With Solid Internal Conductor Patents (Class 376/137)
  • Patent number: 11107592
    Abstract: A device and method for generating plasma conditions for deuterium-tritium and advanced fuel thermonuclear fusion consisting of an inner helicity-containing plasma such as a spheromak compact toroid bounded by a plurality of outer cusped magnetic fields. Helicity driven by steady-inductive helicity injectors energizes the plasmoid with helicity. The device further includes means for driving fluid rotation about the device axis, about the device magnetic axis, and means for a hot electron sheath. Means are also provided for reducing particle losses out through the open cusp field lines through helicity injector rectification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Inventor: Daniel Prater
  • Patent number: 9911581
    Abstract: A device for detecting includes a cathode forming a hollow sphere, filled with an ionisation and amplification gas, and an anode placed at the centre of the hollow sphere by the intermediary of a maintaining cane, wherein the anode is formed by an insulating ball and by at least two conductive balls positioned around the insulating ball and at the same predetermined distance from the insulating ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT À L'ÉNERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ÉNERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Ioannis Giomataris, Patrick Magnier, Jacques Derre
  • Publication number: 20130287156
    Abstract: A device and method for penetrating the Coulomb barrier is disclosed. An electrode is positioned within a hollow shell, the shell enclosing an inner space containing a fusion reactive fuel such as deuterium. The inner space with the fuel is coaxially centered about the electrode, and a confinement layer made of a high dielectric strength material is located at the outer edge of the inner space, on the inside surface of the spherical shell. A high voltage power source charges the electrode, which causes a tightly packed fusion fuel nucleus cloud such as a deuteron cloud to form on the inner face of the confinement layer, facilitating coulomb barrier penetration. Using the device of the invention, conditions can also be created which enable Coulomb barrier penetration by firing nuclei towards the cloud of nuclei by applying high voltage pulses to the electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Inventor: Azaroghly YAZDANBOD
  • Publication number: 20080285700
    Abstract: A stellarator made of magnetic material containing nuclear fused gases with plasma the result and magnetic helical coils around stellarator. This is not a vacuum. The driving power source for this invention is the electromagnetic waves. Electromagnetic radiation is resulted into a laser light beam due to total reflection from three planar mirrors arranged at right angles and clear quartz crystal deformed into the optical shape meniscus concave and the focal point of crystal are where the beams are focused and highly concentrated into a piercing glow of light and the crystal has then naturally formed the laser light beam and laser beam is then virtually beamed through spherical concave mirrors focal point and laser light beam ignites Co2 and neon plasma. Infinite wave is formed by unique frequency and shape of clear quartz crystal and its optical properties. And the 12 o'clock midday sun.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2007
    Publication date: November 20, 2008
    Inventor: Carolyn Davis
  • Patent number: 6680993
    Abstract: A method of producing an isotope comprising directing electrons at a converting material coated with a coating material, the coating material having an atomic number of n, whereby interaction of the electrons with the converting material produces photons, and whereby the photons produced interact with the coating material to produce an isotope having an atomic number of n−1. In preferred embodiments, the converting material is Tungsten, the coating material having an atomic number of n is Radium-226, and the isotope having an atomic number of n−1 is Radium-225.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 20, 2004
    Inventors: Stanley Satz, Scott Schenter
  • Patent number: 4992696
    Abstract: The present invention identifies several configurations of conducting elements capable of supporting extremely high magnetic fields suitable for plasma confinement, wherein forces experienced by the conducting elements are significantly reduced over those which are present as a result of the generation of such high fields by conventional techniques. It is anticipated that the use of superconducting materials will both permit the attainment of such high fields and further permit such fields to be generated with vastly improved efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Melvin L. Prueitt, Fred M. Mueller, James L. Smith
  • Patent number: 4931251
    Abstract: An experimental nuclear fusion reactor comprising a coaxial plasma gun which has an outer electrode and an inner electrode arranged coaxially with each other, a metallic container which generates an annular plasma round a center conductor and which holds a poroidal magnetic flux, an inlet which introduces a plasma from the coaxial plasma gun into the container, and conductor members which electrically connect the center conductor, either of the outer and inner electrodes, the inlet and the container in succession so as to form a closed circuit, wherein current to flow through the closed circuit is controlled to hold a toroidal magnetic flux of the annular plasma.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 1989
    Date of Patent: June 5, 1990
    Assignees: Kenji Watanabe, Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Kenji Watanabe, Tadao Uyama, Norio Satomi, Masahiro Nishikawa, Satorou Yamaguchi, Ichiro Nakazawa
  • Patent number: 4894199
    Abstract: A fusion device provides for the reaction of atomic nuclei, preferably deuterons and tritons, to generate reaction products with kinetic energies convertible to useful energy. First and second sources of first and second positive ions provide such ions at temperatures in a range where the ions have a substantially optimum cross section for mutual reaction. The respective ions are accelerated to substantially the same mean velocity and formed into respective beams. The beams are neutralized and directed into a portion of a reaction chamber substantially orthogonally of a substantially constant unidirectional magnetic field as first and second polarized beams of respective first and second positive hot ions. The polarization of the first and second polarized beams is drained, preferably by a plasma created in the portion of the reaction chamber, to separate the neutralizing electrons from the respective first and second positive hot ions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 1987
    Date of Patent: January 16, 1990
    Inventor: Norman Rostoker
  • Patent number: 4713208
    Abstract: An inductive transformer in the form of a solenoidal coils aligned along the major axis of a flux core induces poloidal flux along the flux core's axis. The current in the solenoidal coil is then reversed resulting in a poloidal flux swing and the conversion of a portion of the poloidal flux to a toroidal flux in generating a spheromak plasma wherein equilibrium approaches a force-free, minimum Taylor state during plasma formation, independent of the initial conditions or details of the formation. The spheromak plasma is sustained with the Taylor state maintained by oscillating the currents in the poloidal and toroidal field coils within the plasma-forming flux core. The poloidal flux transformer may be used either as an amplifier stage in a moving plasma reactor scenario for initial production of a spheromak plasma or as a method for sustaining a stationary plasma and further heating it.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1987
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Harold P. Furth, Alan C. Janos, Tadao Uyama, Masaaki Yamada
  • Patent number: 4687617
    Abstract: The inductively formed spheromak plasma can be maintained in a highly stable and controlled fashion. Steady-state operation is obtained by forming the plasma in the linked mode, then oscillating the poloidal and toroidal fields such that they have different phases. Preferably, the poloidal and magnetic fields are 90.degree. out of phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 1985
    Date of Patent: August 18, 1987
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Alan C. Janos, Stephen C. Jardin, Masaaki Yamada
  • Patent number: 4476085
    Abstract: This invention relates to passive conducting loops for stabilizing a plasma ring against unstable tilting and/or shifting modes. To this end, for example, plasma ring in a spheromak is stabilized by a set of four figure-8 shaped loops having one pair on one side of the plasma and one pair on the other side with each pair comprising two loops whose axes are transverse to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 1982
    Date of Patent: October 9, 1984
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Stephen C. Jardin, Uffe R. Christensen
  • Patent number: 4436691
    Abstract: An inductive method and apparatus for forming detached spheromak plasma using a thin-walled metal toroidal ring, with external current leads and internal poloidal and toroidal field coils located inside a vacuum chamber filled with low density hydrogen gas and an external axial field generating coil. The presence of a current in the poloidal field coils, and an externally generated axial field sets up the initial poloidal field configuration in which the field is strongest toward the major axis of the toroid. The internal toroidal-field-generating coil is then pulsed on, ionizing the gas and inducing poloidal current and toroidal magnetic field into the plasma region in the sleeve exterior to and adjacent to the ring and causing the plasma to expand away from the ring and toward the major axis. Next the current in the poloidal field coils in the ring is reversed. This induces toroidal current into the plasma and causes the poloidal magnetic field lines to reconnect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1981
    Date of Patent: March 13, 1984
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Stephen C. Jardin, Masaaki Yamada, Harold P. Furth, Mitcheo Okabayashi
  • Patent number: 4430290
    Abstract: A plasma confining device is provided with a deflection magnetic field device which sets magnetic flux perpendicularly to a central plane of sheet-shaped charged particle flow formed by charged particles which have escaped from a plasma confined by a cusp magnetic field or a mirror magnetic field through the line cusp or linear open end thereof, an edge of the deflection magnetic field being perpendicular to the direction of motion of the sheet-shaped charged particle flow, so that each charged particle, composing the sheet-shaped charged particle flow, is changed in its direction of motion reversely and forced to reenter into the plasma without remarkable loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1981
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1984
    Inventor: Yuichi Kiryu
  • Patent number: 4363776
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for forming a detached, compact toroidally shaped spheromak plasma by an inductive mechanism. A generally spheroidal vacuum vessel (1) houses a toroidally shaped flux ring or core (2) which contains poloidal and toroidal field generating coils. A plasma discharge occurs with the pulsing of the toroidal field coil, and the plasma is caused to expand away from the core (2) and toward the center of the vacuum vessel (1). When the plasma is in an expanded state, a portion of it is pinched off in order to form a separate, detached spheromak plasma configuration. The detached plasma is supported by a magnetic field generated by externally arranged equilibrium field coils (5).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 1980
    Date of Patent: December 14, 1982
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Masaaki Yamada, Harold P. Furth, Thomas H. Stix, Alan M. M. Todd
  • Patent number: 4354998
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for clearing thermal barrier regions of trapped ions in a tandem mirror fusion reactor apparatus utilizing a bend at each end of the cylindrical plasma chamber within which bend the thermal barrier is positioned. Ions trapped in said thermal barrier are caused by said bend to drift in a direction perpendicular to the incident magnetic field and the direction of centrifugal force, such that said ions are enabled to be collected in a divertor positioned along said ion drift path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1979
    Date of Patent: October 19, 1982
    Assignee: General Atomic Company
    Inventor: Tihiro Ohkawa
  • Patent number: H24
    Abstract: For use in a tokamak fusion reactor having a midplane magnetic coil on the inner wall of an evacuated toriodal chamber within which a neutral beam heated, fusing plasma is magnetically confined, a neutral beam armor shield and plasma limiter is provided on the inner wall of the toroidal chamber to shield the midplane coil from neutral beam shine-thru and plasma deposition. The armor shield/plasma limiter forms a semicircular enclosure around the midplane coil with the outer surface of the armor shield/plasma limiter shaped to match, as closely as practical, the inner limiting magnetic flux surface of the toroidally confined, indented, bean-shaped plasma. The armor shield/plasma limiter includes a plurality of semicircular graphite plates each having a pair of coupled upper and lower sections with each plate positioned in intimate contact with an adjacent plate on each side thereof so as to form a closed, planar structure around the entire outer periphery of the circular midplane coil.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 1985
    Date of Patent: February 4, 1986
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
    Inventors: Henry W. Kugel, Samuel W. Hand, Jr, Haig Ksayian