# US 10,319,480 B2 · Fusion reactor using azimuthally accelerated plasma

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- Number: US 10,319,480 B2
- Document ID: US10319480B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/589,902
- Filed: 2017-05-08
- Published: 2017-12-14
- Granted: 2019-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2010-08-05
- Assignees: Alpha Ring International, Ltd.
- Applicants: Alpha Ring International, Ltd.
- Inventors: Alfred Y. Wong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10319480B2

## CPC

- G21B 1/05: with magnetic or electric plasma confinement
- G21B 1/19: Targets for producing thermonuclear fusion reactions, e.g. pellets for irradiation by laser or charged particle beams
- H05H 1/10: using externally-applied magnetic fields only {, e.g. Q-machines, Yin-Yang, base-ball}
- H05H 1/12: wherein the containment vessel forms a closed or nearly closed loop {(G21B1/05 takes precedence)}
- G21B 3/006: {Fusion by impact, e.g. cluster/beam interaction, ion beam collisions, impact on a target}
- Y02E 30/10: Nuclear fusion reactors
- G21B: FUSION REACTORS (uncontrolled reactors G21J)
- H05H: PLASMA TECHNIQUE (apparatus or processes specially adapted for producing X-rays H05G2/00); PRODUCTION OF ACCELERATED ELECTRICALLY-CHARGED PARTICLES OR OF NEUTRONS; PRODUCTION OR ACCELERATION OF NEUTRAL MOLECULAR OR ATOMIC BEAMS
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A weakly ionized plasma of ions and neutrals is generated from a first reactant in a confinement region. Orthogonal electric and magnetic fields induce azimuthal rotation of the ions around a longitudinal axis of the confinement region, the azimuthal rotation of the ions imparting azimuthal rotation to the neutrals of the first reactant, and promoting repeated collisions between one or both of the ions and the neutrals with a second reactant. The repeated collisions produce an interaction between the neutrals and the second reactant that produces a product having a nuclear mass that is different from a nuclear mass of any of the nuclei of the neutrals and the second reactant.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising:
a first electrode having a substantially cylindrical inner surface that has a longitudinal axis and forms at least a portion of a confining wall, wherein the confining wall at least partially encloses a confinement region;
a second electrode located within a region interior to the first electrode and separated from the first electrode by at least the confinement region;
at least one magnet configured to provide a magnetic field through the confinement region, at least a portion of the magnetic field in the confinement region being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis;
an inlet to the confinement region for permitting introduction of a fluid to the confinement region, the fluid containing a first reactant;
a second reactant; and
a control system comprising a voltage and/or current source and configured to: (a) control a potential of an electric field substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the potential being between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the potential being sufficient to produce an electrical current from the second electrode toward the first electrode;, (b) generate, from the first reactant, a weakly ionized plasma of ions and neutrals; and (c) produce a Lorentz force resulting from the electric field and the magnetic field that induces azimuthal rotation of the ions around the longitudinal axis, the azimuthal rotation of the ions imparting azimuthal rotation to neutrals of the first reactant, and promoting repeated collisions between one or both of the ions and the neutrals with the second reactant; wherein, during operation:
the repeated collisions produce an interaction between the neutrals and the second reactant that produces a product having a nuclear mass that is different from a nuclear mass of any of the nuclei of the neutrals and the second reactant, and,
a mole fraction of the ions to the neutrals in the weakly ionized plasma is in the range of about 0.0001% to about 1%.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one magnet comprises two permanent magnets separated from one another by at least the confinement region and in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one magnet comprises two permanent magnets radially separated from one another by at least the confinement region.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the confining wall is separable from the remainder of apparatus to allow replacement.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the confining wall comprises a refractory metal and/or a stainless steel.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interaction is a fusion reaction.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the fusion reaction is aneutronic.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second reactant comprises boron-11.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the neutrals comprise one or more of neutral hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising one or more electron emitters configured to emit, during operation, electrons into a region adjacent to the confining wall.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the electron emitters comprise boron or a boron-containing material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein, during operation, the confinement region proximate the confining wall comprises an electron rich region having an excess of electrons over positively charged particles of at least about 106/cm3.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein, during operation, the electron rich region has an electric field strength of at least about 106 V/m.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The apparatus of claim 12, wherein, during operation, the neutrals in the electron rich region have an energy of, on average, of between about 0.1 eV and 2 eV.

### Claim 15

A method comprising:
introducing a fluid to a confinement region through an inlet to the confinement region, the fluid containing a first reactant;
applying an electrical potential difference between a first electrode and a second electrode to produce an electrical current from the second electrode toward the first electrode, wherein:
the first electrode has a substantially cylindrical inner surface that has a longitudinal axis and forms at least a portion of a confining wall that at least partially encloses the confinement region;
the second electrode is located within a region interior to the first electrode and separated from the first electrode by at least the confinement region; and
at least one magnet is configured to provide a magnetic field through the confinement region, at least a portion of the magnetic field in the confinement region being substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis; and
operating a control system comprising a voltage and/or current source so as to: (a) control a potential of an electric field substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, the potential being between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the potential being sufficient to produce an electrical current from the second electrode toward the first electrode; (b) generate, from the first reactant, a weakly ionized plasma of ions and neutrals; and (c) produce a Lorentz force resulting from the electric field and the magnetic field that induces azimuthal rotation of the ions around the longitudinal axis, the azimuthal rotation of the ions imparting azimuthal rotation to neutrals of the first reactant, and promoting repeated collisions between one or both of the ions and the neutrals with a second reactant; wherein, during operation:
the repeated collisions produce an interaction between the neutrals and the second reactant that produces a product having a nuclear mass that is different from a nuclear mass of any of the nuclei of the neutrals and the second reactant, and,
a mole fraction of the ions to the neutrals in the weakly ionized plasma is in the range of about 0.0001% to about 1%.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one magnet comprises two permanent magnets separated from one another by at least the confinement region and in the direction of the axis of the substantially cylindrical inner surface of the first electrode.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one magnet comprises two permanent magnets radially separated from one another by at least the confinement region.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising separating at least a portion of the confinement wall from the remainder of apparatus to allow replacement.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the interaction is a fusion reaction.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, wherein the fusion reaction is aneutronic.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the second reactant comprises boron-11.

### Claim 22 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the neutrals comprise one or more of neutral hydrogen, deuterium, and tritium.

### Claim 23 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein, during operation, the confinement region proximate the confining wall comprises an electron rich region having an excess of electrons over positively charged particles of at least about 106/cm3.

### Claim 24 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein one or more electron emitters are configured to emit, during operation, electrons into a region adjacent to the confining wall.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the electron emitters comprise boron or a boron-containing material.

### Claim 26 (depends on 23)

The method of claim 23, wherein, during operation, the electron rich region has an electric field strength of at least about 106 V/m.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The method of claim 26, wherein, during operation, the neutrals in the electron rich region have an energy of, on average, of between about 0.1 eV and 2 eV.