Inductive plasma source and plasma containment
A system and apparatus for controlled fusion in a field reversed configuration (FRC) magnetic topology and conversion of fusion product energies directly to electric power. Preferably, plasma ions are magnetically confined in the FRC while plasma electrons are electrostatically confined in a deep energy well, created by tuning an externally applied magnetic field. In this configuration, ions and electrons may have adequate density and temperature so that upon collisions they are fused together by the nuclear force, thus forming fusion products that emerge in the form of an annular beam. Energy is removed from the fusion product ions as they spiral past electrodes of an inverse cyclotron converter. Advantageously, the fusion fuel plasmas that can be used with the present confinement and energy conversion system include advanced (aneutronic) fuels.
1. A method of generating a plasma, comprising the steps of:
ejecting a neutral gas from a Laval nozzle radially over a shock coil having an annular disc shaped body bounded by an outer ring formed about an outer periphery of the body and an annular hub formed about an inner periphery of the body and a coil of parallel wound wires attached to a face of the body,
wherein the nozzle has an annular disc-shaped nozzle body coupled about an inner periphery of the nozzle body to the hub and forming with the hub about an outer periphery of the nozzle body a radially oriented annular nozzle outlet positioned adjacent the inner periphery of the body of the shock coil,
wherein the neutral gas is ejected from the nozzle outlet in a radial direction parallel to the disc shape body to emanate over the coil of parallel wound wires, and
energizing the coil windings to ionize the neutral gas into a plasma and eject the plasma from the shock coil.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of energizing the coil includes energizing all wires of the coil.
3. The method of claim 1 where the coil of parallel wound wires includes first and second sets of parallel wound wires and wherein the step of energizing the coil includes energizing the first set of parallel wound wires and energizing the second set of parallel wound wires after a predetermined amount of time.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of energizing the coil includes energizing the wires in a synchronized manner.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the plasma ejected from the shock coil is in the form of an annular shaped plasma.
6. A method of confining plasma within a chamber, comprising the steps of:
creating a magnetic guide field in a chamber,
ejecting a neutral gas from a Laval nozzle radially over a shock coil having an annular disc shaped body bounded by an outer ring formed about an outer periphery of the body and an annular hub formed about an inner periphery of the body and a coil of parallel wound wires attached to a face of the body,
wherein the nozzle has an annular disc-shaped nozzle body coupled about an inner periphery of the nozzle body to the hub and forming with the hub about an outer periphery of the nozzle body a radially oriented annular nozzle outlet positioned adjacent the inner periphery of the body of the shock coil,
wherein the neutral gas is ejected from the nozzle outlet in a radial direction parallel to the disc shape body to emanate over the coil of parallel wound wires,
energizing the coil windings of the shock coil to ionize the gas into a plasma and eject the formed plasma from the shock coil into the chamber along field lines of the guide field,
rotating the plasma to 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.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of rotating the plasma includes creating an azimuthal electric field within the chamber to cause the plasma to rotate.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of energizing the coil includes energizing all wires of the coil.
9. The method of claim 6 where the coil of parallel wound wires includes first and second sets of parallel wound wires and wherein the step of energizing the coil includes energizing the first set of parallel wound wires and energizing the second set of parallel wound wires after a predetermined amount of time.
10. The method of claim 6 wherein the plasma ejected from the shock coil is in the form of an annular shaped plasma.
11. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of creating the guide field includes energizing a plurality of field coils and mirror coils extending about the chamber.
12. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of increasing the magnitude of the guide field to maintain the rotating plasma at a predetermined radial size.
13. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of creating the azimuthal electric field includes the step of energizing a betatron flux coil within the chamber and increasing current running through the coil.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of increasing the rotational energy of the rotating plasma includes increasing the rate of change of the current running through the coil.
15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of increasing the rate of change of the current running through the flux coil to accelerate the rotating plasma to fusion level rotational energy.
16. The method of claim 6 further comprising the step of creating an electrostatic well within the chamber.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of tuning the electrostatic well.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of tuning the electrostatic well includes manipulating the magnitude of the guide field.
19. The method of claim 16 further comprising the steps of injecting high energy ion beams into the FRC and trapping the beams in betatron orbits within the FRC.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of injecting and trapping the high energy ion beams further comprises the steps of
neutralizing the ion beams,
draining the electric polarization from the neutralized ion beams, and
exerting a Lorentz force due to the applied magnetic field on the neutralized ion beams to bend the ion beams into betatron orbits.
21. The method of claim 19 further comprising the steps of magnetically confining ions within the FRC and electrostatically confining electrons within the electrostatic well.
22. The method of claim 6 wherein the shock coil is configured to fire the wires in a synchronized manner.
23. The method of claim 6 wherein the wires are combined into a plurality of groups of wires that are azimuthally symmetric about the surface of the shock coil.
24. The method of claim 23 where the plurality of groups of wires includes first and second sets of wires and wherein the step of energizing the coil includes energizing the first set of wires and energizing the second set of wires after a predetermined amount of time.