US 4,010,396 A · Direct acting plasma accelerator

Abstract

Charged particles are entrained on a straight or curved path by a traveling magnetic field moving along that path with its magnetic flux vector transverse thereto. The general direction of entrainment is the same for particles of either polarity. The initial relative velocity between the traveling field and the particle drives the latter into motions along a quasi-cycloidal trajectory in the direction of field travel at an average particle speed nearly equal to the field velocity. Streams of charged particles may be accelerated into streams separated from any material objects such as vessel walls, magnetic structures, electrodes, etc. This confinement is achieved predominantly by the balanced interaction of the forces exerted on the particles by the traveling magnetic field and their inertial forces. Auxiliary confining fields may be applied for redirecting to the main stream any particles scattered by secondary effects. The traveling field may be generated by a group of electromagnets, with or without cores, spaced along the path and excited in staggered phase relationship; by an angular offsetting of the polar axes of adjoining electromagnets, the quasi-cycloidal trajectories may be twisted into spacial curves designed to keep the particle stream within preselected boundaries without the need for separate magnetic focussing fields. Periodic reversals of the travel direction of the magnetic field result in reciprocation of the particle streams for inducing collisions between oppositely moving particle streams in adjoining sections. Laminar particle flow is produced by providing a concentrated charged particle source emitting bursts of said particles in a preselected phase relationship to the traveling magnetic field. The quasi-cycloidal trajectories may be substantially straightened or otherwise modified by the application of specially shaped pole pieces.

Claims13

Dependent claims

In a reactor for charged particles, comprising in combination:

a central storage vessel enveloping a closed track for the circulation of positively and negatively charged particles, and
a plurality of branch channels opening into said central storage vessel in a tangential direction to said closed track at spaced apart locations, each of said branch channels having an end remote from said central storage vessel provided with a source of substantially equal numbers of positive and negative particles injected in the general direction of the centerline of the respective branch channel and with a set of electromagnets disposed along said centerline;
and
control means for periodically energizing the source of particles and the electromagnets of each of said branch channels for producing a dense stream of positive and negative particles circulating in said central storage vessel.

1 more element

An accelerator for positively and negatively charged particles, comprising:

a central storage vessel enveloping a closed track for the circulation of a gaseous ionized reactant consisting of a substantially neutral mixture of positive and negative charged particles, comprising a set of steady-flux magnets along said closed track to maintain a magnetic flux essentially parallel to the axis of said reactant circulation, and means for removing any heat from said central storage vessel generated by any chemical, electrical, or nuclear processes stimulated by said reactant circulation;
at least one charged particle accelerator injecting an ionized reactant tangentially into a closed circulation track, said charged particle accelerator comprising:
a vessel adapted to enclose a stream of negatively and positively charged particles along a preselected open-ended track,
drive means juxtaposed with said vessel for generating therein a magnetic field traveling in a preselected direction relative to each point of said open-ended track with the magnetic flux vector of said field transverse to said open-ended track at all points thereby setting said particles in motion,
said drive means comprising a set of electromagnets with pole pieces spaced along said open-ended track, and a supply of alternating current connected to said electromagnets in staggered phase relationship,
wherein the adjoining edges of said pole pieces are generally parallel to said track at the starting point, and progressively approach perpendicularity to said open-ended track with increasing distance from said starting point,
means for ionizing said reactant and introducing same at the starting point of said open-ended track, with control means for pulsing said ionized reactant source in a preselected phase relationship to the traveling magnetic field to accelerate said reactant into a substantially laminar flow mode for achieving turbulence-free injection and circulation in said central storage vessel,
surfaces carrying electrostatic charges within all accelerator vessels and the central storage vessel for repelling any reactant ions deviating from their predetermined paths, thus further reducing the ion collision rate with any vessel walls.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Direct acting plasma accelerator

Life of this patent

Direct acting plasma accelerator

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13