Magnetic field plasma confinement for compact fusion power

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9947420-B2
Application number	US-201414242999-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2014
Priority date	Apr 3, 2013
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

In one embodiment, a fusion reactor includes a plurality of internal magnetic coils suspended within an enclosure, one or more center magnetic coils coaxial with the plurality of internal magnetic coils, a plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils coaxial with the internal magnetic coils, and a plurality of mirror magnetic coils coaxial with the internal magnetic coils. The encapsulating magnetic coils maintain a magnetic wall that prevents plasma within the enclosure from expanding.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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;

a plurality of internal magnetic coils suspended within an interior of the enclosure and co-axial with a center axis of the enclosure, each of the plurality of internal magnetic coils having a perimeter that defines a plane having an interior region extending inwardly from the perimeter towards a center of the internal magnetic coil and an exterior region extending outwardly from the perimeter and the center of the internal magnetic coil, wherein the plurality of the internal magnetic coils are operable to confine plasma within the enclosure in at least both the exterior regions and the interior regions of each of the plurality of internal magnetic coils, the plurality of internal magnetic coils comprising:
at least one first internal magnetic coil located between the midpoint and first end of the enclosure; and
at least one second internal magnetic coil located between the midpoint and the second end of the enclosure;

a plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils co-axial with the center axis of the enclosure, the encapsulating magnetic coils having a larger diameter than the plurality of internal magnetic coils, the plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils comprising:
at least one first encapsulating magnetic coil located between the midpoint and the first end of the enclosure; and
at least one second encapsulating magnetic coil located between the midpoint and the second end of the enclosure;

a center magnetic coil co-axial with the center axis of the enclosure and located proximate to the midpoint of the enclosure; and
a plurality of mirror magnetic coils co-axial with the center axis of the enclosure and comprising:
at least one first mirror magnetic coil located between the midpoint and first end of the enclosure; and
at least one second mirror magnetic coil located between the midpoint and 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 plurality of 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 are configured to supply:
a plurality of first electrical currents flowing in a first direction through the plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils, the center magnetic coil, and the plurality of mirror magnetic coils; and
a plurality of second electrical currents flowing in a second direction that is opposite from the first direction through the plurality of internal magnetic coils.

3. 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 plurality of 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 plurality of mirror magnetic coils.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of internal magnetic coils comprises two internal magnetic coils on each side of the midpoint of the enclosure.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of mirror magnetic coils comprises two mirror magnetic coils on each side of the midpoint of the enclosure.

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;

at least two internal magnetic coils suspended within an interior of the enclosure, each of the at least two internal magnetic coils having a perimeter that defines a plane having an interior region extending inwardly from the perimeter towards a center of the internal magnetic coil and an exterior region extending outwardly from the perimeter and the center of the internal magnetic coil, wherein the at least two internal magnetic coils are operable to confine plasma within the enclosure in at least both the exterior regions and the interior regions of each of the at least two internal magnetic coils;
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;
at least two mirror magnetic coils coaxial with the internal magnetic coils; 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 plurality of 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 at least two internal magnetic coils.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein:
the at least two internal magnetic coils comprises:
two internal magnetic coils located between the center magnetic coil and the first end of the enclosure; and
two internal magnetic coils 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 or more encapsulating magnetic coils located between the first internal magnetic coil and the first end of the enclosure; and
a second set of two or more encapsulating magnetic coils located between the second internal magnetic coil and the second end of the enclosure; and

the at least two mirror 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. The system of claim 6 , wherein:
the at least two internal magnetic coils each comprises a toroidal shape; and
the encapsulating magnetic coils comprise a substantially square cross section.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least two internal magnetic coils comprises two internal magnetic coils on each side of the midpoint of the enclosure.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the at least two mirror magnetic coils comprises two mirror magnetic coils on each side of the midpoint of the enclosure.

12. The system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more coil systems are configured to supply:
a plurality of first electrical currents flowing in a first direction through the encapsulating magnetic coils and the at least two mirror magnetic coils; and
a plurality of second electrical currents flowing in a second direction that is opposite from the first direction through the at least two internal magnetic coils.

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Mcguire Thomas John

Classifications

• H05H1/14

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

• G21B1/052

  reversed field configuration · CPC title

• G21B1/05 Primary

  with magnetic or electric plasma confinement · CPC title

• Y02E30/126

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• Y02E30/122

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic