IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,597,527
Granted Patent B1
US 12,597,527 · App. 18/176,940 · Granted Apr 7, 2026

Fuel pellet configured with internal reflection for an inertial fusion reaction

Inventors: Shuji Nakamura (Palo Alto, CA); Hiroaki Ohta (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: Blue Laser Fusion, Inc.
G21B1/19G21B1/03
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,597,527
App. No.
18/176,940
Granted
Apr 7, 2026
Kind
B1
Abstract

A fuel pellet device for a fusion reaction. The fuel pellet including a core region comprises a fuel material, an ablator material configured surrounding the core region and an intermediary material comprising a metal material configured to absorb a laser light beam and generate an x-ray. The pellet also has a material comprising a structure overlying the intermediary material and configured to allow laser light pass and reflect any generated x-ray from the intermediary material toward the core region to ignite a fusion reaction.

Claims (28)

1 . A fuel pellet device for a fusion reaction, the device comprising:

a core region comprising a fuel material;

an ablator material surrounding the core region;

an intermediary material comprising a metal material configured to absorb a laser light beam and generate an X-ray; and

a structure overlying the intermediary material comprising a first dielectric distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) comprising a plurality of periods numbered from 2 to 20, the structure being configured to allow laser light to pass, and reflect any generated X-ray from the intermediary material toward the core region.

2 . The device of claim 1 wherein the metal material is selected from gold, tin, and a high Z material.

3 . The device of claim 1 wherein the ablator material is a plastic material comprising a carbon hydrogen material.

4 . The device of claim 1 wherein the structure overlying the intermediary material is a metal oxide material comprising ZnO, In2O3, SnO2, TiO2, CuAlO, ITO, CuInO2, SrCu2O2, InGaO3, tin oxide and other oxide material.

5 . The device of claim 1 wherein the structure overlying the intermediary material is a LaCuOS or a metal oxide material comprising at least one element whose atomic number is more than 57.

6 . The device of claim 5 wherein the metal oxide is characterized by a thickness ranging from 100 microns to 20 millimeters.

7 . The device of claim 1 wherein the fuel material comprises a deuterium and a tritium material.

8 . The device of claim 1 wherein the core region has a diameter of about 0.1 mm to 10 mm.

9 . The device of claim 1 wherein the intermediary material has an outer diameter ranging from 1 mm to 20 mm.

10 . The device of claim 1 wherein the intermediary material comprises a gold material or high Z metal element material configured to generate X-ray to interact with the core region or/and the ablator material.

11 . The device of claim 1 wherein the X-ray is characterized by a wavelength of 0.1 nm to 50 nm.

12 . The device of claim 1 wherein the fuel material is selected from a deuterium and a tritium material, at least a boron isotope 11 (HB 11), a hydrogen plus HB11, an atomic hydrogen plus boron isotope 11 (HB11), a material which include at least boron or a material which include at least boron and hydrogen.

13 . A fuel pellet device for a fusion reaction, the device comprising:

a core region comprising a fuel material;

an ablator material surrounding the core region;

an intermediary material comprising a metal material configured to absorb a laser light beam and generate an X-ray;

a structure overlying the intermediary material comprising a first dielectric distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) comprising a plurality of periods numbered from 2 to 20, the structure being configured to allow laser light to pass, and reflect any generated X-ray from the intermediary material toward the core region; and

an exterior material overlying the intermediary material, the exterior material comprising a transparent structure, the transparent structure comprising a glass or a ceramic with less than 1% absorption loss.

14 . A fuel pellet device for a fusion reaction, the device comprising:

a core region comprising a fuel material;

a plastic ablator comprising a carbon hydrogen material surrounding the core region;

an intermediary material comprising a metal material configured to absorb a laser light beam incident on the fuel pellet device and generate an x-ray;

an exterior material overlying the intermediary material, the exterior material comprising a glass or ceramic configured to absorb less than 1% of both laser light incident on the fuel pellet and the generated x-ray; and

an external filter structure overlying the exterior material, the filter structure configured to allow laser light incident on the pellet to pass therethrough, and to reflect the generated x-ray from the intermediary material toward the core region.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 2, 2023
From: NAKAMURA, SHUJI; OHTA, HIROAKI
To: BLUE LASER FUSION, INC.
Reel/Frame 062855/0309 →
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