaction zone of circular symmetry at any given cross-section perpendicular to the axis of said paths and bounded by spaced apart outer and inner coaxial electrode walls, said D.C. electric fields being applied as the confining field in said reaction zone free of any applied magnetic field; and

(b) responding to energy produced upon fusion of ions involved in said collisions.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said beams are produced continuously.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said beams are produced intermittently.

14. The method of claim 11 where, in response to the effects of collisions between particles, heat energy is extracted.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the ions in one of said beams differ from ions in the other of said beams and result in neutron-free fusion.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the ions of one of said beams differ from ions in the other beam and produce neutrons upon fusion and in which said neutrons are utilized.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein two oppositely orbiting, oppositely advancing means are generated.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein two oppositely orbiting beams advance through said space in the same direction.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein said beams are cylindrical.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein said beams are distributed and emerge at desired spaced points about said axis.

21. The method of claim 11 in which deuterium is ionized and accelerated in formong one of said beams and in which helium three is ionized and accelerated in forming the second of said beams.

22. The method of claim 11 in which atoms of lithium six are ionized and accelerated to form one of said beams and atoms of deuterium are ionized and accelerated to form the second of said beams.

23. The method of claim 11 in which atoms of boron eleven are ionized and accelerated to form one of said beams and protons are accelerated to form the second of said beams.

24. A fusion reactor which comprises:

(a) means for forming two coaxial beams of fusible ions;

(b) means for establishing a confining radial D.C. electric field in a reaction space of circular symmetry at any given cross-section perpendicular to the axis of said paths and bounded by spaced apart outer and inner walls to compress the beams and reduce the radius thereof to force both of said beams to orbit in opposite senses along paths having a common axis and the same radii as the paths extend through the said space for collision between oppositely traveling ions in said beams said space lying in a reaction zone of circular symmetry at any given cross-section perpendicular to the axis of said paths and bounded by spaced apart outer and inner coaxial electrode walls, said D.C. electric fields being applied as the confining field in said reaction zone free of any applied magnetic field; and

(c) means for absorbing and transferring heat energy produced upon collision of said ions.

25. In a fusion reaction system where ions from two sources are to spiral toward each other on common axis while rotating in opposite senses in orbital paths of common radii in an annular reaction zone of circular symmetry at any given cross-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:

(a) establishing a high velocity beam of gaseous ions from each said source;

(b) applying magnetic fields to direct opposite travel of said ions in said beams toward said orbital paths;

(c) establishing a D.C. radiallly directed electrostatic field between said electrodes for confining said ion beams to said orbital paths free of negatively charged particles wherein said D.C. field is applied as the confining field free of any applied magnetic field; and

(d) injecting each of said two oppositely directed ion beams into said zone.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said beams are producing continuously.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said beams are produced intermittently.

28. The method of claim 25 where, in response to the effects of collisions between particles, heat energy is extracted.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein the ions in one of said beams differ from ions in the other of said beams and result in neutron-free fusion.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the ions of one of said beams differ from ions in the other beam and produce neutrons upon fusion and in which said neutrons are utilized.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein two oppositely orbiting, oppositely advancing beams are generated.

32. The method of claim 25 wherein the paths followed by said beams are within a cylindrical reaction space.

33. The method of claim 25 wherein said beams are distributed and emerge at desired spaced points about said axis.

34. The method of claim 25 in which deuterium is ionized and accelerated in forming one of said beams and in which helium three is ionized and accelerated in forming the second of said beams.

35. The method of claim 25 in which atoms of lithium six are ionized and accelerated to form one of said beams and atoms of deuterium are ionized and accelerated to form the second of said beams.

36. The method of claim 25 in which atoms of boron eleven are ionized and accelerated to form one of said beams and protons are accelerated to form the second of said beams.

37. In a fusion reaction system where ions from two sources are to spiral toward each other on a common axis while rotating in opposite senses in orbital paths of common radii in an annular reaction zone of circular symmetry at any given cross-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 system comprising:

(a) means for establishing a high velocity beam of gaseous ions from each said source;

(b) means or applying magnetic fields to direct opposite travel of said ions in said beams toward said orbital paths;

(c) means for 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 wherein said D.C. field is applied as the confining field free of any applied magnetic field; and

(d) means for injecting each of said two oppositely directed ion beams into said zone.

38. The system of claim 37 wherein means are provided to produce said beams continuously.

39. The system of claim 37 wherein means are provided to produce said beams intermittently.

40. The system of claim 37 where, means responsive to the effects of collisions between particles extracts, heat energy.

41. The system of claim 37 wherein means are provided for producing ions in one of said beams different from ions in the other of said beams for neutron-free fusion.

42. The system of claim 37 wherein means are provided to produce ions of one of said beams different from ions in the other beam and produce neutrons upon fusion.

43. The system of claim 37 wherein means are provided for generating two oppositely orbiting, oppositely advancing beams.

44. The system of claim 37 wherein the paths followed by said beams are within a cylindrical reaction space.

45. The system of claim 37 wherein said beams are distributed and emerge at desired spaced points about said axis.

46. The system of claim 37 in which means are provided wherein deuterium is ionized and accelerated in forming one of said beams and wherein helium three is ionized and accelerated in forming the second of said beams.

47. The system of claim 37 in which means are provided wherein atoms of lithium six are ionized and accelerated to form one of said beams and wherein atoms of deuterium are ionized and accelerated to form the second of said beams.

48. The system of claim 37 in which means are provided wherein atoms of boron eleven are ionized and accelerated to form one of said beams and wherein protons are accelerated to form the second of said beams.

49. In a fusion reaction system where ions from two sources are to spiral about a common axis while rotating in opposite senses in orbital paths of common radii in an annular reaction zone of circular symmetry at any given cross-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:

(a) establishing a high velocity beam of gaseous ions from each said source;

(b) applying magnetic fields to direct opposite travel of said ions in said beams toward said orbital paths;

(c) 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 wherein said D.C. field is applied as the confining field free of any applied magnetic field; and

(d) injecting each of said two oppositely directed ion beams into said zone.

50. The method of claim 49 wherein two oppositely spiraling beams advance toward said reaction zone in the same direction.

51. In a fusion rection system where ions from two sources are to spiral about a common axis while rotating in opposite senses in orbital paths of common radii in an annular reaction zone of circular symmetry at any given cross-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:

(a) means for establishing a high velocity beam of gaseous ions from each said source;

(b) means for applying magnetic fields to direct opposite travel of said ions in said beams toward said orbital paths;

(c) means for 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 wherein said D.C. field is applied as the confining field free of any applied magnetic field; and

(d) means for injecting each of said two oppositely directed ion beams into said zone.

52. The system of claim 51 in which means are provided for causing said two beams which orbit in opposite directions to advance from the points of generation in the same direction.