Formation of a field reversed configuration for magnetic and electrostatic confinement of plasma
First Claim
1. A method of forming a field reversed configuration magnetic field within a chamber comprising the steps ofcreating a magnetic guide field in a chamber,injecting plasma into the chamber along field lines of the guide field,creating an azimuthal electric field within the chamber causing the plasma to rotate and form a poloidal magnetic self-field surrounding the plasma,increasing the rotational energy of the plasma to increase the magnitude of the self-field to a level that overcomes the magnitude of the guide field, andjoining field lines of the guide field and the self-field in a magnetic field having a field reverse configuration (FRC) topology.
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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.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of forming a field reversed configuration magnetic field within a chamber comprising the steps of
creating a magnetic guide field in a chamber, injecting plasma into the chamber along field lines of the guide field, creating an azimuthal electric field within the chamber causing the plasma to rotate and form a poloidal magnetic self-field surrounding the plasma, increasing the rotational energy of the plasma to increase the magnitude of the self-field to a level that overcomes the magnitude of the guide field, and joining field lines of the guide field and the self-field in a magnetic field having a field reverse configuration (FRC) topology.
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15. A method of forming a field reversed configuration magnetic field within a reactor chamber comprising the steps of
creating a magnetic guide field with axially extending field lines within a chamber, rotating a plasma comprising charged electron and ion particles within the chamber by applying ponderomotive forces from an azimuthal electric field to the charged particles, forming a magnetic poloidal self field surrounding the rotating plasma due to the current carried by the rotating plasma, and increasing the rotational energy of the plasma to increase the magnitude of the self-field to a level that overcomes the magnitude of the guide field causing field reversal.
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