Formation of a field reversed configuration for magnetic and electrostatic confinement of plasma
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.
1. A method of forming a field reversed configuration (FRC) magnetic field about a plasma of charged particles comprising the steps of
creating a magnetic guide field within a cylindrical chamber having a longitudinal axis, wherein the magnetic guide field having field lines axially extending within the chamber parallel to the longitudinal axis,
injecting a plasma of charged electron and ion particles into the chamber toward a midplane of the chamber,
generating an azimuthal electric field within the chamber coupling to the charged electron and ion particles of the plasma causing ponderomotive forces causing the charged electron and ion particles to accelerate and the plasma to rotate within the chamber and form a magnetic poloidal self field surrounding the rotating plasma due to the rotating plasma's current, thereby creating and rapidly increasing an axial magnetic flux within the chamber, and increasing a current running through a betatron flux coil concentric with a principle axis of the chamber,
increasing the rotating plasma's rotational energy to increase the self-field's magnitude to a level that overcomes a guide field axially extending within the chamber causing the formation of a magnetic field within the chamber with field reversed topology.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of accelerating the rotating plasma to increase the rotational energy of the rotating plasma from a first level of rotational energy to a second level of rotational energy by increasing the rate of change of the current running through the betatron flux coil.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of creating the magnetic guide field includes energizing a plurality of field coils and mirror coils extending about the chamber.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of adjusting the magnitude of the guide field to adjust the radial size of the rotating plasma.
5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of accelerating the rotating plasma to a level of rotational energy in a range of about 100 keV to 3.3 MeV.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of accelerating the rotating plasma includes the steps of injecting ion beams with an energy level in a range of about 100 keV to 3.3 MeV into the magnetic field with field reversal within the chamber and trapping the beams in betatron orbits within the chamber.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of adjusting the magnitude of the magnetic guide field to adjust a magnitude of an electrostatic well formed within the chamber in conjunction with the magnetic field with field reversal wherein the magnitude of the electrostatic well is a function of the magnitude of the magnetic guide field and the injected ion beams.
8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the steps of magnetically confining ions within the magnetic field having field reversed topology, and electrostatically confining electrons within the electrostatic well.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the rotational energy of the rotating plasma is increased to a range of about 75 eV to 125 eV.
10. The method of claim 2 wherein the rotational energy of the rotating plasma is increased to a range of about 100 keV to 3.3 MeV.
11. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of neutralizing the ion beams with a plurality of electrons and electrically polarizing the neutralized ion beams.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of drifting the polarized and neutralized ion beams un-deflected through the magnetic field with field reversal, and depolarizing the ion beams.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of depolarizing the ion beams includes the steps of contacting the ion beam with the plasma within the magnetic field with field reversal and draining the electric polarization from the ion beams.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of injecting the ion beams includes injecting the ion beams orthogonal to a principal axis of the chamber and at a radial position from the principle axis where the plasma is contained within the magnetic field with field reversal.
15. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of trapping the beams includes exerting a Lorentz force due to the magnetic field with field reversal on the ion beam to bend the ion beam into a betatron orbit.