Systems and methods for plasma compression with recycling of projectiles

• US 8,891,719 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Fusion Inc.
• Original Assignee: General Fusion Inc.
• Inventors: Howard, Stephen James, Laberge, Michel Georges, McIlwraith, Lon, Richardson, Douglas Harvey, Gregson, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Keith, Jack W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Burke, Sean P
• Application Number:
  US12/845,071
• Publication Number:
  US 20110026658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,574 Days
• Field of Search: 376/133, 376/150
• US Class Current: 376/133
• CPC Class Codes: G21B 3/006 Fusion by impact, e.g. cluster/beam interaction, ion beam collisions, impact on a target
• CPC Class Codes: G21B 3/008 Fusion by pressure waves
• 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 1/54 Plasma accelerators

Abstract

Embodiments of systems and methods for compressing plasma are disclosed in which plasma can be compressed by impact of a projectile on a magnetized plasma in a liquid metal cavity. The projectile can melt in the liquid metal cavity, and liquid metal may be recycled to form new projectiles.

Claims

1. An apparatus for compressing plasma, the apparatus comprising:

a plasma injector configured to accelerate a compact toroid of plasma toward a cavity in a liquid metal;

a projectile accelerator configured to accelerate a projectile toward the cavity such that the projectile can impact a liquid surface of the cavity in the liquid metal, wherein a surface of the projectile and the liquid surface of the cavity define a compression chamber into which the compact toroid is confined; and

a timing system configured to coordinate acceleration of the compact toroid and acceleration of the projectile such that the projectile confines the compact toroid in the compression chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the projectile accelerator comprises a pneumatic gun.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the pneumatic gun comprises a valve system configured to at least partially evacuate a region in front of the projectile.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the valve system is configured to be synchronized such that a high pressure region is maintained behind the projectile and a low pressure region is maintained in front of the projectile.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a liquid metal circulation system configured to provide a flow of the liquid metal, the flow configured to form the cavity in the liquid metal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising a projectile recycling system configured to recycle a portion of the liquid metal to form at least one additional projectile.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the projectile recycling system comprises a loading mechanism configured to automatically load a recycled projectile into the projectile accelerator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface of the projectile comprises a conical shape.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the conical shape is concave and has a cone angle in a range from about 20 degrees to about 80 degrees.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compact toroid comprises a spheromak.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plasma injector comprises at least one tapered electrode configured to compress the compact toroid during acceleration of the compact toroid.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the projectile accelerator comprises an inductive coil gun.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the timing system is configured to trigger formation of the compact toroid based at least in part on a position of the projectile relative to the cavity in the liquid metal.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cavity comprises a concave shape.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface of the projectile comprises an elongated member extending along a longitudinal axis of the projectile.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface of the projectile comprises one or more coatings, at least one of the coatings comprising lithium or lithium-deuteride.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the liquid metal comprises a liquid phase of a metal material, and the projectile comprises a solid phase of the metal material.