Systems and methods for merging and compressing compact tori
Systems and methods utilizing successive, axially symmetric acceleration and adiabatic compression stages to heat and accelerate two compact tori towards each other and ultimately collide and compress the compact tori within a central chamber. Alternatively, systems and methods utilizing successive, axially asymmetric acceleration and adiabatic compression stages to heat and accelerate a first compact toroid towards and position within a central chamber and to heat and accelerate a second compact toroid towards the central chamber and ultimately collide and merge the first and second compact toroids and compress the compact merge tori within the central chamber.
1. A method of merging and compressing compact tori plasma within in a system comprising a central chamber, diametrically opposed formation sections, one or more acceleration stages, and a plurality compression stages interposing the formation sections and adjacent acceleration stages, and the central chamber and adjacent acceleration stages, the steps comprising
forming and accelerating compact tori in a staged symmetric sequence within the formation sections and the acceleration stages towards a mid-plane of the central chamber,
passively adiabatically compressing the compact tori within the compression sections, and
magnetically compressing a merged compact tori within the central chamber.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of forming, accelerating and compressing compact tori results in the compact tori colliding and merging within the central chamber.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of forming and accelerating the compact tori includes powering active magnetic coils about and axially along the formation sections and acceleration stages.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of compressing the compact tori includes translating the compact tori through conically constricting flux conservers of the compression stages.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming and accelerating the compact tori further comprises synchronously firing diametrically opposed pairs of active magnetic coils positioned about and along the formation and acceleration sections.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step of magnetically compressing a merged compact tori comprises synchronously firing active magnetic coils positioned about and along the compression chamber with the firing active magnetic coils positioned about and along the formation and acceleration sections.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the compression sections interpose the central chamber and adjacent acceleration stages.
8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of generating a DC guide field within and axially extending through the compression chamber, the formation sections, the acceleration stages, and the compression stages.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the compact tori are one of FRC and spheromak starter plasmas.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the compression sections are formed from conducting material and the central compression chamber and the formation and acceleration sections are formed from non-conducting material.
11. A method of merging and compressing compact tori plasma within in a system comprising a central chamber, a formation section, one or more acceleration stages, and one or more compression stages interposing the formation section and an adjacent acceleration stage and adjacent acceleration stages, the steps comprising
forming and accelerating a first compact toroid in a staged sequence within the formation section and the one or more acceleration stages towards a mid-plane of the central chamber to collide and merge with a second compact toroid,
passively adiabatically compressing the first compact toroid within the one or more compression stages, and
magnetically compressing a merged compact toroid of the first and second compact tori within the central chamber.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein the steps of forming, accelerating and compressing the first compact toroid results in the first compact toroid colliding and merging with the second compact toroid within the central chamber.
13. The method of claim 11 wherein the steps of forming and accelerating the first compact toroid include powering active magnetic coils about and axially along the formation section and the one or more acceleration stages.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of compressing the first compact toroid includes translating the compact toroid through a conically constricting flux conserver of the one or more compression stages.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the step of forming and accelerating the first compact toroid further comprises synchronously firing the active magnetic coils positioned about and along the formation and acceleration sections with the positioning of the second compact toroid within the central chamber.
16. The method of claim 11 wherein the one or more compression stages interpose the central chamber and an adjacent acceleration stage.
17. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of generating a DC guide field within and axially extending through the compression chamber, the formation sections, the acceleration stages, and the compression stages.
18. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps
forming and accelerating the second compact toroid in a staged sequence within the formation section and the one or more acceleration stages towards a mid-plane of the central chamber,
passively adiabatically compressing the second compact toroid within the one or more compression stages, and
biasing the second compact toroid back toward the mid-plane of the central chamber as it passes through the central chamber with a mirror positioned adjacent an end of the central chamber.
19. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps
forming and accelerating the second compact toroid in a staged sequence within the formation section and the one or more acceleration stages towards a mid-plane of the central chamber,
passively adiabatically compressing the second compact toroid within the one or more compression stages, and
biasing the second compact toroid back toward the mid-plane of the central chamber as it passes through the central chamber with a bounce cone positioned adjacent an end of the central chamber.