Encapsulating magnetic fields for plasma confinement
AssigneeLockheed Martin Corporation
InventorThomas John McGuire
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a fusion reactor includes an enclosure, an open-field magnetic system comprising one or more internal magnetic coils suspended within the enclosure, and one or more encapsulating magnetic coils coaxial with the one or more internal magnetic coils of the open-field magnetic system. The one or more encapsulating magnetic coils form a magnetosphere around the open-field magnetic system. The open-field magnetic system and the one or more encapsulating magnetic coils, when supplied with electrical currents, form magnetic fields for confining plasma within the enclosure.
Claims26
A confinement system comprising:
- an enclosure;
- an open-field magnetic system comprising one or more superconducting internal magnetic coils suspended within the enclosure and co-axial with a center axis of the enclosure, wherein the one or more superconducting internal magnetic coils each have a radius configured to balance the relative field strength between a plurality of point cusps and a plurality of ring cusps;
- a plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils co-axial with a center axis of the enclosure, the plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils having a larger diameter than the one or more internal magnetic coils of the open-field magnetic system, the plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils operable to form a magnetosphere around the open-field magnetic system;
- and
- one or more coil systems configured to supply the open-field magnetic system and the plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils with electrical currents to form magnetic fields for confining plasma within a magnetized sheath in the enclosure, wherein the magnetized sheath and plasma confined within the magnetized sheath encircle each of the one or more internal magnetic coils.
A confinement system comprising:
- an enclosure;
- an open-field magnetic system comprising one or more superconducting internal magnetic coils suspended within the enclosure, wherein the one or more superconducting internal magnetic coils each have a radius configured to balance the relative field strength between a plurality of point cusps and a plurality of ring cusps;
- one or more encapsulating magnetic coils coaxial with the one or more internal magnetic coils of the open-field magnetic system, the one or more encapsulating magnetic coils operable to form a magnetosphere around the open-field magnetic system;
- and
- one or more coil systems configured to supply the open-field magnetic system and the one or more encapsulating magnetic coils with electrical currents to form magnetic fields for confining plasma within a magnetized sheath in the enclosure, wherein the magnetized sheath and plasma confined within the magnetized sheath encircle each of the one or more internal magnetic coils.
A confinement system comprising:
- an open-field magnetic system comprising one or more superconducting internal magnetic coils suspended within an enclosure, wherein the one or more superconducting internal magnetic coils each have a radius configured to balance the relative field strength between a plurality of point cusps and a plurality of ring cusps;
- one or more encapsulating magnetic coils coaxial with the one or more internal magnetic coils of the open-field magnetic system, the one or more encapsulating magnetic coils operable to form a magnetosphere around the open-field magnetic system;
- and
- one or more coil systems configured to supply the open-field magnetic system and the one or more encapsulating magnetic coils with electrical currents to form magnetic fields for confining plasma within a magnetized sheath in the enclosure, wherein the magnetized sheath and plasma confined within the magnetized sheath encircle each of the one or more internal magnetic coils.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.