Ion production system with fibrous lattice for ion collection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12112859-B2
Application number	US-202217957310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2022
Priority date	Oct 1, 2021
Publication date	Oct 8, 2024
Grant date	Oct 8, 2024

Abstract

A method that includes accelerating a plurality of ytterbium ions toward a lattice of carbon fibers; wherein at least a portion of the plurality of ytterbium ions is a plurality of ytterbium-176 ions. The method further includes isolating the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions from the plurality of ytterbium ions; and capturing the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions in the lattice of carbon fibers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
accelerating a plurality of ytterbium ions toward a lattice of carbon fibers; wherein at least a portion of the plurality of ytterbium ions is a plurality of ytterbium-176 ions;
isolating the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions from the plurality of ytterbium ions; and
capturing the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions in the lattice of carbon fibers.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising burning the lattice of carbon fibers to obtain a residue comprising the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions comprises
applying a magnetic field to the plurality of ytterbium ions using a magnetic analyzer, thereby mass separating the plurality of ytterbium ions; and
blocking a portion of the plurality of ytterbium ions using a mass-resolving aperture positioned between the magnetic analyzer and the lattice of carbon fibers, wherein the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions pass through the mass-resolving aperture.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein accelerating the plurality of ytterbium ions toward the lattice of carbon fibers comprises providing the plurality of ytterbium ions with energies greater than 100V.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein capturing the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions in the lattice of carbon fibers comprises decelerating the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions by deflecting the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions off of a plurality of the carbon fibers of lattice of carbon fibers.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising increasing an area of the lattice of carbon fibers that captures the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions by operating an actuator to rotate or translate the lattice of carbon fibers.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lattice of carbon fibers comprises multiple layers of a fibrous carbon material.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lattice of carbon fibers comprises carbon fibers arranged in a plurality of directions.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions from the plurality of ytterbium ions comprises applying a magnetic field to the plurality of ytterbium ions using a magnetic analyzer, thereby mass separating the plurality of ytterbium ions.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein isolating the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions from the plurality of ytterbium ions comprises blocking a portion of the plurality of ytterbium ions using a mass-resolving aperture positioned between the magnetic analyzer and the lattice of carbon fibers, wherein the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions pass through the mass-resolving aperture.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein capturing the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions in the lattice of carbon fibers includes holding the lattice of carbon fibers at a target voltage.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising reducing the target voltage to zero before disconnecting the lattice of carbon fibers from a voltage source.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the lattice of carbon fibers and replacing the lattice of carbon fibers with a new lattice of carbon fibers.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions from the lattice of carbon fibers; collecting the plurality of ytterbium-176 ions in a receptacle; and reusing the lattice of carbon fibers.

15. The method of claim 6 , wherein operating the actuator to rotate or translate the lattice of carbon fibers further includes mechanically coupling the lattice of carbon fibers to an interior plate within a vacuum chamber and magnetically coupling the interior plate to an exterior plate outside of the vacuum chamber; wherein the actuator drives rotation or translation of the exterior plate, which magnetically transfers the rotation or translation to the interior plate.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising cooling the exterior plate to increase the heat flow away from the lattice of carbon fibers.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising heating the exterior plate to increase the heat flow to from the lattice of carbon fibers.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising producing a plurality of ytterbium ions with an ion source.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein producing the plurality of ytterbium ions includes emitting electrons from a filament to ionize a ytterbium vapor.

Assignees

• Shine Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Cherekdjian Sarko
• Sisson Rich

Classifications

• B01D59/50

  Separation involving two or more processes covered by different groups selected from groups B01D59/02, B01D59/10, B01D59/20, B01D59/22, B01D59/28, B01D59/34, B01D59/36, B01D59/38, B01D59/44 · CPC title

• B01D59/38

  Separation by electrochemical methods (in general B01J) · CPC title

• B01D59/30 Primary

  by ion exchange · CPC title

• G21G2001/0094

  Other isotopes not provided for in the groups listed above · CPC title

• H01J2237/31701

  Ion implantation · CPC title