Method and apparatus for generating and utilizing a compound plasma configuration

• US 5,015,432 A
• Filed: 07/26/1990
• Issued: 05/14/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paul M. Koloc
• Original Assignee: Paul M. Koloc
• Inventors: Koloc, Paul M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Behrend, Harvey E.
• Application Number:
  US07/557,796
• Time in Patent Office: 292 Days
• Field of Search: 376/100, 376/144-146, 376/148, 376/127-130, 376/133, 376/915
• US Class Current: 376/148
• CPC Class Codes: G21B 3/008 Fusion by pressure waves
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32009 Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources plasma generation in general H05H1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/04 using magnetic fields substantially generated by the discharge in the plasma
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/52 using exploding wires or spark gaps H05H1/26 takes precedence; spark gaps in general H01T
• CPC Class Codes: H05H 1/54 Plasma accelerators
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/10 Nuclear fusion reactors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 376/915 Fusion reactor fuels

Abstract

A method and apparatus for generating and utilizing a compound plasma configuration is disclosed. The plasma configuration includes a central toroidal plasma with electrical currents surrounded by a generally ellipsoidal mantle of ionized particles or electrically conducting matter. The preferred methods of forming this compound plasma configuration include the steps of forming a helical ionized path in a gaseous medium and simultaneously discharging a high potential through the ionized path to produce a helical or heliform current which collapses on itself to produce a toroidal current, or generating a toroidal plasmoid, supplying magnetic energy to the plasmoid, and applying fluid pressure external to the plasmoid. The apparatus of the present invention includes a pressure chamber wherein the compound plasma configuration can be isolated or compressed by fluid or other forms of mechanical or magnetic pressure. A multiple chamber reactor device is also disclosed, as are methods and apparatuses for using the compound plasma configuration in a number of diverse situations.

Claims

1. A method of producing a compound plasma configuration in an enclosed region comprising the steps of:

providing a suitable fluid medium in said region,

selecting said fluid medium from the group consisting of vaporized or plasmatized solid or liquid state of matter formed of light fusionable nuclear material, a gas, an ionized gas, a plasma of light fusionable material, a mixture of states of matter of light fusionable nuclei,

producing a predetermined electrical environment in at least a portion of said region,

establishing a magnetic field oriented in a particular direction within said region,

producing a current stroke having an electromotive force in said fluid medium,

inducing said current stroke to follow a generally helical path, said helical path forming a closed loop, thereby resulting in the formation of a generally toroidal closed plasmoid.

9. A method as in claim 1, wherein said mixture of states of matter of light fusionable nuclei is a solid filament or powder of boron in protium gas.

2. A method of producing a compound plasma configuration in an enclosed region comprising the steps of:

providing a suitable fluid medium in said region;

producing a predetermined electrical environment in at least a portion of said region,

establishing a magnetic field oriented in a particular direction within said region,

producing a current stroke having an electromotive force in said fluid medium, and

inducing said current stroke to follow a generally helical path, said helical path forming a closed loop, thereby resulting in the formation of a generally toroidal closed plasmoid,

utilizing the electromotive force of said current stroke to induce current forming a conducting sheath at the interface of said current stroke and said fluid medium surrounding said current stroke,

utilizing existing pressures and forces between said current stroke and said sheath to substantially displace said medium and said sheath from a channel formed by said current stroke, leaving an evacuated magnetic field region in its place,

terminating said current stroke so as to allow portions of said sheath associated with said helical channel section to transform into a mantle by substantially enclosing said evacuated magnetic field region surrounding said forming closed plasmoid and thereby forming said compound plasma configuration,

forming said toroidal plasmoid and said mantle of light fusionable nuclear material, said step of forming including the steps of

utilizing a fuel with a high reaction power density in said toroidal plasmoid, and

utilizing a fuel of a low ignition point in said mantle.

3. A method as in claim 2, further comprising the step of:

selecting as said fuel of said mantle a fuel which reacts exothermically with neutrons and other emissions from said toroidal plasmoid.

4. A method of producing a compound plasma configuration in an enclosed region comprising the steps of:

providing a suitable fluid medium in said region,

producing a predetermined electrical environment in at least a portion of said region,

establishing a magnetic field oriented in a particular direction within said region,

producing a current stroke having an electromotive force in said fluid medium, and

inducing said current stroke to follow a generally helical path, said helical path forming a closed loop, thereby resulting in the formation of a generally toroidal closed plasmoid,

utilizing the electromotive force of said current stroke to induce currents forming a conducting sheath at the interface of said current stroke and said fluid medium surrounding said current stroke,

utilizing existing pressures and forces between said current stroke and said sheath to substantially displace said medium and said sheath from a channel formed by said current stroke, leaving an evacuated magnetic field region in its place,

terminating said current stroke so as to allow portions of said sheath associated with said helical channel section to transform into a mantle by substantially enclosing said evacuated magnetic field region surrounding said forming closed plasmoid and thereby forming said compound plasma configuration,

increasing the pressure within said enclosed region so as to effect three dimensional compression of said mantle and said closed plasmoid therein,

protecting the walls of said enclosed region from radiation and chemical, electromagnetic and particle bombardments by injecting an energy absorbing medium between the walls of said compression apparatus and said compound plasma; and

circulating a cooling medium within or over said walls, and

increasing the temperature or pressure within said enclosed region using nuclear fusion energy.

5. A method as in claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

injecting a hydrocarbon feedstock at high pressure into said region, and

converting said feedstock into at least one synthetic petrofuel through the action of pressure, and particle radiation.

6. A method of producing a compound plasma configuration in an enclosed region comprising the steps of:

providing a suitable fluid medium in said region,

selecting said fluid medium from the group consisting of vaporized or plasmatized solid or liquid state matter formed of light fusionable nuclear material, a gas, an ionized gas, a plasma of light fusionable material, a mixture of states of matter of light fusionable nuclei,

producing a predetermined electrical environment in at least a portion of said region,

utilizing at least one technique of producing said electrical environment selected from the group consisting of producing a high voltage pulse, producing an EMF wavefront, injecting charged particle beam current pulses, forming charged particle waves and injecting pulses of ionizing energy,

establishing a magnetic field oriented in a particular direction within said region,

producing a current stroke having an electromotive force in said fluid medium,

inducing said current stroke to follow a generally helical path,

inducing said current stroke to form a closed loop thereby forming a generally toroidal closed plasmoid,

utilizing the electromotive force of said current stroke to induce currents forming a conducting sheath at the interface of said current stroke and said fluid medium surrounding said current stroke;

utilizing existing pressures and forces between said current stroke and said sheath to substantially displace said medium and said sheath from a channel formed by said current stroke, leaving an evacuated magnetic field region in its place,

terminating said current stroke so as to allow portions of said sheath associated with said helical channel section to transform into a mantle by substantially enclosing sad evacuated magnetic field region surrounding said forming closed plasmoid and thereby forming said compound plasma configuration.

10. A method as in claim 6, wherein said mixture of states of matter of light fusionable nuclei is a solid filament or powder of boron dispersed in protium gas.

7. A nuclear fusion reactor comprising:

a pressure vessel,

a fuel source of fusionable nuclei within said vessel,

means associated with said vessel for generating a powerful current stroke therein,

a means associated with said vessel for inducing at least a portion of said current stroke to form a closed toroidal plasmoid or a compound plasmoid,

means for sufficiently sustained compression having of at least a portion of said plasmoid to the temperature density necessary to achieve thermonuclear ignition or break even fusion.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7, further comprising:

means associated with said vessel in which, at least near ignition, a thermonuclear reaction burn combines with exothermic reactions produced in the surrounding medium by-products of the thermonuclear reaction to achieve or exceed a break even energy production.