Injection, containment and heating device for fusion plasmas

• US 4,650,631 A
• Filed: 05/14/1984
• Issued: 03/17/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: University of Iowa Research Foundation
• Original Assignee: University of Iowa Research Foundation
• Inventors: Knorr, George E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Behrend, Harvey E.
• Application Number:
  US06/609,990
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 376/107, 376/128, 376/127, 376/129, 376/130
• US Class Current: 376/127
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/12 wherein the containment vessel forms a closed or nearly closed loop G21B1/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/22 for injection heating G21B1/15 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/10 Nuclear fusion reactors

Abstract

A container device for a fusion plasma which has a beam of charged particles accelerating system feeding an ion or plasma beam into a polytron magnetic device. The polytron is formed from a succession of magnetic cusps joined point to point around a torus. The accelerating system introduces an ion or plasma beam into the polytron through a magnetic junction. A second accelerating system may introduce a second beam of different velocity creating an instability and turbulent mixing of the two beams, which are favorable for a fusion reaction.

Claims

1. An apparatus for containing and accelerating a beam of charged particles comprising:

a torus-shaped vacuum container means;

a plurality of magnetic means, each of said magnetic means encircling said torus in a plane so as to form a magnetic field in the shape of circular line cusps;

at least one charged particle injection means for generating and injecting charged particles into said container means;

a magnetic junction joining each of said at least one charged particle injection means and said container means said magnetic junction having a tapered shape with the upstream end having a width approximately equal to the sum of the widths of said container means and said injector means and with the downstream end being the same shape as said container means;

some of said plurality of magnetic means encircling said magnetic junction with the magnetic means being racetrack shaped at the upstream end and decreasing in width near the downstream end;

wherein said charged beam is contained and accelerated in said container means by said magnetic means and said charged particle injection means injects additional charged particles into said beam of charged particles through said magnetic junction.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said at least one charged particle injection means is at least two charged particle injection means.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each of said charged particle injection means generates charged particle beams at different velocities.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said magnetic means are permanent magnets.

5. an apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said magnetic means are wire loops for carrying electric currents.

6. An apparatus for containing and accelerating a beam of charged particles, comprising:

a torus-shaped vacuum container means;

magnetic means including a first wire and a second wire, both of said wires being wound in parallel spirals on the outside of said container means, said wires carrying electrical current which flow in opposite directions to each other so as to form a magnetic field having cusps;

at least one charged particle injection means for generating and injecting charged particles into said container means;

a magnetic junction joining each of said at least one charged particle injection means and said container means;

wherein at the junction point, said first wire and said second wire each divide so as to form an additional magnetic means around said injection means; and

wherein said beam of charged particle is contained and accelerated in said container means by said magnetic means and said charged particle injection means injects additional charged particles into said beam of charged particles through said magnetic junction.

7. A nuclear fusion containment device comprising:

a torus-shaped vacuum container means for containing a main plasma beam;

a plurality of charged particle injection means for generating and injecting an energized charged particle beam into said container means, each of said injection means generating charged particles of different velocity;

a plurality of junctions, each of said junctions joining one charged particle injection means to said container means, each of said junctions having a tapered shape with the upstream end having a width approximately equal to the sum of the widths of said container means and said injection means and with the downstream end being the same shape as said container means;

a plurality of magnetic means, each of said magnetic means encircling a beam path and one of said container means, said injection means and said junctions;

most of said magnetic means being of a first size, the remainder of said magnetic means being located near said junctions and being larger than said first size, said magnetic means encircling said junctions being racetrack shaped at the upstream end and decreasing in width near the downstream end;

wherein said injection means injects additional charged particles of differing velocities into said container means to create a two stream instability in said main plasma beam to allow fusion reactions to take place.