IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,451,260
Granted Patent B2
US 12,451,260 · App. 19/003,376 · Granted Oct 21, 2025

Planar coil stellarator including removable field shaping units

Inventors: David Allen Gates (Princeton, NJ); Charles Pendleton Stuntz Swanson (Lawrence Township, NJ); Andrew Thomas Cote (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: THEA ENERGY, INC.
G21B1/055G21B1/25
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,451,260
App. No.
19/003,376
Granted
Oct 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to stellarators or assemblies including a stellarator including removable and/or replaceable components, such as removable field shaping units and/or removable shaping coils. In some embodiments, the stellarators of the present disclosure include a toroidal sector, which includes one or more removable field shaping units.

Claims (36)

1. A stellarator comprising:

(a) a structural scaffold comprising a set of poloidal ribs, a set of toroidal ribs, and one or more mounting members;

(b) at least two field shaping units removably coupled to the one or more mounting members, wherein each of the at least two removable field shaping units comprise (i) one or more structural mounting elements; and (ii) one or more shaping coils disposed on a surface of the one or more structural mounting elements;

(c) a plurality of encircling coils which encircle the field-shaping coil system, wherein a ratio of toroidal ribs to the plurality of encircling coils ranges from 1:1 to 5:1;

wherein a first of the at least two removable field shaping units is at least partially surrounded by a first encircling coil of the plurality of encircling coils; and

wherein a second of the at least two removable field shaping units is positioned entirely between the first encircling coil and a second encircling coil of the plurality of encircling coils;

(d) a neutronic blanket comprising a plurality of blanket units.

2. The stellarator of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal distance between the first and second encircling coils is greater than a longitudinal dimension of the second removable field shaping unit.

3. The stellarator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of encircling coils is comprised of one or more superconducting materials.

4. The stellarator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of encircling coils does not interlock with each other.

5. The stellarator of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of encircling coils interlocks the plasma.

6. The stellarator of claim 1 , wherein the one or more shaping coils are removable.

7. The stellarator of claim 1 , wherein the one or more structural mounting elements are removable.

8. The stellarator of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a neutron breeding blanket, a cryostat, and neutron shielding.

9. The stellarator of claim 1 , wherein the stellarator comprises at least four encircling coils.

10. The stellarator of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the encircling coils is planar.

11. The stellarator of claim 1 , further comprising at least one fixed field shaping unit, wherein the at least one fixed field shaping unit comprise (i) one or more structural mounting elements; and (ii) one or more shaping coils disposed on a surface of the one or more structural mounting elements.

12. The stellarator of claim 1 , wherein the one or more shaping coils are planar.

13. A stellarator adapted to confine a toroidal plasma comprising:

(a) a structural scaffold comprising one or more curved plates and/or planar plates which conform to the boundary of the toroidal plasma;

(b) at least two field shaping units removably coupled to the one or more curved plates and/or planar plates, wherein each of the at least two removable field shaping units comprise (i) one or more structural mounting elements; and (ii) one or more shaping coils disposed on a surface of the one or more structural mounting elements; and

b) a plurality of encircling coils which encircle the field-shaping coil system;

wherein a first of the at least two removable field shaping units is at least partially surrounded by a first encircling coil of the plurality of encircling coils; and

wherein a second of the at least two removable field shaping units is positioned entirely between the first encircling coil and a second encircling coil of the plurality of encircling coils.

14. The stellarator of claim 13 , wherein the one or more curved plates and/or planar plates have predetermined shapes.

15. A stellarator adapted to confine a toroidal plasma comprising:

(a) a structural scaffold;

(b) at least two field shaping units removably coupled to the structural scaffold, wherein each of the at least two removable field shaping units comprise (i) one or more structural mounting elements; and (ii) one or more shaping coils removably coupled to the one or more structural mounting elements, wherein each of the at least two field shaping units include one or more fluid-carrying carrying conduits and/or one or more electrical leads, wherein the one or more fluid conduits include one or more removable connections and wherein the one or more electrical leads include one or more disconnectable couplings; and

b) a plurality of encircling coils which encircle the field-shaping coil system;

wherein a first of the at least two removable field shaping units is at least partially surrounded by a first encircling coil of the plurality of encircling coils; and

wherein a second of the at least two removable field shaping units is positioned entirely between the first encircling coil and a second encircling coil of the plurality of encircling coils.

16. The stellarator of claim 15 , wherein the at least two field shaping units each further comprise one or more vacuum line feedthroughs.

17. The stellarator of claim 13 , wherein the structural scaffold comprises one or more curved plates.

18. The stellarator of claim 13 , wherein the structural scaffold comprises one or more planar plates.

19. The stellarator of claim 13 , wherein the structural scaffold comprises one or more curved plates and one or more planar plates.

20. The stellarator of claim 15 , wherein the at least two field shaping units include one or more fluid-carrying conduits and one or more electrical leads.

Continuity (3)
Continuation PCTUS2024025937 · Apr 24, 2024
Provisional Application 63462041 · Apr 26, 2023
Related Publication 20250157677A1 · May 15, 2025
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