Back to results
US 12,418,973 B2Granted
Apparatus and methods for generating a pulsating, high-strength magnetic field
AssigneeHelion Energy, Inc.
InventorsDavid Kirtley, Richard Milroy, Anthony Pancotti, Christopher James Pihl, George Votroubek
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A magnetic field system is configured to generate intense, dynamically-varying magnetic fields to confine and control particles, objects, or plasmas. The magnetic fields may pulsate to impart and directly extract energy from a plasma.
Claims25
A method of confining a plasma, the method comprising:
- injecting the plasma into a container;
- applying a first plurality of currents to a plurality of magnetic coils that are arranged to create a magnetic field within the container, wherein the magnetic field prepares the plasma in a first state, wherein a radius of a separatrix of the plasma in the first state has a first radial value and a length of the separatrix has a first length value when the plasma is in the first state;
- applying a second plurality of currents to the plurality of magnetic coils that changes the magnetic field to transition the plasma from the first state to a second state, wherein the radius of the separatrix has a second radial value in the second state that is less than the first radial value and the separatrix has a second length value in the second state;
- and
- applying a third plurality of currents to the plurality of magnetic coils that changes the magnetic field when the plasma transitions from the second state to a third state in which the plasma has more energy than in the second state and begins expanding beyond at least the second length value, wherein the third plurality of currents are selected to create a magnetic field that resists expansion of the radius of the separatrix from the second radial value over at least a portion of the length of the separatrix while the length of the separatrix increases beyond the second length value.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- a container to hold a plasma;
- a plurality of magnetic coils arranged to produce a magnetic field within the container;
- one or more supply circuits coupled to each of the plurality of magnetic coils;
- and
- circuitry to control delivery of current to the plurality of magnetic coils, wherein the circuitry is configured to:
- apply a first plurality of currents to the plurality of magnetic coils to create the magnetic field within the container that prepares the plasma in a first state, wherein a radius of a separatrix of the plasma in the first state has a first radial value and a length of the separatrix has a first length value when the plasma is in the first state;
- apply a second plurality of currents to the plurality of magnetic coils that changes the magnetic field to transition the plasma from the first state to a second state, wherein the radius of the separatrix has a second radial value in the second state of the plasma that is less than the first radial value and the separatrix has a second length value in the second state;
- and
- apply a third plurality of currents to the plurality of magnetic coils that changes the magnetic field when the plasma transitions from the second state to a third state in which the plasma has more energy than in the second state and begins expanding beyond at least the second length value, wherein the third plurality of currents are selected to create a magnetic field that resists expansion of the radius of the separatrix from the second radial value over at least a portion of the length of the separatrix while the length of the separatrix increases beyond the second length value.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.