Method and apparatus for controlling charged particles

• US 4,826,646 A
• Filed: 10/29/1985
• Issued: 05/02/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Energy/Matter Conversion Corporation Incorporated AKA E/Mc2
• Original Assignee: Energy/Matter Conversion Corporation Incorporated
• Inventors: Bussard, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Klein, Richard L.
• Application Number:
  US06/792,660
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 376/107, 376/121, 376/127, 376/128, 376/129, 376/146, 376/147
• US Class Current: 376/129
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/02 Arrangements for confining plasma by electric or magnetic fields; Arrangements for heating plasma G21B1/00 takes precedence; electron optics H01J
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/03 using electrostatic fields
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/11 using cusp configuration H05H1/14 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/10 Nuclear fusion reactors

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling charged particles. The charged particles comprise electrons and positive ions. A magnetic field having only point cusps is used to confine injected electrons and so to generate a negative potential well. Positive ions injected into the negative potential well are trapped therein. The preferred means for generating the magnetic field is current-carrying elements arranged at positions corresponding to the edges of any of several truncated regular polyhedrons.

Claims

1. A method of confining positively charged particles comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a magnetic field within a region wherein all the cusps of said magnetic field are point cusps;

(b) injecting electrons within said region and using said generated magnetic field to confine electrons within said region and so to generate a negative potential well; and

(c) injecting positively charged particles within said region and using said negative potential well to confine said positively charged particles within said region; and

(d) maintaining the number of electrons greater than the number of positively charged particles;

wherein said step (a) further comprises generating a surface cusp magnetic field having edge contours corresponding to a superposition of at least two truncated polyhedra.

2. A method of confining positively charged particles comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a magnetic field within a region wherein all the cusps of said magnetic field are point cusps;

(b) injecting electrons within said region and using said generated magnetic field to confine electrons within said region and so to generate a negative potential well; and

(c) injecting positively charged particles within said region and using said negative potential well to confine said positively charged particles within said region; and

(d) maintaining the number of electrons greater than the number of positively charged particles;

wherein said step (a) further comprises generating a surface cusp magnetic field having edge contours corresponding to a superposition of at least two polyhedra.

3. A method of confining positively charged particles comprising the steps of:

(a) generating a magnetic field within a region wherein all the cusps of said magnetic field are point cusps;

(b) injecting electrons within said region and using said generated magnetic field to confine electrons within said region and so to generate a negative potential well; and

(c) injecting positively charged particles within said region and using said negative potential well to confine said positively charged particles within said region; and

(d) maintaining the number of electrons greater than the number of positively charged particles;

wherein said step (a) further comprises generating a surface cusp magnetic field having edge contours corresponding to a superposition of at least a polyhedron and a truncated polyhedron.

4. An apparatus for controlling positively charged particles comprising:

means for generating a magnetic field within a region, all the cusps of said magnetic field being point cusps;

means for injecting electrons into the center of said region for forming a negative potential well within said region;

means for injecting said positively charged particles into said negative potential well, said positively charged particles maintained within said region by said negative potential well; and

means for maintaining the number of electrons greater than the number of positively charged particles;

wherein said magnetic field generating means includes current carrying means for carrying an electric current, said current carrying means disposed on edges of one of an octahedron or a truncated regular polyhedron such that adjacent faces of said polyhedron have opposing magnetic polarities;

wherein said magnetic field generating means generates only point cusps at positions corresponding to the centers of faces of said octahedron or truncated regular polyhedron; and

wherein said electron injecting means is arranged to inject said electrons through one of said point cusps along a first line corresponding to an axis of said octahedron or truncated regular polyhedra.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a second electron injection means arranged opposed to said first mentioned electron injection means across said magnetic field generating means.

6. An apparatus for controlling positively charged particles comprising:

means for generating a magnetic field within a region, all the cusps of said magnetic field being point cusps;

means for injecting electrons into the center of said region for forming a negative potential well within said region;

means for injecting said positively charged particles into said negative potential well, said positively charged particles maintained within said region by said negative potential well; and

means for maintaining the number of electrons greater than the number of positively charged particles;

wherein said magnetic field generating means includes current carrying means for carrying an electric current, said current carrying means disposed on edges of one of an octahedron or a truncated regular polyhedron such that adjacent faces of said polyhedron have opposing magnetic polarities;

wherein said magnetic field generating means generates only point cusps at positions corresponding to the centers of faces of said octahedron or truncated regular polyhedra; and

wherein said electron injecting means is arranged to inject said electrons through one of said point cusps along a first line intersecting and axis of said octahedron truncated regular polyhedron at an angle.

7. An apparatus for controlling positively charged particles comprising:

means for generating a magnetic field within a region, all the cusps of said magnetic field being point cusps;

means for injecting electrons into the center of said region for forming a negative potential well within said region;

means for injecting said positively charged particles into said negative potential well, said positively charged particles maintained within said region by said negative potential well; and

means for maintaining the number of electrons greater than the number of positively charged particles;

wherein said magnetic field generating means includes current carrying means for carrying an electric current, said current carrying means disposed on edges of one of an octahedron or a truncated regular polyhedron such that adjacent face of said polyhedron have opposing magnetic polarities;

wherein said magnetic field generating means generates only point cusps at positions corresponding to the centers of faces of said octahedron or truncated regular polyhedron; and

wherein said charged particle injecting means injects said particles in a beam along a line corresponding to an axis of said octahedron or truncated polyhedron.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said means for injecting electrons includes means for generating an electron beam with rotation.

9. An apparatus for controlling positively charged particles comprising:

means for generating a magnetic field within a region, all the cusps of said magnetic field being point cusps;

means for injecting electrons into the center of said region for forming a negative potential well within said region;

means for injecting said positively charged particles into said negative potential well, said positively charged particles maintained within said region by said negative potential well; and

means for maintaining the number of electrons greater than the number of positively charged particles;

wherein said magnetic field generating means includes current carrying means for carrying an electric current, said current carrying means disposed on edges of one of an octahedron or a truncated regular polyhedron such that adjacent faces of said polyhedron have opposing magnetic polarities;

wherein said magnetic field generating means generates only point cusps at positions corresponding to the centers of faces of said octahedron or truncated regular polyhedron/ and

wherein said charged particle injecting means is arranged to inject said charged particles through one of said point cusps.

10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a second charged particle injection means arranged opposed to said first mentioned charged particle injection means across said magnetic field generating means.

11. An apparatus for controlling positively charged particles comprising:

means for generating a magnetic field within a region, all the cusps of said magnetic field being point cusps;

means for injecting electrons into the center of said region for forming a negative potential well within said region;

means for injecting said positively charged particles into said negative potential well, said positively charged particles maintained within said region by said negative potential well; and

means for maintaining the number of electrons greater than the number of positively charged particles;

wherein said magnetic field generating means includes current carrying means for carrying an electric current, said current carrying means disposed on edges of one of an octahedron or a truncated regular polyhedron such that adjacent faces of said polyhedron have opposing magnetic polarities;

wherein said magnetic field generating means generates only point cusps at positions corresponding to the centers of faces of said octahedron or truncated regular polyhedron;

wherein said charged particles injecting means injects said particles in a beam along a line corresponding to an axis of said octahedron or truncated polyhedron; and

wherein said injection means includes means for injecting said beam with rotation.

12. An apparatus for controlling positively charged particles comprising:

means for generating a magnetic field within a region, all the cusps of said magnetic field being point cusps;

means for injecting electrons into the center of said region for forming a negative potential well within said region;

means for injecting said positively charged particles into said negative potential well, said positively charged particles maintained within said region by said negative potential well; and

means for maintaining the number of electrons greater than the number of positively charged particles;

wherein said magnetic field generating means includes current carrying means for carrying an electric current, said current carrying means disposed on edges of one of an octahedron or a truncated regular polyhedron such that adjacent faces of said polyhedron have opposing magnetic polarities;

wherein said magnetic field generating means generates only point cusps at positions corresponding to the centers of faces of said octahedron or truncated regular polyhedron; and

wherein said charged particle injecting means is arranged to inject said charged particles along a second annulus through one of said point cusps, the central axis of said second annulus corresponding to an axis of said octahedron or truncated regular polyhedron.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein said charged particles form an annular beam and said injection means includes means for injecting said beam with rotation.

14. An apparatus for controlling positively charged particles comprising:

means for generating a magnetic field within a region, all the cusps of said magnetic field being point cusps;

means for injecting electrons into the center of said region for forming a negative potential well within said region;

means for injecting said positively charged particles into said negative potential well, said positively charged particles maintained within said region by said negative potential well; and

means for maintaining the number of electrons greater than the number of positively charged particles;

wherein said magnetic field generating means is further operable to generate a magnetic field conforming substantially in shape to a superposition of at least two polyhedra.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 14 wherein said current carrying means are disposed at positions corresponding to the edges of each polyhdedron.

16. An apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said current-carrying members are driven by alternating current supplies to produce

17. A device for producing collisional reactions comprising:

(a) means for generating a magnetic field within a region, said means including magnetic field coils positioned on edges of a structure forming a polyhedral figure, each vertex of which is surrounded by an even number of faces, said field coils carrying currents such that adjacent faces of said polyhedral figure having opposing magnetic polarities,

(b) means for injecting electrons within said region, said electrons having gyro radii effectively smaller than the radius of said region such that said electrons are trapped within said region by said magnetic field, said trapped electrons forming a negative potential well within a volum of said region;

(c) means for injecting positively charged ions within said region, said ions having gyro radii effectively larger than a radius of said region, such that said positively charged ions are not trapped within said region by said magnetic field, said positively charged ions confined within said region by electric potential gradient forces resulting from said negative potential well, the number of electrons within said region maintained larger than the number of said positively charged ions, and said positively charged ions having energies sufficiently great within said region to produce collisional reactions.

18. A device as recited in claim 17 wherein said gyro radii of said electrons are on the order of 10-100 times smaller than a diameter of said region.

19. A device as recited in claim 17 wherein said gyro radii of said electrons are on the order of 0.5-5 mm at energies of about 20-50 kev in a magnetic filed of 1-5 kilogauss.

20. A device as recited in claim 17 wherein said collisional reactions are nuclear fusion reactions.

21. A device as recited in claim 17 wherein said ions are selected from isotopes of an element taken from the group consisting of lithium, beryllium, helium, boron and hydrogen.

22. A device as recited in claim 17 wherein said electrons are injected at energies producing a sufficiently large negative potential well so as to cause nuclear fusion reactions among said positively charged ions.

23. A device as recited in claim 17 wherein said volume of said negative potential well is free of any tangible structure.

24. A device as recited in claim 17 wherein said region is free of any tangible structure.

25. A device as recited in claim 17 further including means positioned outside of said region for converting energy resulting from said reactions into one of thermal and electrical energy.

30. A method as recited in claim 21 wherein said ions are selected from isotopes of an element taken from the group consisting of lithium, beryllium, helium, boron and hydrogen.

26. A method for producing collisional reactions comprising the steps of:

(a) generatiang a magnetic field within a region by passing current through magnetic field coils positioned on edges of a structure forming a polyhedral figure, each vertex of which is surrounded by an even number of faces, said currents such that adjacent faces of said polyhedral figure have opposing magnetic polarities,

(b) injecting electrons within said region, said electrons having gyro radii effectively smaller than a radius of said region such that said electrons are trapped within said region by said magnetic field, said trapped electrons forming a negative potential well within a volume of said region; and

(c) injecting positively charged ions within said region, said ions having gyro radii effectively larger than said radius of said region, such that said positively charged ions are not trapped within said region by said magnetic field, said positively charged ions confined within said region by electric potential gradient forces resulting from said negative potential well, the number of electrons within said region maintained larger than the number of said positively charged ions, and said positively charged ions having energies sufficiently great within said region to produce collisional reactions.

27. A method as recited in claim 26 wherein said gyro radii of said electrons are on the order of 10-100 times smaller than a diameter of said region.

28. A method as recited in claim 26 wherein said gyro radii of said electrons are on the order of 0.5-5 mm at energies of about 20-50 kev in a magnetic field of 1-5 kilogauss.

29. A method as recited in claim 26 wherein said collisional reactions are nuclear fusion reactions.

31. A method as recited in claim 26 wherein said electrons are injected at energies producing a sufficiently large negative potential well so as to cause nuclear fusion reactions among said positively charged ions.

32. A method as recited in claim 26 wherein said volume of said negative potential well is free of any tangible structure.

33. A method as recited in claim 26 wherein said region is free of any tangible structure.

34. A method as recited in claim 26 further including the step of converting energy resulting from said reactions into one of thermal and electrical energy.

35. A method as recited in claim 26 further including the step of continuously increasing the number of electrons in said region to compensate for electron losses.

36. A method as recited in claim 26 further comprising the steps of periodically increasing the number of electrons in said region to compensate for electron losses.