Magnetic and electrostatic confinement of plasma with tuning of electrostatic field
First Claim
1. A method of confining a plasma comprising positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating a first magnetic field within a chamber from an applied magnetic field,generating a second magnetic field within the chamber;
combining the first and second magnetic fields forming a combined magnetic field having a topology of a field reversed configuration (FRC);
generating an electrostatic field within the confinement structure, the electrostatic field forming a electric potential energy well;
tuning the electrostatic field to a desired magnitude,injecting plasma into the chamber, the plasma comprising positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons;
magnetically confining a plurality of plasma ions within the confinement structure by causing the plurality of plasma ions to orbit within the FRC due to Lorenz forces acting on the plurality of plasma ions; and
electrostatically confining a plurality of plasma electrons within the electric potential energy well.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for containing plasma and forming a Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) magnetic topology are described in which plasma ions are contained magnetically in stable, non-adiabatic orbits in the FRC. Further, the electrons are contained electrostatically in a deep energy well, created by tuning an externally applied magnetic field. The simultaneous electrostatic confinement of electrons and magnetic confinement of ions avoids anomalous transport and facilitates classical containment of both electrons and ions. In this configuration, ions and electrons may have adequate density and temperature so that upon collisions they are fused together by nuclear force, thus releasing fusion energy. Moreover, the fusion fuel plasmas that can be used with the present confinement system and method are not limited to neutronic fuels only, but also advantageously include advanced fuels.
113 Citations
84 Claims
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1. A method of confining a plasma comprising positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating a first magnetic field within a chamber from an applied magnetic field, generating a second magnetic field within the chamber; combining the first and second magnetic fields forming a combined magnetic field having a topology of a field reversed configuration (FRC); generating an electrostatic field within the confinement structure, the electrostatic field forming a electric potential energy well; tuning the electrostatic field to a desired magnitude, injecting plasma into the chamber, the plasma comprising positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons; magnetically confining a plurality of plasma ions within the confinement structure by causing the plurality of plasma ions to orbit within the FRC due to Lorenz forces acting on the plurality of plasma ions; and electrostatically confining a plurality of plasma electrons within the electric potential energy well. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of confining a plasma, the method comprising the steps of:
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generating a magnetic field within a confinement structure, the magnetic field having a topology of a field reversed configuration (FRC); generating an electrostatic field within the confinement structure, the electrostatic field forming a electric potential energy well; tuning an applied magnetic field to control the magnitude of the electric potential energy well, and confining a plasma within the confinement structure, the plasma comprising ions and electrons, wherein the ions are substantially confined magnetically within the FRC magnetic field and the electrons are substantially confined electrostatically within the electric potential energy well. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. A method of confining a plasma having electrons and ions, the method comprising the steps of:
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creating a magnetic field within a confinement structure, the magnetic field having a field reversed configuration (FRC) topology, creating an electrostatic field within the confinement structure, the electrostatic field forming an electrostatic potential energy well, magnetically confining a plurality of plasma ions within the confinement structure, electrostatically confining a plurality of plasma electrons within the electrostatic potential energy well formed within the confinement structure, and tuning the electrostatic potential energy well. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
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Specification