Magnetic Field Plasma Confinement for Compact Fusion Power

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018068748-A1
Application number	US-201414242939-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 2, 2014
Priority date	Apr 3, 2013
Publication date	Mar 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, a fusion reactor includes two internal magnetic coils suspended within an enclosure, a center magnetic coil coaxial with the two internal magnetic coils and located proximate to a midpoint of the enclosure, a plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils coaxial with the internal magnetic coils, and two mirror magnetic coil coaxial with the internal magnetic coils. The encapsulating magnetic coils preserve the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability of the fusion reactor by maintaining a magnetic wall that prevents plasma within the enclosure from expanding.

First claim

1 . A system comprising:
an enclosure comprising: a first end and a second end that is opposite from the first end; and a midpoint that is substantially equidistant between the first and second ends of the enclosure; two internal magnetic coils suspended within an interior of the enclosure and co-axial with a center axis of the enclosure, the two internal magnetic coils each having a toroidal shape, the two internal magnetic coils comprising:
a first internal magnetic coil located between the midpoint and first end of the enclosure; and
a second internal magnetic coil located between the midpoint and the second end of the enclosure;
a plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils co-axial with a center axis of the enclosure, the encapsulating magnetic coils having a larger diameter than the internal magnetic coils, the plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils comprising:
at least two first encapsulating magnetic coils located between the midpoint and the first end of the enclosure; and
at least two second encapsulating magnetic coils located between the midpoint and the second end of the enclosure;
a center magnetic coil co-axial with a center axis of the enclosure and located proximate to the midpoint of the enclosure; and two mirror magnetic coils co-axial with a center axis of the enclosure and comprising:
a first mirror magnetic coil located proximate to the first end of the enclosure; and
a second mirror magnetic coil located proximate to the second end of the enclosure;
one or more coil systems configured to supply the magnetic coils with electrical currents, to form magnetic fields for confining plasma within a magnetized sheath in the enclosure, wherein the magnetized sheath and plasma confined within the magnetized sheath encircle each of the two internal magnetic coils; wherein the center magnetic coil is disposed outside the interior of the enclosure.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more coil systems comprise:
a center coil system configured to supply first electrical currents flowing in a first direction through the center magnetic coil; an internal coil system configured to supply second electrical currents flowing in a second direction through each of the two internal magnetic coils; an encapsulating coil system configured to supply third electrical currents flowing in the first direction through each of the plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils; and a mirror coil system configured to supply fourth electrical currents flowing in the first direction through each of the two mirror magnetic coils.

3 . (canceled)

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure comprises an outer blanket and an inner blanket, the outer blanket comprising steel or iron and the inner blanket comprising beryllium or a mixture of lithium fluoride (LiF) and beryllium fluoride (BeF2)(FLiBe).

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the two internal magnetic coils comprises:
a core comprising a plurality of coil windings; an inner shield surrounding the core; a protective layer surrounding the inner shield; and an outer shield surrounding the protective layer.

6 . A system comprising:
an enclosure comprising: a first end and a second end that is opposite from the first end; and a midpoint that is substantially equidistant between the first and second ends of the enclosure; two internal magnetic coils suspended within an interior of the enclosure, each internal magnetic coil positioned on an opposite side of the midpoint of the enclosure from the other internal magnetic coil; one or more encapsulating magnetic coils positioned on each side of the midpoint of the enclosure, each encapsulating magnetic coil being coaxial with the internal magnetic coils; a center magnetic coil co-axial with the center axis of the enclosure and located proximate to the midpoint of the enclosure; two mirror magnetic coils coaxial with the internal magnetic coils, each mirror magnetic coil positioned on an opposite side of the midpoint of the enclosure from the other mirror magnetic coil; and one or more coil systems configured to supply the magnetic coils with electrical currents, to form magnetic fields for confining plasma within a magnetized sheath in the enclosure, wherein the magnetized sheath and plasma confined within the magnetized sheath encircle each of the two internal magnetic coils; wherein the center magnetic coil is disposed outside the interior of the enclosure.

7 . The system of claim 6 , further comprising a center magnetic coil located proximate to the midpoint of the enclosure, the center magnetic coil being coaxial with the internal magnetic coils.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the two internal magnetic coils comprises:
a first internal magnetic coil located between the center magnetic coil and the first end of the enclosure; and
a second internal magnetic coil located between the center magnetic coil and the second end of the enclosure;
the one or more encapsulating magnetic coils positioned on each side of the midpoint of the enclosure comprises:
a first set of two encapsulating magnetic coils located between the first internal magnetic coil and the first end of the enclosure; and
a second set of two encapsulating magnetic coils located between the second internal magnetic coil and the second end of the enclosure; and
the two minor magnetic coils comprises:
a first mirror magnetic coil located proximate to the first end of the enclosure; and
a second mirror magnetic coil located proximate to the second end of the enclosure.

9 . (canceled)

10 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the enclosure comprises an outer blanket and an inner blanket, the outer blanket comprising steel or iron and the inner blanket comprising beryllium or a mixture of lithium fluoride (LiF) and beryllium fluoride (BeF2)(FLiBe).

11 . The system of claim 6 , wherein each of the two internal magnetic coils comprises:
a core comprising a plurality of coil windings; an inner shield surrounding the core; a protective layer surrounding the inner shield; and an outer shield surrounding the protective layer.

12 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more coil systems comprise:
a center coil system configured to supply first electrical currents flowing in a first direction through the center magnetic coil; an internal coil system configured to supply second electrical currents flowing in a second direction through each of the two internal magnetic coils; an encapsulating coil system configured to supply third electrical currents flowing in the first direction through each of the plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils; and a mirror coil system configured to supply fourth electrical currents flowing in the first direction through each of the two mirror magnetic coils.

13 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the encapsulating magnetic coils are external to the enclosure.

14 . A system comprising:
two internal magnetic coils suspended within an interior of an enclosure; a center magnetic coil coaxial with the two internal magnetic coils and located proximate to a midpoint of the enclosure; a plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils coaxial with the internal magnetic coils, the encapsulating magnetic coils configured to enhance the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability of the fusion reactor by maintaining a magnetized sheath that confines plasma within the enclosure, wherein the magnetized sheath and plasma confined within the magnetized sheath encircle each of the two internal magnetic coils; and two mirror magnetic coil coaxial with the internal magnetic coils; where

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Mcguire Thomas John

Classifications

• G21B1/13

  First wall; Blanket; Divertor · CPC title

• G21B1/05 Primary

  with magnetic or electric plasma confinement · CPC title

• H05H1/14

  wherein the containment vessel is straight and has magnetic mirrors · CPC title

• G21B1/057 Primary

  Tokamaks · CPC title

• G21Y2002/303

  Physics · mapped topic