Plasma confinement device with helical current and fluid flow
OwnerDaniel Praterinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device and method for generating plasma conditions for deuterium-tritium and advanced fuel thermonuclear fusion consisting of an inner helicity-containing plasma such as a spheromak compact toroid bounded by a plurality of outer cusped magnetic fields. Helicity driven by steady-inductive helicity injectors energizes the plasmoid with helicity. The device further includes means for driving fluid rotation about the device axis, about the device magnetic axis, and means for a hot electron sheath. Means are also provided for reducing particle losses out through the open cusp field lines through helicity injector rectification.
Claims18
A plasma confinement device comprising:
- a chamber having a device axis;
- a plasma internal to the chamber;
- a magnetic helicity injector disposed on the chamber and configured to inject magnetic helicity into the chamber to the internal plasma creating an internal magnetic plasmoid having magnetic helicity;
- a plurality of cusped magnetic fields surrounding the internal magnetic plasmoid in a spatially periodic manner;
- a plurality of electrodes disposed in the chamber in a spatially periodic manner biased to drive plasma fluid rotation by driving a plurality of currents across a plurality of cusped magnetic fields;
- at least one closed internal magnetic field line within the internal plasma;
- and
- a rotating magnetic plasmoid bounded by the plurality of cusped magnetic fields comprising a confinement volume.
A method for confining plasma comprising:
- providing one of a topologically singly connected chamber having a device axis or a topologically doubly connected chamber having a major axis and a minor axis;
- providing a plasma internal to the chamber;
- providing a magnetic helicity injector disposed on the chamber and configured to inject magnetic helicity into the chamber to the internal plasma creating an internal plasmoid having magnetic helicity;
- providing a plurality of cusped magnetic fields surrounding the internal plasmoid in a spatially periodic manner;
- providing a plurality of electrodes disposed in the chamber in a spatially periodic manner biased to induce plasma fluid rotation by driving a plurality of currents across a plurality of cusped magnetic fields;
- providing at least one closed internal magnetic field line within the plasma;
- and
- providing a rotating plasmoid bounded by the plurality of cusped magnetic fields comprising a confinement volume.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.