Patents by Inventor Eric T. Meier

Eric T. Meier 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).

  • Publication number: 20230377762
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for increasing energy output from Z-pinch and other plasma confinement systems. In one example, a system may include memory storing instructions that, if executed by one or more processors, cause the system to adjust one or more parameters to generate a magnetic field which is sufficiently strong to axially compress a fuel gas to induce thermonuclear fusion and increase a fusion energy gain factor greater than a fusion energy gain factor limit attainable by the thermonuclear fusion. In certain examples, adjusting the one or more parameters may include adjusting a duty cycle of a discharge current applied to the fuel gas based, at least in part, on an amount of thermal collisions between fusion byproducts and the fuel gas. In certain examples, by adjusting the duty cycle, the magnetic field may be adjusted to induce or increase the thermal collisions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Peter H. Stoltz, Eric T. Meier, Uri Shumlak, Brian A. Nelson
  • Patent number: 11758640
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for plasma confinement utilizing various electrode and valve configurations. In one example, a device includes a first electrode positioned to define an outer boundary of an acceleration volume, a second electrode arranged coaxially with respect to the first electrode and positioned to define an inner boundary of the acceleration volume, at least one power supply to drive an electric current along a Z-pinch plasma column between the first second electrodes, and a set of valves to provide gas to the acceleration volume to fuel the Z-pinch plasma column, wherein an electron flow of the electric current is in a first direction from the second electrode to the first electrode. In additional or alternative examples, a shaping part is conductively connected to the second electrode to, in a presence of the gas, cause a gas breakdown of the gas to generate a sheared flow velocity profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: ZAP ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Uri Shumlak, Brian A. Nelson, Eric T. Meier
  • Patent number: 11744001
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for plasma confinement utilizing various electrode and valve configurations. In one example, a device includes a first electrode positioned to define an outer boundary of an acceleration volume, a second electrode arranged coaxially with respect to the first electrode and positioned to define an inner boundary of the acceleration volume, at least one power supply to drive an electric current along a Z-pinch plasma column between the first second electrodes, and a set of valves to provide gas to the acceleration volume to fuel the Z-pinch plasma column, wherein an electron flow of the electric current is in a first direction from the second electrode to the first electrode. In additional or alternative examples, a shaping part is conductively connected to the second electrode to, in a presence of the gas, cause a gas breakdown of the gas to generate a sheared flow velocity profile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: ZAP ENERGY, INC.
    Inventors: Eric T. Meier, Brian A. Nelson, Uri Shumlak
  • Publication number: 20220392651
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for plasma confinement utilizing various electrode and valve configurations. In one example, a device includes a first electrode positioned to define an outer boundary of an acceleration volume, a second electrode arranged coaxially with respect to the first electrode and positioned to define an inner boundary of the acceleration volume, at least one power supply to drive an electric current along a Z-pinch plasma column between the first second electrodes, and a set of valves to provide gas to the acceleration volume to fuel the Z-pinch plasma column, wherein an electron flow of the electric current is in a first direction from the second electrode to the first electrode. In additional or alternative examples, a shaping part is conductively connected to the second electrode to, in a presence of the gas, cause a gas breakdown of the gas to generate a sheared flow velocity profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Eric T. Meier, Brian A. Nelson, Uri Shumlak
  • Publication number: 20220394838
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for plasma confinement utilizing various electrode and valve configurations. In one example, a device includes a first electrode positioned to define an outer boundary of an acceleration volume, a second electrode arranged coaxially with respect to the first electrode and positioned to define an inner boundary of the acceleration volume, at least one power supply to drive an electric current along a Z-pinch plasma column between the first second electrodes, and a set of valves to provide gas to the acceleration volume to fuel the Z-pinch plasma column, wherein an electron flow of the electric current is in a first direction from the second electrode to the first electrode. In additional or alternative examples, a shaping part is conductively connected to the second electrode to, in a presence of the gas, cause a gas breakdown of the gas to generate a sheared flow velocity profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Uri Shumlak, Brian A. Nelson, Eric T. Meier
  • Publication number: 20220394840
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for plasma confinement utilizing various electrode and valve configurations. In one example, a device includes a first electrode positioned to define an outer boundary of an acceleration volume, a second electrode arranged coaxially with respect to the first electrode and positioned to define an inner boundary of the acceleration volume, at least one power supply to drive an electric current along a Z-pinch plasma column between the first second electrodes, and a set of valves to provide gas to the acceleration volume to fuel the Z-pinch plasma column, wherein an electron flow of the electric current is in a first direction from the second electrode to the first electrode. In additional or alternative examples, a shaping part is conductively connected to the second electrode to, in a presence of the gas, cause a gas breakdown of the gas to generate a sheared flow velocity profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Eric T. Meier, Brian A. Nelson, Uri Shumlak
  • Publication number: 20220394839
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for plasma confinement utilizing various electrode and valve configurations. In one example, a device includes a first electrode positioned to define an outer boundary of an acceleration volume, a second electrode arranged coaxially with respect to the first electrode and positioned to define an inner boundary of the acceleration volume, at least one power supply to drive an electric current along a Z-pinch plasma column between the first second electrodes, and a set of valves to provide gas to the acceleration volume to fuel the Z-pinch plasma column, wherein an electron flow of the electric current is in a first direction from the second electrode to the first electrode. In additional or alternative examples, a shaping part is conductively connected to the second electrode to, in a presence of the gas, cause a gas breakdown of the gas to generate a sheared flow velocity profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Uri Shumlak, Brian A. Nelson, Eric T. Meier