Abstract: A plasma confinement system is provided that includes a confinement chamber that includes one or more enclosures of respective helicity injectors. The one or more enclosures are coupled to ports at an outer radius of the confinement chamber. The system further includes one or more conductive coils aligned substantially parallel to the one or more enclosures and a further set of one or more conductive coils respectively surrounding portions of the one or more enclosures. Currents may be provided to the sets of conductive coils to energize a gas within the confinement chamber into a plasma. Further, a heat-exchange system is provided that includes an inner wall, an intermediate wall, an outer wall, and pipe sections configured to carry coolant through cavities formed by the walls.

Abstract: A plasma confinement system is provided that includes a confinement chamber that includes one or more enclosures of respective helicity injectors. The one or more enclosures are coupled to ports at an outer radius of the confinement chamber. The system further includes one or more conductive coils aligned substantially parallel to the one or more enclosures and a further set of one or more conductive coils respectively surrounding portions of the one or more enclosures. Currents may be provided to the sets of conductive coils to energize a gas within the confinement chamber into a plasma. Further, a heat-exchange system is provided that includes an inner wall, an intermediate wall, an outer wall, and pipe sections configured to carry coolant through cavities formed by the walls.

Abstract: A plasma confinement system is provided that includes a confinement chamber that includes one or more enclosures of respective helicity injectors. The one or more enclosures are coupled to ports at an outer radius of the confinement chamber. The system further includes one or more conductive coils aligned substantially parallel to the one or more enclosures and a further set of one or more conductive coils respectively surrounding portions of the one or more enclosures. Currents may be provided to the sets of conductive coils to energize a gas within the confinement chamber into a plasma. Further, a heat-exchange system is provided that includes an inner wall, an intermediate wall, an outer wall, and pipe sections configured to carry coolant through cavities formed by the walls.

Abstract: A method of inductively energizing a plasma in a confinement chamber (110) is disclosed. A gas is introduced to the confinement chamber (110) and energized to form a plasma having a toroidal current defined by rotation of the plasma within the confinement chamber (110). Magnetic flux is injected into the confinement chamber (110) by applying current through conductive coils (126) of a helicity injector (120) with ends fluidly connected to the confinement chamber (110). Voltage (122) is applied across the ends of the helicity injector (120) to create edge currents around an outer surface of the plasma in the confinement chamber (110) and asymmetric magnetic perturbations across the plasma sufficient to couple adjacent zonal flows. Magnetic flux (126) is injected and voltage (122) is applied across the helicity injector periodically and in phase at a frequency that exceeds 5.8 kilohertz. Gas is removed from the confinement chamber (110) to achieve a plasma density sufficient for separatrix formation.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for producing deuterium targets or pellets of 25.mu. to 75.mu. diameter. The pellets are sliced from a continuously spun solid deuterium thread at a rate of up to 10 pellets/second. The pellets after being sliced from the continuous thread of deuterium are collimated and directed to a point of use, such as a laser activated combustion or explosion chamber wherein the pellets are imploded by laser energy or laser produced target plasmas for neutral beam injection.