Patents by Inventor Sara Ferry

Sara Ferry 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: 20210280327
    Abstract: A “liquid sandwich” vacuum vessel for magnetic confinement fusion of plasma includes two rigid structural “bread” members that form a double-walled vessel and a non-structural “cheese” material disposed between the walls. The inner member is semi-conductive and encloses a volume of fusing plasma, while the outer member may contact a neutron shield (e.g. a molten salt blanket) and is corrosion-resistant. The non-structural material is solid at room temperature, but is molten during fusion, and is preferably lead. The structural members may be steel or silicon carbide, or similar structural material. During a disruption of fusion, excess electrical energy that escapes from the plasma into the vessel will primarily shear the liquid material rather than the structural members, allowing the “bread” to be thin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2021
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: Jeffrey Freidberg, Sara Ferry, Dennis G. Whyte, Caroline Sorensen, Ethan Peterson