System for supporting structures immersed in plasma

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9959941-B2
Application number	US-201414242923-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2014
Priority date	Apr 3, 2013
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A fusion reactor includes an enclosure having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a midpoint substantially equidistant between the first and second ends of the enclosure. The fusion reactor includes two internal magnetic coils suspended within the enclosure and positioned on opposite sides of the midpoint of the enclosure, one or more encapsulating magnetic coils positioned on each side of the midpoint of the enclosure, two mirror magnetic coils positioned on opposite sides of the midpoint of the enclosure, and one or more support stalks for supporting the two internal magnetic coils suspended within the enclosure. The one or more encapsulating magnetic coils and the two mirror magnetic coils are coaxial with the internal magnetic coils. The magnetic coils are operable, when supplied with electric currents, to form magnetic fields for confining plasma within the enclosure.

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;
two superconducting 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;

wherein the internal magnetic coils each have a radius configured to balance the relative field strength between a plurality of point cusps and a plurality of ring cusps;
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;
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; and
one or more support stalks supporting the two internal magnetic coils suspended within 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 support stalks have a cross-sectional shape of an ellipsoid; and
a cross-section of the one or more support stalks is thinner along an axis orthogonal to a direction of the magnetic fields.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the one or more support stalks is coated to provide sputtering resistance to impacting plasma.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more support stalks comprise:
a plurality of first current carrying wires disposed within a cavity of the one or more support stalk carrying current in a first direction through the one or more support stalks; and
a plurality of second current carrying wires disposed within the cavity of the one or more support stalk carrying current in a second direction that is opposite the first direction through the one or more support stalks;
wherein the plurality of first current carrying wires and the plurality of second current carrying wires are configured to shield the one or more support stalks from impacting plasma.

5. 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 superconducting 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;
wherein the internal magnetic coils each have a radius configured to balance the relative field strength between a plurality of point cusps and a plurality of ring cusps;
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;
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;
a center magnetic coil co-axial with a center axis of the enclosure and located proximate to the midpoint of the enclosure;
one or more support stalks supporting the two internal magnetic coils suspended within the enclosure; 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.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein:
the one or more support stalks have a cross-sectional shape of an ellipsoid; and
a cross-section of the one or more support stalks is thinner along an axis orthogonal to a direction of the magnetic fields.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more support stalks are located in cusp plasma recirculation zones where the plasma is least dense.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the surface of the one or more support stalks is coated to provide sputtering resistance to impacting plasma.

9. The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more support stalks comprise:
a plurality of first current carrying wires disposed within a cavity of the one or more support stalk carrying current in a first direction through the one or more support stalks; and
a plurality of second current carrying wires disposed within the cavity of the one or more support stalk carrying current in a second direction that is opposite the first direction through the one or more support stalks;
wherein the plurality of first current carrying wires and the plurality of second current carrying wires are configured to shield the one or more support stalks from impacting plasma.

10. 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.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the two internal magnetic coils comprise at least a first shielding surrounding the internal magnetic coil and each of the two internal magnetic coils is suspended within the enclosure by at least one support.

12. The system of claim 5 , 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 magne

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Mcguire Thomas John

Classifications

• G21B1/057

  Tokamaks · 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

• G21B1/052 Primary

  reversed field configuration · CPC title

• Y02E30/10

  Nuclear fusion reactors · CPC title