Abstract: A plasma compression driver is connected to a plasma containment vessel containing a liquid medium that forms a liquid liner containing plasma, and comprises a pair of coaxially aligned pistons that are sequentially driven towards the liquid liner. A pusher bore containing a pusher piston is coaxial with and has a smaller diameter than a driver bore containing a driver piston such that an interconnecting annular face surface is defined at the junction of the driver and pusher bores. During the compression operation, a prime mover accelerates the driver piston towards the pusher piston and compresses a compression fluid, which accelerates the pusher piston and pushes the liquid medium in the pusher bore into the vessel, causing the liquid liner to collapse, and compressing the plasma. Outward forces on the vessel wall caused by compression driver recoil and increased vessel pressure is counteracted by an inward force applied by the compression fluid on the annular face surface during the compression operation.

Abstract: A plasma compression driver is connected to a plasma containment vessel containing a liquid medium that forms a liquid liner containing plasma, and comprises a pair of coaxially aligned pistons that are sequentially driven towards the liquid liner. A pusher bore containing a pusher piston is coaxial with and has a smaller diameter than a driver bore containing a driver piston such that an interconnecting annular face surface is defined at the junction of the driver and pusher bores. During the compression operation, a prime mover accelerates the driver piston towards the pusher piston and compresses a compression fluid, which accelerates the pusher piston and pushes the liquid medium in the pusher bore into the vessel, causing the liquid liner to collapse, and compressing the plasma. Outward forces on the vessel wall caused by compression driver recoil and increased vessel pressure is counteracted by an inward force applied by the compression fluid on the annular face surface during the compression operation.

Abstract: A method and system for stably generating and accelerating magnetized plasma comprises ionizing an injected gas in a plasma generator and generating a formation magnetic field to form a magnetized plasma with a closed poloidal field, generating a reverse poloidal field behind the magnetized plasma and having a same field direction as a back edge of the closed poloidal field and having an opposite field direction of the formation magnetic field, and generating a pushing toroidal field that pushes the reverse poloidal field against the closed poloidal field, thereby accelerating the magnetized plasma through a plasma accelerator downstream from the plasma generator. The reverse poloidal field serves to prevent the reconnection of the formation magnetic field and closed poloidal field after the magnetized plasma is formed, which would allow the pushing toroidal field to mix with the closed poloidal field and cause instability and reduced plasma confinement.

Abstract: A method and system for stably generating and accelerating magnetized plasma comprises ionizing an injected gas in plasma generator and generating a formation magnetic field to form a magnetized plasma with a closed poloidal field, generating a reverse poloidal field behind the magnetized plasma and having a same field direction as a back edge of the closed poloidal field and having an opposite field direction of the formation magnetic field, and generating a pushing toroidal field that pushes the reverse poloidal field against the closed poloidal field, thereby accelerating the magnetized plasma through a plasma accelerator downstream from the plasma generator. The reverse poloidal field serves to prevent the reconnection of the formation magnetic field and closed poloidal field after the magnetized plasma is formed, which would allow the pushing toroidal field to mix with the closed poloidal field and cause instability and reduced plasma confinement.