Systems and methods for merging and compressing compact tori

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10217532-B2
Application number	US-201715483984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2017
Priority date	Oct 13, 2014
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

Systems and methods utilizing successive, axially symmetric acceleration and adiabatic compression stages to heat and accelerate two compact tori towards each other and ultimately collide and compress the compact tori within a central chamber. Alternatively, systems and methods utilizing successive, axially asymmetric acceleration and adiabatic compression stages to heat and accelerate a first compact toroid towards and position within a central chamber and to heat and accelerate a second compact toroid towards the central chamber and ultimately collide and merge the first and second compact toroids and compress the compact merge tori within the central chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for merging and compressing compact tori plasma comprising
a compression chamber,
first and second formation sections, the first and second formation sections being diametrically opposed and comprising modularized formation and acceleration systems for generating first and second plasma compact tori and axially accelerating the compact tori and translating the compact tori towards a mid-plane of the compression chamber,
first and second compression sections coupled on a first end to an exit end of the first and second formation sections, the first and second compression sections being diametrically opposed and configured to adiabatically compress the compact tori as the compact tori traverse the first and second compression sections towards the mid-plane of the compression chamber,
first and second acceleration sections coupled on a first end to a second end of the first and second compression sections, the first and second acceleration sections being diametrically opposed and comprising modularized acceleration systems for axially accelerating the compact tori and translating the compact tori towards the mid-plane of the compression chamber, and
third and fourth compression sections coupled on a first end to a second end of the first and second acceleration sections and on a second end to first and second diametrically opposed ends of the compression chamber, the third and fourth compression sections being diametrically opposed and configured to adiabatically compress the compact tori as the compact tori traverse the third and fourth compression sections towards the mid-plane of the compression chamber.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compression chamber is configured to magnetically compressing the compact tori upon collision and merger thereof.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the compression chamber comprises a modularized acceleration system for magnetically compressing the compact tori upon collision and merger thereof.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second formation sections, the first and second acceleration sections and the compression chamber are cylindrically shaped, the diameter of the first and second acceleration sections being smaller than the diameter of the first and second formation sections and the diameter of the compression chamber being than the diameter of the first and second acceleration sections.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first, second, third and fourth compression sections are truncated conically shaped with the diameter of the first, second, third and fourth compression section being larger on first end than on the second end.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first and second formation sections, the first and second compression sections, the first and second acceleration sections and the third and fourth compression sections are axially symmetric.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of active magnetic coils are disposed about and axially along the first and second formation sections, the first and second acceleration sections, and the compression chamber.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising triggering control and switch systems configured to enable a staged symmetric sequence of compact tori formation in the first and second formation sections and axial acceleration by active magnetic coils in the first and second acceleration sections.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the triggering control and switch systems are configured to synchronize the compact tori formation and acceleration in the first and second formation sections and synchronize the compact tori acceleration in the first and second acceleration sections.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the triggering control and switch systems are further configured to synchronize the magnetic compression with the compact tori formation and acceleration in the first and second formation sections and the compact tori acceleration in the first and second acceleration sections.

11. The systems of claim 7 further comprising a plurality of DC magnetic coils disposed about and axially along the compression chamber and the formation, compression and acceleration sections to form a bias or DC guide field within and extending axially through the compression chamber and the formation, compression and acceleration sections.

12. The system of claim 1 further comprising a cylindrical shell or liner positioned within the compression chamber for fast liner compression.

13. A system for merging and compressing compact tori plasma comprising
a compression chamber,
a formation section, the formation section comprising modularized formation and acceleration sections for generating a compact toroid and axially accelerating the compact toroid and translating the compact toroid towards a mid-plane of the compression chamber,
a first compression section coupled on a first end to an exit end of the formation section, the first compression section being configured to adiabatically compress the compact toroid as the compact toroid traverses the first compression section towards the mid-plane of the compression chamber,
an acceleration section coupled on a first end to a second end of the first compression section, the acceleration section comprising modularized acceleration systems for axially accelerating the compact toroid and translating the compact toroid towards the mid-plane of the compression chamber,
a second compression section coupled on a first end to a second end of the acceleration section and on a second end to a first end of the compression chamber, the second compression section being configured to adiabatically compress the compact toroid as the compact toroid traverses the second compression section towards the mid-plane of the compression chamber.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the compression chamber is configured to magnetically compress the compact toroid.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the formation section, the acceleration section and the compression chamber are cylindrically shaped, the diameter of the acceleration section being smaller than the diameter of the formation section and the diameter of the compression chamber being smaller than the diameter of the acceleration section.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the first and second compression sections are trunco-conically shaped with the diameter of the first and second compression sections being larger on the first end than on the second end.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the formation section, the first and second compression sections, the acceleration section, and the compression chamber are axially aligned.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein a plurality of active magnetic coils are disposed about and axially along the formation section, the acceleration section, and the compression chamber.

19. The system of claim 13 , further comprising triggering control and switch systems configured to enable a staged sequence of compact toroid formation and axial acceleration by active magnetic coils.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the triggering control and switch systems are further configured to enable magnetic compression of the compact toroid by active magnetic coils in a staged sequence following the staged sequence of compact toroid formation and axial acceleration by active magnetic coils.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the triggering control and switch systems are configured to synchronize the compact toroid formation and acceleration

Assignees

• Tae Tech Inc

Inventors

• Binderbauer Michl W
• Bystritskii Vitaly
• Tajima Toshiki

Classifications

• G21B1/03 Primary

  with inertial plasma confinement · CPC title

• H05H1/16

  using externally-applied electric and magnetic fields · CPC title

• H05H1/54

  Plasma accelerators · CPC title

• G21B3/006 Primary

  Fusion by impact, e.g. cluster/beam interaction, ion beam collisions, impact on a target · CPC title

• G21B1/052

  reversed field configuration · CPC title