Patents by Inventor Douglas Harvey Richardson
Douglas Harvey Richardson has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11399425Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2020Date of Patent: July 26, 2022Assignee: General Fusion Inc.Inventors: Stephen James Howard, Douglas Harvey Richardson, Michel Georges Laberge, Meritt Wayne Reynolds, Aaron Matthew Froese, Kelly Bernard Epp, Martin Clifford Wight, Yakov Gofman
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Publication number: 20220151054Abstract: 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.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 28, 2020Publication date: May 12, 2022Inventors: Stephen James Howard, Douglas Harvey Richardson, Michel Georges Laberge, Merritt Wayne Reynolds, Aaron Matthew Froese, Kelly Bernard Epp, Martin Clifford Wight, Yakov Gofman
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Patent number: 10092914Abstract: Examples of a jet control device are described. The jet control device can comprise a jet deflecting member that is configured to intercept and/or collide with a high speed jet emerging from a jet formation location. The interaction of the jet deflecting member and the jet can cause the high speed jet to be dispersed into a plurality of jets with a number of flow directions which may be sideways to an initial direction of the high speed jet. In one embodiment the deflecting member can include a liquid guide formed by injecting a fluid out of an outlet nozzle so that the liquid guide extends longitudinally away from the outlet nozzle. In another embodiment the deflecting member can include an array of solid pellets injected through an outlet in a direction of the emerging high speed jet and configured to collide with the emerging jet thereby deflecting its initial direction.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2016Date of Patent: October 9, 2018Assignee: General Fusion Inc.Inventors: Victoria Suponitsky, Sandra Justine Barsky, J. Michel G. Laberge, Douglas Harvey Richardson, Peter Leszek Kostka
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Publication number: 20160361729Abstract: Examples of a jet control device are described. The jet control device can comprise a jet deflecting member that is configured to intercept and/or collide with a high speed jet emerging from a jet formation location. The interaction of the jet deflecting member and the jet can cause the high speed jet to be dispersed into a plurality of jets with a number of flow directions which may be sideways to an initial direction of the high speed jet. In one embodiment the deflecting member can include a liquid guide formed by injecting a fluid out of an outlet nozzle so that the liquid guide extends longitudinally away from the outlet nozzle. In another embodiment the deflecting member can include an array of solid pellets injected through an outlet in a direction of the emerging high speed jet and configured to collide with the emerging jet thereby deflecting its initial direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 25, 2016Publication date: December 15, 2016Inventors: Victoria Suponitsky, Sandra Justine Barsky, J. Michel G. Laberge, Douglas Harvey Richardson, Peter Leszek Kostka
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Patent number: 9463478Abstract: Examples of a jet control device are described. The jet control device can comprise a jet deflecting member that is configured to intercept and/or collide with a high speed jet emerging from a jet formation location. The interaction of the jet deflecting member and the jet can cause the high speed jet to be dispersed into a plurality of jets with a number of flow directions which may be sideways to an initial direction of the high speed jet. In one embodiment the deflecting member can include a liquid guide formed by injecting a fluid out of an outlet nozzle so that the liquid guide extends longitudinally away from the outlet nozzle. In another embodiment the deflecting member can include an array of solid pellets injected through an outlet in a direction of the emerging high speed jet and configured to collide with the emerging jet thereby deflecting its initial direction.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2015Date of Patent: October 11, 2016Assignee: General Fusion Inc.Inventors: Victoria Suponitsky, Sandra Justine Barsky, J. Michel G. Laberge, Douglas Harvey Richardson, Peter Leszek Kostka
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Publication number: 20160150627Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for compressing plasma are disclosed in which plasma can be compressed by impact of a projectile on a magnetized plasma in a liquid metal cavity. The projectile can melt in the liquid metal cavity, and liquid metal may be recycled to form new projectiles.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2016Publication date: May 26, 2016Inventors: Stephen James Howard, Michel Georges Laberge, Lon McIlwraith, Douglas Harvey Richardson, James Gregson
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Publication number: 20160107176Abstract: Examples of a jet control device are described. The jet control device can comprise a jet deflecting member that is configured to intercept and/or collide with a high speed jet emerging from a jet formation location. The interaction of the jet deflecting member and the jet can cause the high speed jet to be dispersed into a plurality of jets with a number of flow directions which may be sideways to an initial direction of the high speed jet. In one embodiment the deflecting member can include a liquid guide formed by injecting a fluid out of an outlet nozzle so that the liquid guide extends longitudinally away from the outlet nozzle. In another embodiment the deflecting member can include an array of solid pellets injected through an outlet in a direction of the emerging high speed jet and configured to collide with the emerging jet thereby deflecting its initial direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2015Publication date: April 21, 2016Inventors: Victoria Suponitsky, Sandra Justine Barsky, J. Michel G. Laberge, Douglas Harvey Richardson, Peter Leszek Kostka
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Patent number: 9271383Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for compressing plasma are disclosed in which plasma can be compressed by impact of a projectile on a magnetized plasma in a liquid metal cavity. The projectile can melt in the liquid metal cavity, and liquid metal may be recycled to form new projectiles.Type: GrantFiled: October 20, 2014Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: General Fusion, Inc.Inventors: Stephen James Howard, Michel Georges Laberge, Lon McIlwraith, Douglas Harvey Richardson, James Gregson
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Patent number: 9267515Abstract: Examples of a jet control device are described. The jet control device can comprise a jet deflecting member that is configured to intercept and/or collide with a high speed jet emerging from a jet formation location. The interaction of the jet deflecting member and the jet can cause the high speed jet to be dispersed into a plurality of jets with a number of flow directions which may be sideways to an initial direction of the high speed jet. In one embodiment the deflecting member can include a liquid guide formed by injecting a fluid out of an outlet nozzle so that the liquid guide extends longitudinally away from the outlet nozzle. In another embodiment the deflecting member can include an array of solid pellets injected through an outlet in a direction of the emerging high speed jet and configured to collide with the emerging jet thereby deflecting its initial direction.Type: GrantFiled: April 4, 2013Date of Patent: February 23, 2016Assignee: General Fusion Inc.Inventors: Victoria Suponitsky, Sandra Justine Barsky, J. Michel G. Laberge, Douglas Harvey Richardson, Peter Leszek Kostka
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Publication number: 20150036777Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for compressing plasma are disclosed in which plasma can be compressed by impact of a projectile on a magnetized plasma in a liquid metal cavity. The projectile can melt in the liquid metal cavity, and liquid metal may be recycled to form new projectiles.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 20, 2014Publication date: February 5, 2015Inventors: Stephen James Howard, Michel Georges Laberge, Lon McIlwraith, Douglas Harvey Richardson, James Gregson
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Publication number: 20150034164Abstract: Examples of a jet control device are described. The jet control device can comprise a jet deflecting member that is configured to intercept and/or collide with a high speed jet emerging from a jet formation location. The interaction of the jet deflecting member and the jet can cause the high speed jet to be dispersed into a plurality of jets with a number of flow directions which may be sideways to an initial direction of the high speed jet. In one embodiment the deflecting member can include a liquid guide formed by injecting a fluid out of an outlet nozzle so that the liquid guide extends longitudinally away from the outlet nozzle. In another embodiment the deflecting member can include an array of solid pellets injected through an outlet in a direction of the emerging high speed jet and configured to collide with the emerging jet thereby deflecting its initial direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2013Publication date: February 5, 2015Inventors: Victoria Suponitsky, Sandra Justine Barsky, J. Michel G. Laberge, Douglas Harvey Richardson, Peter Leszek Kostka
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Patent number: 8891719Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for compressing plasma are disclosed in which plasma can be compressed by impact of a projectile on a magnetized plasma in a liquid metal cavity. The projectile can melt in the liquid metal cavity, and liquid metal may be recycled to form new projectiles.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2010Date of Patent: November 18, 2014Assignee: General Fusion, Inc.Inventors: Stephen James Howard, Michel Georges Laberge, Lon McIlwraith, Douglas Harvey Richardson, James Gregson
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Publication number: 20110243292Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for compressing plasma are disclosed in which plasma can be compressed by impact of a projectile on a magnetized plasma in a liquid metal cavity. The projectile can melt in the liquid metal cavity, and liquid metal may be recycled to form new projectiles.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2011Publication date: October 6, 2011Applicant: GENERAL FUSION, INC.Inventors: Stephen James HOWARD, Michel Georges LABERGE, Lon MCILWRAITH, Douglas Harvey RICHARDSON, James GREGSON
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Publication number: 20110026658Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods for compressing plasma are disclosed in which plasma can be compressed by impact of a projectile on a magnetized plasma in a liquid metal cavity. The projectile can melt in the liquid metal cavity, and liquid metal may be recycled to form new projectiles.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 28, 2010Publication date: February 3, 2011Applicant: General Fusion, Inc.Inventors: Stephen James Howard, Michel Georges Laberge, Lon McIlwraith, Douglas Harvey Richardson, James Gregson