Method and apparatus for heating and compressing plasma
AssigneeTrisops, Inc.
InventorDaniel R. Wells
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermonuclear reactor of the TRISOPS type wherein plasma vortex structures are generated by coaxial theta pinch guns, the plasma vortex structures being compressed and amplified by secondary compression provided by the use of compression coils acting through a stabilized collapsing Lithium or FLIBE, or other suitable molten liner. The molten metal liner is deposited on a refractory metal mesh held normally adjacent the inside surface of a suitable vacuum chamber. This mesh is held near the inside surface of the vacuum chamber by an articulated collapsible cage assembly which is collapsible toward the center line of the chamber, and after collapse returns the mesh to an expanded configuration adjacent the wall of the chamber.
Claims14
A method of heating and compressing plasma comprising the steps of confining the plasma in a vacuum chamber, generating a containment seed magnetic field in said vacuum chamber, inductively energizing said plasma to generate ring-like plasmoids moving toward collision with each other in the chamber along an axis extending in a direction substantially parallel to said magnetic field, said magnetic field acting to constrain and guide said plasmoids along said axis, and collapsing a molten metal liner on said plasmoids when they have attained collision with each other, so as to amplify said seed magnetic field and heat the plasmoids to thermonuclear temperature.
Apparatus for heating and compressing plasma comprising a vacuum chamber, means for generating a containment seed field in the chamber, means for generating plasma and confining said plasma in said vacuum chamber, means forming plasmoids in said chamber having a plasma configuration in which plasma mass flow in the chamber is predominantly along an axis extending in a direction parallel to said containment seed field, means for urging the plasmoids toward collision with each other, a collapsible molten metal liner in said chamber surrounding said plasmoids, and means for collapsing said liner on the plasmoids after said collision with each other, to amplify said seed field and heat the plasmoids to thermonuclear temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.