U.S. patent application number 09/939316 was filed with the patent office on 2002-08-01 for nuclear fusion reactor incorporating spherical electromagnetic fields to contain and extract energy.
Invention is credited to Nordberg, John T..
Application Number | 20020101949 09/939316 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26922142 |
Filed Date | 2002-08-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020101949 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nordberg, John T. |
August 1, 2002 |
Nuclear fusion reactor incorporating spherical electromagnetic
fields to contain and extract energy
Abstract
A nuclear fusion reactor system includes a reactor core
containing nuclear fusionable material and a plurality of
conducting spheres arranged adjacent each other with at least two
of said conducting spheres adjacent the reactor core. The reactor
core and the conducting spheres form a electro/magnetic circuit
such that fusion of fusionable material in the reactor core
establishes an electro/magnetic flow around the electro/magnetic
circuit. Preferably, a spherical electromagnetic confinement field
is initiated around the reactor core such that fusion of the
nuclear fusionable material generates a plasma which interacts with
the spherical electromagnetic confinement field in a
magnethydrodynamic manner. Preferably, electrical energy is
inductively extracted in response to the electro/magnetic flow
through a coil arrangement located around at least one of the
conducting spheres.
Inventors: |
Nordberg, John T.; (Eden
Prairie, MN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
PATTERSON, THUENTE, SKAAR & CHRISTENSEN, P.A.
4800 IDS CENTER
80 SOUTH 8TH STREET
MINNEAPOLIS
MN
55402-2100
US
|
Family ID: |
26922142 |
Appl. No.: |
09/939316 |
Filed: |
August 24, 2001 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60228212 |
Aug 25, 2000 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
376/122 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G21B 1/11 20130101; Y02E
30/10 20130101; G21B 1/05 20130101; Y02E 30/126 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
376/122 |
International
Class: |
G21B 001/00; G21J
001/00 |
Claims
What is claimed:
1. A nuclear fusion reactor system comprising: a reactor core
containing nuclear fusionable material; a plurality of conducting
spheres arranged adjacent each other with at least two of said
conducting spheres adjacent said reactor core; means operably
connected to at least one of said conducting spheres for initiating
a spherical electromagnetic confinement field proximate said
reactor core; and means for initiating fusion of said fusionable
material.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein fusion of said fusionable material
generates a plasma that interacts with said spherical
electromagnetic confinement field in a magnethydrodynamic
manner.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein said reactor core and said
conducting spheres form a magnetic circuit and fusion of said
fusionable materials establishes a magnetic flow around said
magnetic circuit.
4. The system of claim 3 further comprising: means operably
connected to at least one of said conducting spheres for
inductively extracting electrical energy in response to said
magnetic flow.
5. The system of claim 1 wherein said reactor core and said
conducting spheres form an electrical circuit and fusion of said
fusionable materials establishes an electrical flow around said
electrical circuit.
6. The system of claim 5 further comprising: means operably
connected to at least one of said conducting spheres for
inductively extracting electrical energy in response to said
electrical flow.
7. The system of claim 1 wherein said conducting spheres are of a
uniform size.
8. The system of claim 1 wherein each conducting sphere is
comprised of a spherical conductive layer having a non-conductive
material contained within said spherical conductive layer.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein said conductive layer is comprised
of a copper-niobium alloy and said non-conductive material is
amorphous carbon.
10. The system of claim 1 wherein said conducting sphere and said
reactor core are arranged in an oval with said reactor core located
in a middle of a straight segment of said oval and said means for
initiating said electromagnetic confinement field is located along
another straight segment of said oval.
11. The system of claim 1 wherein said conducting spheres are
positioned in a non- conductive retaining channel, said retaining
channel having dimensions that permit thermal expansion of said
conducting spheres during operation of the system.
12. The system of claim 11 wherein said retaining channel contains
a non-conductive liquid coolant.
13. The system of claim 11 wherein said retaining channel contains
a liquid coolant and said conducting spheres include an insulating
layer surrounding at least a portion of each conducting sphere.
14. The system of claim 1 further comprising: means operably
connected to at least one of said conducting spheres for
inductively extracting electrical energy.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein said means for initiating said
electromagnetic confinement field and said means for extracting
extracting electrical energy comprise a coil arrangement positioned
around at least one of said conducting spheres, said coil
arrangement selectively operably coupled to a source of electrical
energy for said means for initiating said electromagnetic
confinement field and to a power grid for said means for extracting
electrical energy.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein said coil arrangement is
selected from the set consisting of: at least one hemispheric coil,
at least one spheric coil, at least one Rowland ring coil, or any
combination thereof.
17. The system of claim 14 wherein said source of electrical energy
comprises a bank of charged electrical capacitors.
18. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of conducting
spheres comprise at least ten conducting spheres arranged adjacent
each other in an oval pattern.
19. The system of claim 18 wherein said oval pattern includes a
plurality of reactor cores.
20. The system of claim 1 wherein said two of said conducting
spheres adjacent said reactor core include a divot region defined
in a portion of the conducting sphere adjacent said reactor
core.
21. A nuclear fusion reactor system comprising: a reactor core
containing nuclear fusionable material; a plurality of conducting
spheres arranged adjacent each other with at least two of said
conducting spheres adjacent said reactor core; means for initiating
fusion of said fusionable material such that said reactor core and
said conducting spheres form an electro/magnetic circuit and fusion
of said fusionable materials establishes an electro/magnetic flow
around said electro/magnetic circuit; and means operably connected
to at least one of said conducting spheres for inductively
extracting electrical energy in response to said electro/magnetic
flow.
22. The system of claim 2' wherein said conducting sphere and said
reactor core are arranged in an oval with said reactor core located
in a middle of a straight segment of said oval and said means for
inductively extracting electrical energy is located along another
straight segment of said oval.
23. A method for the production of commercial electricity,
comprising the steps of: generating a spherical magnetic
confinement field around a fusion fuel source located in a reactor
core; igniting a fusion burn to convert said fusion fuel source to
fusion plasma; transferring energy released from said fusion burn
to a proximally located conducting sphere; converting energy
transferred to said conducting sphere into a form capable of
transfer and use through an electric power grid.
24. A nuclear fusion reactor system comprising: a reactor core
containing nuclear fusionable material; means for creating a
spherical electromagnetic confinement field proximate said reactor
core; and means for initiating fusion of said fusionable material
that generates a plasma which interacts with said spherical
electromagnetic confinement field in a magnethydrodynamic
manner.
25. A method for confining a fusion plasma burn inside a reactor
core, comprising the steps of: inducing a strong spherical
electromagnetic field in at least one reactor core; and initiating
a fusion burn in the reactor core that generates a plasma which
interacts with the spherical electromagnetic field in a
magnethydrodynamic manner.
26. A nuclear fusion reactor system comprising: a reactor core
containing nuclear fusionable material; means for creating a
spherical electromagnetic confinement field proximate said reactor
core; and means for initiating fusion of said fusionable material
such that said spherical electromagnetic confinement field creates
a magnethydrodynamic effect within said reactor core.
27. A method for confining a fusion plasma burn inside a reactor
core, comprising the steps of: inducing a strong spherical
electromagnetic field in at least one reactor core; and initiating
a fusion burn in the reactor core such that said spherical
electromagnetic confinement field creates a magnethydrodynamic
effect within said reactor core.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application No. 60/228,212 filed Aug. 25, 2000.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of commercial
electric energy production. More particularly, the present
invention is directed to methods and an apparatus for the
production of electrical power via nuclear fusion reactors
utilizing spherical electromagnetic fields to compress, contain and
extract energy released during the fusion burn. Benefits of the
spherical electromagnetic field include precise control and
containment of the fusion burn while limiting instabilities,
increased fusion burn length, controlled release of energy and an
ignition source for the field.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Current estimates of fossil fuel supplies for the world's
energy supply indicate that production will drop below consumption
within 10 to 20 years. The availability of alternative energy
sources that do not utilize fossil fuels such as hydroelectric,
solar, wind, geothermal, tidal power can be expected to be
increased. One currently available power source, that of nuclear
fission reactors, could be relied upon, if needed. However, nuclear
fission reactors have become very unpopular due to their risk and
highly radioactive waste products.
[0004] One potential choice for future energy production, that has
always been described favorably, is nuclear fusion. One benefit of
fusion reactors is they do not rely on dangerous radioactive heavy
elements as do fission reactors. Other benefits include a nearly
inexhaustible fuel supply coupled with a much smaller,
approximately 1,000 times smaller, volume of waste products. While
the fusion process does create some radioactive waste products, the
volume is small, and the radioactivity is mild and short-lived
compared to fission waste products. Fusion waste products are
estimated to have half-lives of tens of years rather than the
thousands of years for fission waste products. In summary, nuclear
fusion reactors hold the promise of unlimited, essentially clean
power. For a general background on nuclear fusion, reference is
made to Lapedes, Encyclopedia of Energy (1976), and Wilhelmsson,
Fusion: A Voyage Through the Plasma Universe (2000).
[0005] The problem is, other than in nuclear fusion bombs,
scientists have been unable to get more energy out of a nuclear
fusion reaction than has been used to start the reaction. In other
words, nuclear fusion reactors, to date, have failed in the goal to
produce energy because they consume more energy than they produce.
Ultimately, the goal of nuclear fusion reactors is to create more
power than is used to start the process.
[0006] The most important common problem in all past nuclear fusion
reactor designs is the formation of instabilities in the plasma
that have resulted in less than ideal burns. While many types of
instabilities have been described in the past, a physical
understanding of the cause of these instabilities has been elusive.
The reactor designs of the current invention are in part based upon
a new physical understanding of the cause of plasma instabilities,
how they can be eliminated, and how they can be used when they do
result.
[0007] The second most important problem in all past nuclear fusion
reactor designs is the efficient creation of electrical power from
the energy produced by the fusion reaction. Efficient conversion of
extracted energy into electrical power is needed. Most designs have
assumed the heat produced by the fusion process will be extracted
to drive steam turbine and generator systems. Thermal transfer
using the heat produced by the fusion process is not the most
efficient manner of converting extracted energy into electrical
power.
[0008] The third most important goal of nuclear fusion reactors is
to create energy economically. This goal has not been achieved by
prior designs because they failed to produce any net energy.
[0009] Many designs rely on pulses of fusion burns. In other words,
the fusion process does not continuously burn for extended periods
of time. To be economical, the fusion burns should last for
extended periods of time.
[0010] Researchers have approached the problem of creating nuclear
fusion reactors in a variety of ways. Perhaps the most fundamental
element of the reactor design is the geometric shape of the
reactor. The shape of the reactor is critical in all elements of
the fusion process including ignition of the fusion reaction and
confinement of the active plasma and its corresponding
instabilities.
[0011] Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) is a method by which
fusion has been initiated through an implosion reaction using
lasers, neutral particle beams or ion particle beams. ICF reactor
designs have succeeded in advancing fusion research by successfully
reaching high temperatures and densities. While the shape of the
confinement reactor in ICF designs has been generally spherical,
the walls of a reactor chamber for current ICF designs are full of
holes and apertures by which the lasers or particle beams are
introduced and by which sensors and other instrumentations access
the reactor chamber. The resulting chamber presents a very
irregular and asymmetrical chamber for the containment of the
fusion burn. Unlike other reactor designs, active electromagnetic
containment fields are not utilized as part of the ICF design.
[0012] A number of reactor designs use toroidally-shaped
(donut-shaped) confinement arrangements for the reactor, or
variations on a toroidally-shaped reactor. These include:
[0013] Standard Tokamak Fusion: Tokamak fusion reactor designs
contain the fusion fuel plasma in a toroidally-shaped
electromagnetic containment field. These designs have been able to
contain plasmas for extended periods of time, reach high
temperatures and develop high densities.
[0014] Spherical Tokamak Fusion: The cross section of a normal
Tokamak is circular. The cross-section of a "spherical" Tokamak is
more elongated in the vertical direction.
[0015] Stellarators: In general, there is little difference between
Tokamaks and Stellarators--they are both toroidal. The orbit of
plasma in a Tokamak is planar--i.e., there is no vertical motion.
The orbit of plasma in some Stellarator designs is
non-planar--i.e., there is vertical motion.
[0016] Reversed-Field Pinch (RFP): Reversed-Field Pinch devices are
similar to a Tokamak in that the plasma is confined by both
toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields. The main difference is the
relative strength of the magnetic fields.
[0017] Field Reversed Configuration (FRC): The Field Reversed
Configuration is another toroidal system with magnetic field lines
arranged differently.
[0018] Some of the earliest devices for creating high-temperature
plasmas used cylindrical patterns. These designs included:
[0019] Theta Pinch: Theta Pinch designs take the form of a long
tube or a skinny torus. The Theta Pinch uses an electrically
induced magnetic field to compress and heat the plasma.
[0020] Mirror Machines: A Mirror Machine operates essentially like
a Theta Pinch except a strong magnet is placed around each end of
the tube in an attempt to deflect the plasma backwards towards the
opposite end of the tube.
[0021] Z-pinch: The idea of the Z-Pinch, best embodied in Sandia
National Laboratory's Z-Pinch device, is to suddenly apply a
massive voltage across a cylindrical pattern of wires, causing the
wires to vaporize. The cross-product of the Electric and Magnetic
fields produced, described using the Poynting Vector, or
classically as the Electromagnetic Momentum, of the induced fields,
collapses the plasma in a cylindrical pattern.
[0022] MAGO: Russian researchers have developed a device called
"MAGO." This device passes a large electrical pulse through an
approximately cylindrical copper chamber. The geometry of this
device is not spherical. In the MAGO system a deuterium and tritium
gas is placed in the approximately cylindrical copper chamber.
Next, a massive electromagnetic pulse heats the gas to a plasma
state. This gas then flows past an inner nozzle, further heating
areas of the plasma.
[0023] An intermediate approach between magnetic confinement
devices and inertial confinement devices called Magnetized Target
Fusion (MTF) has been used by the military to study fusion bombs.
In a MTF device, a "magnetized target plasma" is placed within a
containment vessel and is explosively imploded. In essence, these
devices are bombs. In one planned device by Los Alamos National
Laboratory, Los Alamos documents describe potential plans to create
a quasi-spherical compression by cylindrically compressing a
spherically shaped liner.
[0024] Unfortunately, none of the aforementioned devices have
accomplished the ultimate goal of extracting commercial energy
through the use of nuclear fusion. There remains no viable design
for a commercial fusion reactor. Accordingly, it would be desirable
to provide a design for a nuclear fusion reactor system that could
achieve this goal and overcome the problems encountered with
existing designs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0025] The present invention discloses a new method and apparatus
for the commercial production of electricity through the use of a
nuclear fusion reactor. All embodiments of these reactor designs
will share common features. First, fusible matter is compressed and
heated in a roughly spherical geometry until the nuclear fusion
process begins. Second, the fusion burn is surrounded and wholly or
partly contained by a spherical electromagnetic confinement field.
Third, the electric and magnetic fields of the outwardly moving
particles will interact with the surrounding spherical
electromagnetic confinement field in a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD)
fashion. Fourth, the MHD interaction will setup a voltage, or a
magnetic field differential, across the surrounding spherical
electromagnetic confinement field in the core area that can be
tapped directly or indirectly for commercial electric power.
Finally, in all designs the length of the fusion burn will be
lengthened by the external spherical electromagnetic confinement
field.
[0026] The key to creating and maintaining the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field is the use of spherical reactor
cores and conductors. A key in creating harmonic fields is the
careful design of electromagnetic induction coils that can be used
to transfer energy to and from the containment circuit. In
particular, the use of hemispheric coils promises to provide very
clean harmonics at a relatively low cost. While there are many
material and design variations possible in these designs, they all
are intended to create powerful spherical electromagnetic fields
around the fusion burn. In the past there has been no design for
fusion reactors that places spherical electromagnetic fields around
the fusion burn in order to impart energy to the fuel, to contain
and ignite the fuel, and to extract energy from the fusion burn
using MHD. These designs are the first to offer inexpensive,
practically unlimited, almost totally clean energy.
[0027] The exact features and materials of designs that can create
a spherical electromagnetic field that will compress, ignite, and
extract energy from the fusion fuel can vary considerably. However,
each of the design variations requires a description of: the
electromagnetic containment circuit, the core area, the method of
positioning the fuel, the method of compressing and igniting the
fuel, and the method of containing and extracting energy from the
burn using MHD and other techniques. Some hybrid variations of
these reactor designs combine features from earlier magnetic
confinement reactor designs and inertial confinement reactor
designs with the new and unique features of these spherical
electromagnetic confinement designs.
[0028] In all cases, the main goal of each reactor design is to
create commercially usable electrical energy.
[0029] In some designs, amorphous carbon will be subjected to high
pressures, high temperatures, and strong electromagnetic fields.
Therefore, a secondary product of these reactor designs may be the
manufacture of diamonds though conversion of amorphous carbon.
[0030] As mentioned previously, a variety of designs have been
developed as potential methods of extracting energy from a fusion
reaction. There are key differences between all of these methods
and the designs of the present invention.
[0031] In ICF designs, the reaction is imploded, the fusion burn
starts, instabilities form and the process explodes. However, ICF
designs have failed to produce more energy than is consumed. ICF
reactor designs based on lasers are not considered viable long-term
options for commercial power plants because of their poor
efficiency in converting electrical energy into the intense beams
needed for inertial confinement. There are several key
distinguishing features between prior art ICF designs and the new
designs of the present invention. First, prior inertial methods
have not attempted to stop the resulting explosion via active
confinement. Second, prior inertial methods have not attempted to
create a harmonic burn or influence the quality of the fusion burn
via electromagnetic fields. Third, inertial methods have not
attempted to use MHD to absorb the exploding energy. Fourth,
previous ICF designs have often utilized a surrounding spherical
chamber or shield. However, the spherical chamber has only been
used as a shield from the explosive process and has played no role
in keeping the fusion process burning or harmonic. Indeed the
chambers are usually pierced with many sensors, holes, ports and
other devices. Such sensors, holes, and protrusions through the
reactor wall are completely eliminated or minimized in the new
reactor designs of the present invention. While such sensors
provide useful scientific information on the fusion burn, it is
believed that such sensors create a non-harmonic situation that
reduces the quality of the burn. The key differences of the present
invention as compared to prior inertial methods are that prior ICF
spherical containment chambers have not used intentionally created,
spherical electromagnetic fields set up over the surface of the
containment shield to electromagnetically contain the fusion burn,
influence the fusion burn, or extract electrical power via the MHD
process.
[0032] The spherical designs of the present invention differ from
those of the toroidal reactor designs for a number of reasons.
First, the geometry of the torus is less than ideal for containment
in comparison to the geometry of a sphere. To properly utilize a
plasma in a MHD process, the plasma velocity must be at right
angles to the MHD's magnetic field. It is believed, from the theory
on which these reactors are designed, that plasma, instabilities
expanding in a spherical electromagnetic confinement field expand
at a right angle to the external electromagnetic field, or are
deflected back towards the center of the plasma. In a torus, the
plasma may interact with the containing magnetic field at other
than a 90.degree. angle. This allows instabilities within a torus
to grow and penetrate the containment field. Second, the geometry
of a torus also prevents the coil windings around the torus from
being perfectly symmetrical. There is more area on the outside of
the torus than on the inside. This geometry prevents the
containment field from being symmetrical. Instabilities are more
likely to penetrate the outer side of the torus than the inner
side. In a spherical chamber, there is no preferential side to the
chamber. Finally, the plasma orbit within a torus-shaped cavity can
induce electromagnetic fields that are extremely unpredictable.
These forces are induced at the moment of fusion burn. These
instabilities grow too quickly for human operator or computer
controlled response and allow the plasma to penetrate the confining
fields. The reactor designs of the present invention have
electromagnetic fields in place prior to the fusion burn to respond
to instabilities as they occur. Because the center of mass of the
plasma in the spherical designs of the present invention does not
move or orbit, it does not have any orbital induced instability
that might make it more difficult to contain the plasma.
Instabilities exploding outward from the center of mass of the
plasma in a spherical confinement field encounter electromagnetic
fields at right angles allowing either the direct conversion of
instability energy to electricity via the MHD process or the
deflection of the instability back toward the center of mass of the
fusion burn. This contrasts problems that are present in all
toroidal designs including Tokamaks, Spherical Tokamaks,
Stellarators, RFP devices and FRC devices. They all suffer in
stability and containment when compared to the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field of the present invention.
[0033] There are also major design differences between the
spherical geometry of the current invention and designs using a
cylindrical reactor. In a cylindrical reactor, the plasma is not
confined equally in all directions as it is in the spherical
reactor of the present invention. The plasma can escape down the
ends of the cylindrical tube with the resulting motion of the
plasma inducing various types of instabilities. This is the precise
mode of failure for Mirror Machines as they have been unable to
contain all of the various instabilities that form as the plasma
moves and changes direction within the device.
[0034] The reactor designs of one embodiment of the present
invention share the same plasma collapse technique as that of a
Z-Pinch device. However, the cylindrical pattern in a Z-Pinch is
not spherical. Because it is not spherical, additional
instabilities form. The resulting instabilities disrupt the pattern
of the fusion burn. Another key difference between Z-Pinch designs
and the present invention is that Z-Pinch devices have made no
attempt to actively contain the fusion burn after implosion.
Z-Pinch devices have no external spherical electromagnetic
confinement fields and there is no attempt to extract energy from
Z-Pinch devices using these fields and the MHD process.
[0035] There are key differences between the external cylindrical
containment geometry of the MAGO device and the spherical reactor
designs of the present invention. First the external containment
geometry is approximately cylindrical rather than spherical.
Second, the nozzle inside of the MAGO cylinder essentially
compresses the plasma outwards. Secondary forces from the outer
wall do compress the plasma back inwards. However, in the new
spherical designs in this application, the portion of the plasma
that is to be fused is always compressed and focused towards the
center of the fusion burn. With respect to the MAGO device, the
fusion burn would need to occur within the solid nozzle portion of
the device if it were to have the fusion burn occur in the center
of the device. Third, the MAGO device makes no attempt to actively
contain and prolong the fusion burn. Fourth, the MAGO device makes
no attempt to extract the energy from the fusion burn via MHD.
Fifth, the geometry of the MAGO device is not harmonic, energy
basically bounces around this non-symmetrical cavity. Variations in
subsequent fusion burns, combined with the erratic bouncing of
energy inside the device, will cause the physical locations of
fusion burns to be inconsistent, unpredictable, and essentially
non-harmonic. These differences distinctly differentiates the MAGO
devices from the designs of the present invention.
[0036] There are major design differences between the spherical
reactor designs of the present invention and MTF devices. MTF
devices do not attempt to create a prolonged burn. Instead they are
explosively imploded. MTF geometry is cylindrical or
"quasi-spherical" rather than the true spherical designs of the
present invention. Furthermore, MTF designs do not utilize an MHD
process to either contain or extract energy from the fusion burn.
Finally, the destruction of the MTF containment chamber is a
distinguishing feature in comparison to the new designs of the
present invention. In developing a commercially viable fusion
reactor design, the spherical reactor designs of the present
invention seek to avoid the destruction of the confinement device
with each pulse.
[0037] Whatever the precise merits, features, and advantages of the
above-cited references and the hundreds, if not thousands, of
attempted variations on these references; no fusion design has
achieved or fulfilled the purpose of providing more nuclear energy
output than was put into the device with the exception of the
hydrogen bomb. None of the variations have worked with respect to
the intended goal of producing usable, commercially available
energy. None of these devices have attempted to actively contain
the fusion plasma in a spherical geometry. None of the devices
attempts to surround the fusion burn in a spherical electromagnetic
field. None of the devices attempts to use spherical MHD electrical
energy conversion. None of the devices attempts to create an
extended, harmonic, spherical burn.
[0038] There are numerous major embodiments of these reactor
designs and hundreds of significant variations to the present
invention. The version described as the preferred embodiment is
chosen above the other designs based solely upon its likelihood of
early success. It will be easier to build because it uses a hybrid
of technologies and materials currently available to the scientific
and engineering communities.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0039] FIG. 1 is a top view of an embodiment of the reactor
design.
[0040] FIG. 2 is a cut-away view of a conducting sphere.
[0041] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of a conducting sphere.
[0042] FIG. 4 is a cut-away view of the fill process for a
conducting sphere.
[0043] FIG. 5 is an isolated top view of the conducting sphere
track.
[0044] FIG. 6 is a cross-section view of the reactor core.
[0045] FIG. 7 is an elevational cross-section view of the
conducting sphere track.
[0046] FIG. 8 is an elevational cross-section view of the central
reactor core area.
[0047] FIG. 9 is a cross-section view of the fuel pellet.
[0048] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the reactor core including
laser ports.
[0049] FIG. 11 is a graph of energy versus time for the fusion
reaction.
[0050] FIG. 12 is an elevational cross-section view of a sphere
with an electric circuit.
[0051] FIG. 13 is an elevational cross-section view of a sphere
with a magnetic circuit.
[0052] FIG. 14 is an elevational view of the hemispherical
coil.
[0053] FIG. 15 is a cross-section view of the hemispherical coil in
place over a conducting sphere.
[0054] FIG. 16 is a cross-section view of layered hemispherical
coils in parallel.
[0055] FIG. 17 is a cross-section view of layered hemispherical
coils wired in series.
[0056] FIG. 18 is a graph of energy versus time for the fusion
reaction using pulsed bursts of energy from a capacitor bank.
[0057] FIG. 19 is a cross-section view of a sphere with voltage
applied.
[0058] FIG. 20 is a cross-section view of a sphere.
[0059] FIG. 21 is a cross-section view of a sphere with an
electrically induced magnetic field.
[0060] FIG. 22 is a cross-section view of a wire with center
pointing Poynting Vectors.
[0061] FIG. 23 is a cross-section view of a wire with varying
directions for Poynting Vectors.
[0062] FIG. 24(a) is a side view of the core tangential electrical
field.
[0063] FIG. 24(b) is an end view of the core tangential magnetic
field.
[0064] FIG. 25(a) is a side view of the core tangential magnetic
field.
[0065] FIG. 25(b) is an end view of the core tangential electric
field.
[0066] FIG. 26 is a three dimensional view of a sphere with
Poynting Vectors pointing to the center of the sphere.
[0067] FIG. 27 is a cross-section view of a sphere.
[0068] FIG. 28 is a cut-away view of the reactor core with a
nozzle.
[0069] FIG. 29(a) is an exploded view of the reactor core.
[0070] FIG. 29(b) is a cross-section view of a fueled reactor
core.
[0071] FIG. 30 is a cut-away view of the reactor core with a fuel
pellet.
[0072] FIG. 31 is an exploded isolation view of the reactor core
with a fuel pellet inside a spherical wire implosion cage.
[0073] FIG. 32 is an exploded isolation view of the reactor core
with a fuel pellet inside a spherical wire implosion cage following
the application of a massive voltage.
[0074] FIG. 33 is a cut-away view of a fuel pellet inside a
spherical wire implosion cage following the application of a
massive voltage.
[0075] FIG. 34(a) is a cut-away view of a reactor core inside a
plasma container shield.
[0076] FIG. 34(b) is a cut-away view of a reactor core inside a
plasma container shield following the application of a massive
voltage.
[0077] FIG. 34(c) is a cut-away view of a reactor core inside a
plasma container shield between electromagnetic pulses.
[0078] FIG. 35 is a cut-away view of a reactor core with fuel
nozzle and electromagnetic fields induced across the sphere.
[0079] FIG. 36 is a cut-away view of a pre-fueled reactor core with
electromagnetic fields induced across the sphere.
[0080] FIG. 37(a) is a cut-away view of a reactor core with fuel
imploded via traditional inertial confinement methods and
electromagnetic fields induced across the sphere.
[0081] FIG. 37(b) is a cut-away view of a reactor core following
the implosion of fuel imploded via traditional inertial confinement
methods and electromagnetic fields induced across the sphere.
[0082] FIG. 38(a) is an isolated cut-away view of a reactor core
with voltage applied across the sphere.
[0083] FIG. 38(b) is an isolated cut-away view of a reactor core as
massive voltage is applied across the wire.
[0084] FIG. 38(c) is an isolated cut-away view of a reactor core
with induced magnetic fields.
[0085] FIG. 38(d) is an isolated cut-away view of a reactor core at
fusion reaction ignition.
[0086] FIG. 39(a) is a cut-away view of a reactor core with
ignition caused by Poynting Vectors.
[0087] FIG. 39(b) is a cut-away view of a reactor core with
expanding plasma.
[0088] FIG. 39(c) is a cut-away view of a reactor core with plasma
returning to the reactor core.
[0089] FIG. 39(d) is a cut-away view of the reactor core at time of
ignition of the next fusion reaction.
[0090] FIG. 40 is a graph of voltage versus time for one cycle of
the fusion reaction.
[0091] FIG. 41 is a three-dimensional view of plasma.
[0092] FIG. 42 is a three-dimensional view of plasma with an
instability.
[0093] FIG. 43 is a three-dimensional view of a negatively charged
plasma instability.
[0094] FIG. 44 is a three-dimensional view of an expanding
negatively charged plasma instability.
[0095] FIG. 45 is a three-dimensional view of a negatively charged
plasma instability interacting with an electromagnetic containment
field.
[0096] FIG. 46 is a graph of energy versus time for the fusion
reaction.
[0097] FIG. 47 is a cross-section view of regularly spaced
transverse striations from an exploded wire.
[0098] FIG. 48 is a cross-section view of transverse striation from
a wire exploded by increased energy.
[0099] FIG. 49 is a graph of temperature v. temperature as a
function of node location.
[0100] FIG. 50 is a cross-section view of stranded wire
designs.
[0101] FIG. 51(a) is a cross-section view of cylindrical coils.
[0102] FIG. 51(b) is a cross-section view of concentric cylindrical
coils.
[0103] FIG. 51(c) is a cross-section view of helically wound
coils.
[0104] FIG. 51(d) is a cross-section view of a combination
cylindrical/helical coil.
[0105] FIG. 52 is a cut-away end view of a Rowland Ring coil.
[0106] FIG. 53(a) is a cut-away cross-sectional view of the
interaction of a cylindrical coil and the electromagnetic field of
a conducting sphere.
[0107] FIG. 53(b) is a cut-away cross-sectional view of the
interaction of a Rowland Ring coil and the electromagnetic field of
a conducting sphere.
[0108] FIG. 54(a) is a cut-away cross-sectional view of the
interaction of a helical coil and the electromagnetic field of a
conducting sphere.
[0109] FIG. 54(b) is a cut-away cross-sectional view of the
interaction of parallel helical coils and the electromagnetic field
of a sphere.
[0110] FIG. 55(a) is a cut-away view of a conducting sphere having
wound conducting layer strands.
[0111] FIG. 55(b) is a cross-section view of a conducting sphere
having wound conducting layer strands.
[0112] FIG. 56 is a cut-away cross-section view of an embodiment of
the plasma layer.
[0113] FIG. 57 is a top view of a no-core fusion containment
circuit.
[0114] FIG. 58 is a cross-section view of the core area in a
no-core containment circuit.
[0115] FIG. 59 is a cross-section view of a straight line
containment circuit.
[0116] FIG. 60 is a top view of a circular containment circuit with
one core.
[0117] FIG. 61 is a top view of an oval containment circuit with
one core.
[0118] FIG. 62 is a cross-section view of offset poles in the
curved sections of circular or oval containment circuits.
[0119] FIG. 63 is a top view of the preferred embodiment for an
oval containment circuit with one core.
[0120] FIG. 64 is a top view of a two core circular containment
circuit.
[0121] FIG. 65 is a top view of a two core oval containment
circuit.
[0122] FIG. 66 is a top view of a four core circular containment
circuit.
[0123] FIG. 67 is a view of a planetary nebula.
[0124] FIG. 68 is a top view of dual reactor no-core design.
[0125] FIG. 69 is a cut-away cross-section view of a reactor core
wall.
[0126] FIG. 70 is a cut-away cross-section view of a reactor core
wall including void spaces.
[0127] FIG. 71 is a cut-away cross-section view of a reactor core
wall including a layer of shock dampening ceramic spheres.
[0128] FIG. 72 is a top cut-away view of a solid wire-type
conducting circuit.
[0129] FIG. 73 is a top cut-away view of a solid wire-type
conducting circuit with thicker wires.
[0130] FIG. 74 is a top view of a solid wire-type conducting
circuit where the wire diameter equals the thickness of the core
wall.
[0131] FIG. 75 is a top view of a two core solid wire-type
conducting circuit where the wire diameter equals the thickness of
the core wall.
[0132] FIG. 76 is a top view of a solid wire-type conducting
circuit where the wire diameter equals the thickness of the core
wall and includes numerous coils.
[0133] FIG. 77 is a top view of an oval pattern conducting circuit
with conducting spheres.
[0134] FIG. 78 is a top view of a reactor circuit with coils wired
in series.
[0135] FIG. 79 is a top view of a reactor circuit with coils wired
in parallel and series.
[0136] FIG. 80 is a top-view of a No-Core design.
[0137] FIG. 81 is a top-view of an oval track, single core design
with Rowland Ring coils.
[0138] FIG. 82 is a top-view of an oval track with two cores.
[0139] FIG. 83 is a top-view of an oval track with two cores.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0140] Overall Layout
[0141] Refer now to FIG. 1, which is an overall drawing of the
preferred embodiment of the invention. It has one reactor core 101
and thirty-one conducting spheres 102 laid out in an oval
pattern.
[0142] The Core
[0143] Reactor core 101 is a hollow sphere with many layers of
conducting and non-conducting materials. The center of reactor core
101 is the intended location of the fusion reaction. The reaction
may initially occur slightly offset from this center point but this
does not affect the overall design. A main goal of the overall
reactor design is to have fusion reactions occur at the center of
the reactor core 101, and not to have fusion reactions occur at the
centers of the conducting spheres 102. Therefore, conditions at the
centers of the conducting spheres 102 are designed to inhibit
nuclear fusion reactions.
[0144] Conducting Spheres
[0145] The conducting spheres 102 in the preferred embodiment are
completely solid as shown in FIG. 2. In other embodiments, the
conducting spheres 102 can be hollow or contain plasma. The
conducting layer 118 of a conducting sphere is made of a layer of
conducting material. The non-conducting core 119 of a conducting
sphere 102 is made of a non-conducting material, or it can be a
vacuum. Some variations of the conducting spheres 102 could be
filled with gases that are not likely to form fusible
plasmas-including, but not limited to Xenon. Such variations are
not recommended because of the possibility of electrical arcing
inside of the conducting spheres 102. It is extremely important
that the possibility of electrical arcing be minimized in these
designs. Electrical arcing inside conducting spheres 102 has the
potential to destroy all key components in these reactor
designs.
[0146] The dimensions for the preferred embodiment of conducting
sphere 102 are an outer diameter of 5 meters with an outer layer
thickness of 15.25 cm. The material chosen for the conducting layer
118 for this preferred embodiment is a Copper-Niobium alloy,
Cu--Nb. The material for the non-conducting core 119 is amorphous
Carbon. The conducting layer 118 of the conducting spheres 102 and
the reactor cores 101 should be polished to a very smooth finish to
help improve the electromagnetic harmonics on these surfaces. The
inner surface of conducting layer 118 of the conducting spheres 102
and the reactor cores 101 should be as smooth as possible. In some
designs, the smoothness of the inner layer may be limited by
manufacturing techniques. The weight and size of all conducting
spheres 102 should be uniform. The conducting spheres 102 will
likely be formed in two hemispheres with a heat-shrunk overlapping
butt joint 120 as shown in FIG. 3.
[0147] The amorphous carbon fill will be placed into the conducting
sphere 102 through an orifice 121 that will be plugged and smoothed
to match the surrounding Cu--Nb material.
[0148] If the surfaces of the conducting layer 118 of the
conducting spheres 102 or reactor cores 101 are not smooth and or
if the material is not consistent, then the conductivity and
electromagnetic harmonics may be disrupted to some extent. It is
believed, from theory, that every effort should be made to reduce
any influence that may cause a non-harmonic electromagnetic wave
pattern in the conducting spheres 102 or reactor cores 101. For
example, the material used to plug the orifice 121 should be
identical to the conducting layer 118 and the orifice 121 should be
cleaned of any fill material after filling and before plugging.
[0149] One possible method for filling the conducting spheres 102,
using funnel 177 to pour non-conducing fill 178 through orifice 121
can be seen in FIG. 4. An example of such non-conducting fill 178
would be amorphous carbon. Since non-conducting fill 178 may settle
after filling, steps--such as, but not limited to, vibration in the
presence of a vacuum during the filling process--should be taken to
insure that the entire cavity is filled compactly. The weight of
non-conducting fill 178 should be uniform in all conducting spheres
102.
[0150] The heat shrunk overlapping butt joints 120 of the
conducting spheres 102 should be aligned perpendicular to the
central axis of the conducting sphere track 104, as shown in FIG.
5. This may help the harmonics of the magnetic circuit.
[0151] It is expected that the heat shrunk overlapping butt joints
120 will be fused solid after repeated use. The strong
electromagnetic fields involved will weld the heat shrunk
overlapping ball joints 120 together. It may be beneficial, for
quality control reasons, to subject the conducting spheres 102 to a
preliminary current in order to pre-weld the heat shrunk
overlapping butt joints 120 so as to allowing testing of the
quality of weld.
[0152] When the conducting spheres 102 are refurbished, facilities
and equipment will be needed to:
[0153] move the conducting spheres 102 whether intact or
damaged,
[0154] cut open the conducting spheres 102,
[0155] remove the non-conducting fill 178,
[0156] carefully crush the non-conducting carbon fill 178 and,
remove any diamond crystals,
[0157] melt and recycle the conducting material, and
[0158] recycle non-conducting fill 178.
[0159] The preferred embodiment has conducting spheres 102 of equal
diameter. However, other embodiments may have conducting spheres
102 with unequal diameters. For example, the straight line
embodiment shown in FIG. 59 could have anode/cathode conducting
spheres 113 that are larger than reactor core 101. Similarly,
conducting spheres 102 could be larger than anode/cathode
conducting spheres 113. Preferably, the size of the conducting
spheres 102 and anode/cathode conducting spheres 113 would be
larger multiples of the reactor core 101 wavelength. The embodiment
could have several advantages. One being the strengthening of the
spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140.
[0160] Reactor Core
[0161] The cross-section of the reactor core 101 is shown in FIG.
6. To summarize, an initial reactor core 101design could be
designed as such:
[0162] 1) An inner layer of non-conducting material 122 made up of
an Ultra High Temperature Ceramic such as: hafnium diboride silicon
carbide; or, zirconium diboride composite; or, other compounds
resistant to high temperatures. The exact thickness of this layer
is unknown at this time due to the classified nature of these
ceramics. The estimated required thickness is 1 inch. These
materials are estimated to be able to withstand temperatures up to
5,000.degree. F. Preferably, this inner layer of material will have
a composition that includes some Boron. Neutral elementary
particles such as neutrons may have enough energy to penetrate the
spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140. Boron is known to
be able to stop neutrons. The purpose of the inner layer will be to
shield the outer layers from massive thermal shock and neutrons.
This layer is not essential to the design of the core and may
inhibit to the strength of the electromagnetic fields in the
conductive layer, and may be omitted. It is primarily intended to
lengthen the useful life of the core.
[0163] 2) A second non-conducting layer 123 that is composed of
material that can withstand high temperatures, thermal shock,
compressive forces from without, explosive forces from within and
can stop neutrons. An example of such second non-conducting layer
123 is a 1 inch wall composed of a reinforced carbon-carbon matrix
(RCC) impregnated with Boron. The second non-conducting layer 123
is likely manufactured as two interlocking hemispheres. The second
non-conducting layer 123 could also be manufactured as one piece
around the inner layer of non-conducting material 122. Preferably,
the material would have a low activation, which means the material
would not be negatively affected by neutrons coming from the
nuclear reaction resulting in the creation of radioactive material.
The second non-conducting layer 123 is not essential to the design
of the reactor core 101 and may inhibit the strength of the
electromagnetic fields in the conductive layer. It is primarily
intended to lengthen the useful life of the reactor core 101.
[0164] 3) A third non-conducting layer 124 that is composed of
material that can withstand high temperatures, thermal shock,
compressive forces from without and explosive forces from within.
An example of such third non-conducting layer is one composed of 1
inch of RCC. Third non-conducting layer 124 is likely manufactured
as one piece around the inner layer of non-conducting material 122
and second non-conducting layer 123. In another embodiment, the
second non-conducting layer 123 and the third non-conducting layer
124 may be combined into one layer. The third non-conducting layer
124 is not essential to the design of the reactor core 101 and may
inhibit the strength of the electromagnetic fields in the
conductive layer. The third non-conducting layer 124 is primarily
intended to lengthen the useful life of the reactor core 101.
[0165] 4) A fourth non-conducting layer 125 that is composed of a
material that can withstand massive thermal shocks and lessen the
thermal shock to the next layer towards the outside of the core.
The fourth non-conducting layer 125 could be composed of 5 inches
of Silica made rigid by ceramic bonding. This is the same material
used in Space Shuttle heat shields. The fourth non-conducting layer
125 is likely manufactured as two interlocking hemispheres. The
fourth non-conducting layer 125 may also be manufactured as
multiple interlocking tiles attached to the outside of third
non-conducting layer 124. The fourth non-conducting layer 125 is
not essential to the design of the reactor core 101 and may inhibit
the strength of the electromagnetic fields in the conductive layer.
The fourth non-conducting layer 125 is primarily intended to
lengthen the useful life of the reactor core 101.
[0166] 5) A conducting layer 118 that is highly conductive, low
resistance, economical, capable of being formed into spherical
shells of the size needed and that can withstand the internal
electromagnetic forces--e.g., Coulombic and Hall--created by
massive electromagnetic fields used in these designs. Such an
conducting layer 118 could be composed of
Cu--Nb--Copper-Niobium--that is approximately 6 inches thick. The
conducting layer 118 will likely be manufactured as two
interlocking hemispheres that are heat-shrunk to each other with a
lap-joint situated at the eventual equator of the electromagnetic
field. An improvement to this design would be to replace this
material with a superconductive material. In some variations, the
conducting layer 118 may be a plasma instead of a solid. In some
embodiments, this conducting layer 118 is critical. In the "No
Core" embodiment of the current invention, the conducting layer 118
is omitted.
[0167] 6) A sixth non-conducting layer 126 composed of material
that can withstand high temperatures, thermal shock and explosive
forces from within. The sixth non-conducting layer 126 might be
composed of 2 inches of RCC. The sixth non-conducting layer 126
will likely be manufactured as two interlocking hemispheres. The
sixth non-conducting layer 126 has a conducting sphere divot 159.
This allows the anode/cathode conducting sphere 113 to sit next to
the conducting layer 118 of the reactor core 101. Without the
conducting sphere divot 159, the harmonics of the electromagnetic
fields would not flow smoothly from sphere to sphere.
[0168] 7) A seventh non-conducting layer 127 is composed of
material that can withstand high temperatures, thermal shock and
explosive forces from within. The seventh non-conducting layer 127
might be composed of 2 inches of RCC. The main purpose of the
seventh non-conducting layer 127 would be to add additional
structural strength to the sixth non-conduction layer 126 but with
strands of Carbon and with the joint at 90.degree.. The seventh
non-conducting layer 127 is likely manufactured as two interlocking
hemispheres. The seventh non-conducting layer 127 has a conducting
sphere divot 159. This allows the anode/cathode conducting sphere
113 to sit next to the conducting layer 118 of the reactor core
101. Without the conducting sphere divot 159, the harmonics of the
electromagnetic fields would not flow smoothly from sphere to
sphere.
[0169] 8) Laser ports 137 preferably are drilled through the
reactor core 101 in order to allow the laser or ion beams to impart
their energy to the fuel pellet 136. The laser ports 137 may be
simple holes, or may be capped with a transparent material, such as
one of the various materials tested for inertial confinement
reactor designs.
[0170] In this version of the core wall, the total wall thickness
is approximately 18 inches of which {fraction (1/3)}--i.e., 6
inches--is conductive.
[0171] Placement of Conducting Spheres and Trough Description
[0172] The bulk of the conducting spheres--29 out of 31--sit in the
conducting sphere track 104. The conducting sphere track 104 could
be made of a non-conducting material such as cement. A
cross-section of the conducting sphere track 104 is shown in FIG.
7.
[0173] If cement is used, then it should not be reinforced with a
metal such as traditional rebar. Instead it should be reinforced
with non-conducting material such as plastic or glass fibers.
Conductive reinforcement materials such as traditional metal rebar
in the cement would be too close physically to the intense
electromagnetic fields in the conducting spheres 102. The close
proximity of the intense electromagnetic fields in the conducting
spheres 102 to the rebar could cause many problems, including but
not limited to: induction of electromagnetic fields in the rebar;
heating of the rebar; cracking of the cement, and disruption of
harmonics in the conducting spheres 102 and reactor cores 101.
[0174] The inner walls of the conducting sphere track 104 may be
lined with padding material 128 such as, but not limited to,
vulcanized rubber. The padding material 128 should be able to
withstand high temperatures and exposure to the chosen coolant 130.
The purpose of padding material 128 is to help protect the surface
texture and geometrical shape of the conducting spheres 102. If the
conducting spheres 102 are nicked or dented when placed into the
trough, or if the weight of the conducting spheres 102 gradually
flattens them, then the electromagnetic harmonics of the conducting
spheres 102 would be reduced or lost.
[0175] The padding material 128 should be sloped towards the center
of the trough. (The slope is exaggerated in FIG. 7 for illustration
purposes. In reality, the slope would be very minor.) In essence,
the conducting spheres 102 are gently pulled in towards the center
of the trough by the force of gravity. This slope will allow the
conducting spheres 102 to thermally expand outward and inward
allowing the conducting spheres 102 to remain aligned and
positioned next to each other on the conducting sphere track
104.
[0176] The conducting sphere track 104 should have numerous,
high-volume coolant inlet pipes 170 and high-volume coolant outlet
pipes 171. This would allow the conducting sphere track 104 to be
quickly filled with a coolant 130, and quickly drained. The coolant
130 could be water or other conductive coolants if coil wires 165
and the conducting layer 118 of the conducting spheres 102 are
coated with a non-conducting insulation, but preferably would be a
non-conductive, high thermal transfer substance such as liquid
Flourinert.RTM.. Cooling of the conducting spheres 102 and reactor
cores 101 will help maintain the conductivity of the circuit and
help maintain the harmonics of the spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140. For example, if the temperature of a
conducting sphere 102 dramatically increased, then the conductivity
of the conducting sphere 102 will change and, due to thermal
expansion, the wavelength of the main harmonic would change.
[0177] The top of the conducting sphere track 104 should have
sliding trough shields 131 that can be quickly moved on or off the
trough portion of the conducting sphere track 104. While over the
trough, the sliding trough shields 131 will help provide shielding
from magnetic fields and in case a conducting sphere 102 ruptures.
When the sliding trough shields 131 are retracted, it will allow
the conducting spheres 102 and other components such as the
hemispherical coils 106 to be checked, adjusted, or quickly
replaced.
[0178] There should be a means to quickly replace the massive
conducting spheres 102 and hemispherical coils 106. This can be
accomplished via overhead gantry and cranes 132.
[0179] There should be coil leads 133 that attach the hemispherical
coils 106 to the main electrical bus 107, the capacitor banks 105
and the power grid. These coil leads 133 can penetrate through any
side of the conducting sphere track 104, or through the sliding
trough shields 131. The coil leads 133 should be highly conductive,
evenly spaced around the conducting sphere track 104, and as short
and straight as possible. The coil leads 133 will be cooled by the
coolant 130 within the trough of the conducting sphere track 104
and by the coolant bath 108 outside of the conducting sphere track
104. (An additional cooling jacket may be required-especially if
the coil leads 133 are superconductive-within the concrete portion
of the conducting sphere track 104 but is not utilized in this
design.) In addition to the above details, the conducting sphere
track 104 will have numerous sensors to monitor physical conditions
such as: temperature, strain, electric fields, magnetic fields,
diameters of conducting spheres 102, etc., and may have pistons or
mechanisms to adjust the position of the conducting spheres
102.
[0180] Placement of the Anode/Cathode Conducting Spheres
[0181] FIG. 8 shows some of the major details in the central
reactor core area. The term "anode" and "cathode" with respect to
this electric circuit is purely arbitrary. Either conducting sphere
102 that is adjacent to the reactor core 101 could act as an anode
or cathode in an electric circuit, or neither, in a magnetic
circuit. The term "anode/cathode" as used in reference to the
conducting spheres 113 simply refers to the two conducting spheres
102 that are closest to the reactor core 101. The anode/cathode
conducting spheres 113 and reactor core 101 must be aligned next to
each other. In this embodiment, the three spheres are held in
position by an inner shield clamp 110. This inner shield clamp 110
is designed with two halves that act in a clamshell fashion. When
the middle reactor shield 109 opens, so does the inner shield clamp
110.
[0182] The middle reactor shield 109 is made with double walls. The
walls are made of a strong material that would resist heat and
puncture due to the explosion of a reactor core 101 or
anode/cathode conducting sphere 113. There are some stainless
steels--such as 316 stainless steel-that are not very reactive to
neutrons. Low reactivity for metals is important. After a period of
use, the shield material will become radioactive and will need to
be replaced. This will be one of the biggest sources of radioactive
waste products from such power plants. The preferred embodiment
will use 316 stainless steel. Other materials, including, but not
limited to reinforced Carbon/Carbon matrixes could be used for the
middle reactor shield 109.
[0183] Inside the two layers of the middle reactor shield 109 is
the middle shield coolant 134. The coolant 130 is Flourinert.RTM.
in the preferred embodiment. It is pumped through the middle
reactor shield 109 at a high rate. In some variations, this coolant
130 could be replaced by some other fluid, gas, or material
appropriate for cooling.
[0184] The anode/cathode conducting spheres 113 sit on
non-conducting conductor pedestals 112 of fiber reinforced cement.
The center of each conductor pedestal 112 contains coolant tubes
114 for coolant to flow in and out. In this design, and there are
many other possible designs, the coolant flows into the conductor
pedestals 112 through the central coolant inlet tube 115, and flows
out of the conductor pedestals 112 through the coolant outlet tube
116. The purpose of cooling the conductor pedestals 112 is so the
conductor pedestals 112 do not become "hot spots" beneath the
anode/cathode conducting spheres 113. The coolant 130 should also
be carefully monitored so as not to cool the conductor pedestals
112 too much, creating "cold spots" beneath the conducting spheres
102. Hot spots or cold spots would affect the conductivity and
harmonics of the conducting layer 118 of the conducting spheres 102
and the reactor cores 101 and thus reduce the effectiveness of the
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140.
[0185] Laser ports 137 pierce the middle reactor shield 109, the
inner shield clamp 110, and the reactor core 101. In the preferred
embodiment, the final focusing crystal of the laser 103 is located
in the laser ports 137 that are in the middle reactor shield 109.
The laser ports 137 through the inner shield clamp 110 and the
reactor core 101 are just holes and are not capped with any
material. (A clear, strong, heat resistant material with a high
amount of boron would be ideal if they were capped.) Non-conductive
gaskets 155 are located between the middle reactor shield 109 and
the inner shield clamp 110 to reduce the possibility that current
flow between the anode/cathode conducting spheres 113 and the
middle reactor shield 109 could take place.
[0186] The core pedestal 111 and the conductor pedestals 112 could
be located on vertical hydraulic lifts that allow them to move up
and down for easier opening and closing of the middle reactor
shield 109, the inner shield clamp 110, and to allow fine adjusting
of the supported anode/cathode conducting spheres 113 as they
thermally expand and contract through temperature variations.
[0187] Placement of the Reactor Core
[0188] While the reactor core sits in the inner shield-clamp 110,
its weight is also supported by a non-conducting pedestal made of
fiber reinforced cement, called the core pedestal 111.
[0189] The center of the core pedestal 111 also contains coolant
inlet tube 115 and coolant outlet tube 116. The purpose of cooling
the core pedestals 111 is so they do not become a "hot spot"
beneath the reactor core(s) 101. The coolant 130 should also be
carefully monitored so as not to cool the core pedestal 111 too
much, creating a "cold spot" beneath the reactor core(s) 101.
[0190] Placement of Fusion Fuel
[0191] Initially, the fuel pellet 136 will be in the form of
spherical Deuturium-Tritium pellets, presumably purchased from
government sources. (Eventually, if the power of these reactor
designs reaches expected levels, the use of Tritium may be avoided,
allowing cheaper and easier to produce D-D pellets, and possibly
other combinations of light elements.) The pellets will be
prepositioned within the replaceable reactor core 101 by a
three-dimensional grid of ablatable wires 135 made of materials
such as glass fibers--see FIG. 9.
[0192] Laser Ports
[0193] The middle reactor shield 109, the inner shield clamp 110,
and the reactor core 101 will have small holes--laser ports
137--that will allow the fusion pellet target to be imploded using
traditional inertial confinement techniques. The preferred
embodiment will use lasers. The design of the lasers and related
equipment could be identical to the currently envisioned facility
called the National Ignition Facility, or similar to many other
inertial confinement devices. It is important that the laser ports
be as evenly spaced around the reactor core to assist in imploding
the fusion pellet in a spherical fashion. (The NIF facility
currently envisions compressing Holoraum cylinders rather than the
older type of spherical D-T pellets envisioned for this preferred
embodiment.)
[0194] The laser ports 137 in the side of the reactor core 101 are
needed for this preferred embodiment in order to allow the laser
energy to reach the fuel pellet 136. Lasers 103 are needed in this
design for the purpose of igniting the fuel pellet 136. After the
initial ignition of the fuel pellet 136, the lasers 103 are not
needed.
[0195] The problem of having laser ports 137 in the side of the
reactor core 101 is the disruption of the harmonics of the
electromagnetic fields in the conducting layer 118 of the core. The
electromagnetic harmonics within the reactor core 101 will be
disrupted, to some extent, by the laser ports 137. This disruption
is a result of the electrons flowing around the laser ports 137
rather than through the conducting material that has been removed
to make the laser ports 137. If the diameters of the laser ports
137 are large, then the disruption of the harmonics will be larger.
Since the disruption of the harmonics is not desired, the diameters
preferably should be minimized.
[0196] In some prior art, laser ports 137 have used some kind of
glass or crystal structure. The design of these components has been
extremely difficult. The design of such "windows" for the laser
ports 137 that pass through the inner shield clamp 110 and the
reactor core 101, in these designs at least, does not seem
necessary. In this preferred embodiment, these inner laser ports
137 are simply holes. The final focusing optics for the lasers 103
are located just outside of, or within, the laser ports 137 that
pass through the middle reactor shield 109. Their design can be
very similar or identical to such components already designed for
the National Ignition Facility.
[0197] The size of the holes for the laser ports 137 that pass
through the inner shield clamp 110 and the reactor core 101 will
depend on the diameter of the laser 103. Tests with specific
reactor core 101 materials and laser 103 energies will be needed.
If the diameters of the laser ports 137 are too small, then the
laser 103 will be diffracted by the laser ports 137, and the energy
will not reach the fuel pellet 136. If the diameters of the laser
ports 137 are slightly too small, then the lasers 103 will vaporize
some of the conducting layer 118 of the reactor core 101 and plug
the laser ports 137. If the diameters of the laser ports 137 are
just right, then the lasers 103 will slightly vaporize some of the
conducting layer 118 of the reactor core 101 but not plug the laser
ports 137. With a slight amount of vaporized conducting layer 118
within the laser ports 137, and with the diameter of the laser
ports 137 minimized, when the massive pulse of electromagnetic
energy that forms the spherical electromagnetic confinement field
140 passes over the reactor core 101, then electrons and the
electromagnetic pulse will arc through the laser ports 137, instead
of around the diameter of the laser ports 137, and this will help
to minimize the disruption of the electromagnetic harmonics within
the reactor core 101.
[0198] If the laser ports 137 are simply holes, the question is,
"Will material pour out the laser ports 137 when the fusion
reaction occurs?" If there was no electromagnetic confinement
field, then the answer would be yes. However, with an
electromagnetic confinement field in place, all of, or the majority
of the plasma 150 would be blocked.
[0199] An added benefit of the laser ports 137 is to lessen forces
on the reactor core 101 in an explosive event that might rupture
the core wall. Energy escaping through the laser ports 137 would
impact the middle reactor shield 109, thus effectively spreading
out the energy over a greater area.
[0200] Laser Port Distribution
[0201] The positions and distributions of the laser ports 137 over
the reactor core 101 is important. The key engineering factor is
how the ports can be positioned to fire around the anode/cathode
conducting spheres 113 and core pedestal 111 and conductor pedestal
112. In general, it is preferable to implode the fuel pellet 136 in
a spherical pattern. The anode/cathode conducting spheres 113, core
pedestal 111 and conductor pedestal 112 create "blind spots" where
laser ports 137 can not be positioned. If needed, this problem can
be minimized by having some of the "end" lasers 103 aimed slightly
off-center. They can be aimed more towards the ends of the fuel
pellet 136--that is, the ends, or "poles" that face the
anode/cathode conducting spheres 113.
[0202] An estimated minimum of about 14 laser ports 137 is needed
to adequately implode the fuel pellet 136 in a spherical pattern.
Since the laser ports 137 reduce the electromagnetic harmonics on
the reactor core 101, the number of laser ports 137, and thus
lasers 103, preferably should be minimized. However, if too few of
lasers 103 are used, then the plasma 150 will not implode
spherically, and the initial plasma instabilities 139 would be too
large for the spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 to
contain. The optimum number of laser ports 137 can not be stated at
this time because of the number of variables involved. The laser
103 beam diameter is important. The laser wavelength is important.
The energy per beam is a factor. The diameter of the fuel pellet
136 is important.
[0203] Too many lasers 103 could be used. For example, 50 lasers
103 would probably be too many, creating too much of a disruption
in the harmonics of the spherical electromagnetic confinement
fields 140. In addition, the cost of the additional lasers 103
could become prohibitive. For the preferred embodiment, 24 laser
ports 137 will be used. Their approximate positions are shown in
FIG. 10. The dots in FIG. 10 show the positions of the laser ports
137. The circular line represents the reactor core's 101 outer
diameter. The radial lines represent the spherical angles from the
laser ports 137 to the fuel pellet 136 projected onto a
two-dimensional surface. FIG. 10 represents the view of the reactor
core 101 from inside the oval conducting sphere track 104 looking
outwards. There are only 12 laser ports 137 visible on this side.
Another 12 laser 137 ports would be on the opposite side (i.e., the
outside view of the reactor core 101). The angles are chosen to
fire around the anode/cathode conducting spheres 113 and the
conductor pedestals 112. There are many patterns that the laser
ports 137 could be laid out in to obtain a harmonic burn, this
pattern is just one example and is not intended to represent the
only manner in which the laser ports 137 could be positioned. In
some designs, no lasers 103, and thus, no laser ports 137, are used
at all.
[0204] In this preferred embodiment, the confinement field pulse
comes after the laser pulse for the reasons just discussed. If the
spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 is too strong when
the laser 103 pulses pass through the laser ports 137, then
premature arcing may occur across the laser ports 137 in front of
the laser 103 pulses, ionizing some of the conducting layer 118,
and blocking the energy of the lasers 103. If the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 is too weak when the plasma
150 explodes, then the fusion reaction will not be adequately
confined. Thus, timing is critical in this design, as is shown in
FIG. 11.
[0205] Tests must be performed to time the delay between when the
laser 103 pulses pass through the laser ports 137 and when the
plasma 150 (fusion burn) starts to explode outwards. Further tests
must be performed to determine the time needed for the energy from
the capacitor bank 105 to pass through the electrical bus 107,
through the hemispherical coils 106, to induce fields in the
conducting spheres 104, pass through the confinement circuit, and
build up to a value that will arc across the laser ports 137 in the
reactor core 101. When the reactor is triggered, the timing of the
lasers 103 must be designed so that the peak of the laser 103 pulse
at time "1" is just prior to the timing of the peak of the
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 at time "2". (The
total time width of the laser 103 pulse and fuel pellet explosion
pulse will probably be only about 1 nanosecond. An estimate of the
total width of the confinement pulse from triggering to peak will
probably be about 4 to 5 .mu.seconds--based upon the estimated
discharge rate of the capacitor bank 105--if the Marx modules
described later are used. Therefore, it is likely that the
triggering of the confinement pulse will be required to begin prior
to the triggering of the laser 103 pulse.)
[0206] The delay and duration of each pulse after its triggering is
unknown at this time and will be specific to each reactor design.
In the example of timing in FIG. 11, the confinement pulse is
triggered prior to the triggering of the laser 103 pulse. The laser
103 pulse may need to be triggered first, or they may need to be
triggered at the same time. The key detail is the confinement field
peak at time "2" lies between the laser 103 pulse peak at time "1"
and the fusion yield peak at time "3".
[0207] Middle Reactor Shield
[0208] Surrounding the reactor core 101 and the anode/cathode
conducting spheres 113 is a middle reactor shield 109. This middle
reactor shield 109 is made up of strong material capable of halting
debris from an exploding or rupturing reactor core 101. The center
of the double walls is filled with a coolant 130.
[0209] The middle reactor shield 109 is of a clam-shell type. The
two halves slide open for access to the central components. In the
preferred embodiment, the two halves slide outwards, rather than up
and down. This allows the overhead gantry and cranes 132 to easily
drop replacement anode/cathode conducting spheres 113 and reactor
cores 101 into place. (Design variations for the middle reactor
shield 109 may include one wall with no coolant 130, multi-wall
shields with or without coolant 130.) Middle reactor shield 109
materials may be conducting or non-conducting. For the preferred
embodiment, 316 stainless steel will be used. (Another possible
metal alloy based on Vanadium--V--0.15Cr-5Ti--would be a good
example of a suitable material. Metals would have to be resistant
to radiation induced swelling and ductility loss and offer low
residual activation. Other important considerations are: relatively
high thermal conductivity; low thermal expansion coefficient and
low modulus.) If the middle reactor shield 109 material is
conducting, then non-conductive gaskets 155 must be placed between
the middle reactor shield 109 and the anode/cathode conducting
spheres 113--see FIG. 8. The non-conductive gaskets 155 material
could be a vulcanized rubber, possibly ceramic, or other materials.
In essence, the bulk of the electromagnetic confinement pulse must
follow the conducting material in the conducting spheres 102 and
the reactor Core 101 and not over the middle reactor shield 109.
Laser ports 137 through the middle reactor shield 109 are required
for the lasers 103. The geometry of the middle reactor shield 109
is spherical, centered around the center of the reactor core 101 so
as not to disrupt the electromagnetic harmonics of the reactor core
101.
[0210] Inner Reactor Clamp/Shield
[0211] Attached to inside of the middle reactor shield 109 is an
inner optional shield clamp 110. The middle reactor shield 109 is a
clam-shell type, non-conducting, approximately two inches thick of
RCC. This inner shield clamp 110 provides additional shielding and
stability in the core area but may be omitted if it disrupts the
harmonics of the reactor core 101, or if it is found that the
additional shielding and stability are not needed. The middle
reactor shield 109 clamps into position around the anode/cathode
conducting spheres 102 and the reactor core 101. Holes in the inner
shield clamp 110 are positioned to mirror the laser ports 137. The
diameter of the holes can be larger than the holes through the
sides of the reactor cores 101.
[0212] Description of Electrical Currents
[0213] The conducting spheres 102 and the reactor core 101 create
an electric or magnetic circuit. Potentially, a voltage could be
set up so that current flows around the circuit. In this situation,
the circuit will be called an electrical circuit, and the reactor
is acting in the electric mode. Alternatively, currents can be set
up over the conducting spheres to induce a magnetic potential
across each conducting sphere. In this situation, the circuit will
be called a magnetic circuit, and the reactor is acting in the
magnetic mode. The preferred embodiment of these reactor designs
uses a magnetic circuit. If this reactor design were designed to be
an electrical circuit, then there would result large-scale
transport of electrons around the oval track of the circuit.
Large-scale transport of electrons would be relatively dangerous
and destructive to the circuit.
[0214] FIG. 12 demonstrates how, if a voltage is set up over the
poles of a sphere, then an electric circuit is made. The arrows
that represent the direction of the current show how large-scale
transport of electrons would flow over the reactor core 101 and
accumulate on one pole of the reactor core 101. The magnetic field
would obey the left-hand rule on the left hemisphere, and the
right-hand rule on the right hemisphere.
[0215] If this reactor design were designed to be a magnetic
circuit, then there would result large-scale transport of electrons
around the outer diameters of the conducting spheres 102 and
reactor core(s) 101. FIG. 13 demonstrates how, if a magnetic
voltage is set up over the poles of a sphere, then a magnetic
circuit is made. The arrows that represent the direction of the
magnetic "current" show how large-scale transport of the magnetic
field would flow over the reactor core 101. The electric field
would obey the left-hand rule on the left hemisphere, and the
right-hand rule on the right hemisphere. Thus, the large scale flow
of electrons would counter-rotate around the opposite hemispheres
of the conducting spheres 102 and reactor core(s) 101 and would not
accumulate on one pole.
[0216] The preferred embodiment of these fusion reactor designs
uses a magnetic circuit.
[0217] Tests indicate that the poles of this configuration become
hot, apparently due to the faster rotating electrons. This dictates
that magnetic circuit designs have very high cooling
capabilities.
[0218] In order to induce the magnetic fields in the magnetic
circuit in the preferred embodiment of these reactor designs,
inductive coils will be used. There are many types of coils that
can be used.
[0219] Hemispheric Coils
[0220] Hemispheric coils 106, as depicted in FIG. 14, have not been
used or named before. U.S. Pat. No. 5,146,197 describes the use of
spherical type coils for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), however, no suggestion is made in
this patent to use such spherical coils for nuclear fusion.
Basically, the coil wire 165 is wrapped around one hemisphere of
coil support material 166. Appropriate coil support materials
include but are not limited to ceramic or RCC. The coil wire may or
may not be insulated.
[0221] Other coil types could be used. Advantages of a hemispheric
coil 106 are: they can use a constant current to create a magnetic
field because the flux area is changing, and they create a
symmetrical magnetic wave pattern over the conducting spheres 102.
The symmetrical magnetic wave pattern would be conducive to
creating a harmonic spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140
over the reactor core 101. The disadvantage of using a hemispheric
coil 106, is the pole area becomes very hot. This is one reason
cooling is required in the conducting sphere track 104. Further,
the placement of the high-volume coolant inlet pipes 170 should be
such that the coolant 130 is aimed at the poles of these
hemispheric coils 106.
[0222] Because the geometrical design of a hemispheric coil 106,
the flux area of the hemispheric coil 106 is decreasing or
increasing in a sine wave manner depending on the direction of
current flow. Since the magnetic flux is changing, this will induce
an EMF across the hemispheric coil 106 according to Faraday's Law
of Induction. The direction of flow of fields over a conducting
sphere 102 will oppose the fields in the hemispheric coil 106. The
fields on the conducting spheres 102 will be induced by the fields
in the hemispheric coils 106. Thus, a magnetic field will be set up
across the poles of the conducting sphere 102, and the large-scale
transport of electrons in the conducting sphere 102 will
counter-rotate around each hemisphere of the conducting sphere 102
as indicated in FIG. 15.
[0223] Just as it is possible to layer normal cylindrical coils, it
should be possible to create a more powerful magnetic force by
layering the hemispheric coils 106. Such a coil would be like a cup
in a cup as shown in FIG. 16.
[0224] Based upon geometry, it is believed that hemispherical coils
106 hold great promise and are used in the preferred embodiment.
Alternate coil designs will be discussed later and can replace the
hemispherical coils 106 if needed. The wiring of the hemispherical
coils 106 could be connected in parallel or in series. It is
believed the best choice will be in parallel over one conducting
sphere 102, and in series from conducting sphere 102 to conducting
sphere 102. FIG. 17 discloses this method for connecting the
hemispherical coils 106. However, in the preferred embodiment,
single layer hemispherical coils 106 wired in series directly to
the electrical bus 107 are used.
[0225] Energy Source to Initially Drive the Coils
[0226] As in all other fusion reactor designs, these reactor
designs need an external energy source to start up. This external
energy source could come from a variety of power sources such as:
coal, oil, hydroelectric, fission, etc. Most external power plants
would not have sufficient power to start the fusion process. Thus,
some sort of energy collection system is needed.
[0227] Capacitor Banks
[0228] In many other fusion reactor designs, banks of capacitors
are charged. This design utilizes such preexisting equipment. As an
example, the Los Alamos National Laboratory is building a device
called Atlas. This device will use a 36 MJ array of 240 kVolt Marx
modules. These modules can be discharged rapidly. They can deliver
a peak current of 45 to 50 MA with a 4 to 5 .mu.second rise
time.
[0229] The exact amount of capacitors that are needed for the
preferred embodiment is not known at this time. This design is
scalable. To meet the design goal of 1 to 3 Tesla of induced
magnetic fields over the conducting spheres 102 and reactor core(s)
101, additional capacitors and coils could be added as needed.
[0230] Applying Current to the Coils
[0231] The design would use preexisting equipment to switch the
capacitors to the coils. While tests with each reactor design would
be needed, it is assumed that massive capacitor banks 105 must be
discharged in unison. High-speed switches 138 have been employed
for such purposes in other designs and could be purchased for this
application. (For example, some inertial confinement reactors use
synchronized laser-triggered, gas-insulated switches.)
[0232] When the energy in the capacitor banks 105 is discharged
into the hemispherical coils 106, then electromagnetic fields would
develop in the conducting layer 118 of each conducting sphere 102,
and these fields would induce electromagnetic fields in adjacent
conducting spheres 102. The anode/cathode conducting sphere 113
would induce the fields within the reactor core 101.
[0233] A key question is whether all of the energy in the capacitor
bank(s) 105, should be released at once, with one triggering, or,
should the initial pulse be followed up with more pulses. The
answer is, it depends on economics. The Marx modules are obviously
expensive. The initial pulse is the most critical. It helps to
confine the initial explosion of the fusion fuel and creates the
spherical electromagnetic confinement field that allows these
designs to extract energy in the MHD process. However, to the
lengthen the duration of the fusion burn, additional time in the
spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 would be
beneficial. The long-term costs of adding additional energy storage
in the capacitor bank(s) 105 would be less than the additional
energy captured from the fusion reactions. The bulk of the cost is
expended in the initial confinement pulse, not adding additional
time to the pulse.
[0234] The frequency at which initial pulses are triggered will be
determined by the resonance of the reactor core 101. This rate is a
function of the primary wavelength of the system. If designed
correctly, this wavelength will be determined by the wavelength of
the conducting spheres 102. An example of how an initial pulse of
energy could be released by a capacitor bank 105, followed by
additional pulses of energy by additional capacitors, is shown in
FIG. 18. Additional pulses of confinement energy from capacitors
would not be needed if, as predicted, the instabilities from the
fusion burn combine with the initial pulse of confinement energy to
continuously maintain the confinement field over the course of the
fusion burn.
[0235] Magnetic Field Goals
[0236] Due to the custom nature of early reactor designs, and the
number of design variables to be tested, it is impossible to state
exactly what the goal of the magnetic field over the reactor core
101 should be. For example, while the conducting material for the
conducting spheres 102 will initially be a copper alloy, the
conductivity of the manufactured conducting spheres 102 must be
tested. Obviously, an initial purchase of capacitors could be made
and additional modules added on until a sufficiently high magnetic
field is achieved. If sufficiently high magnetic fields are not
initially attained, it is likely that additional active cooling of
the reactor core 101 and conducting spheres 102 may be needed. It
is believed that an initial goal of 1 Tesla would be a difficult
but reasonable goal. It is also believed that small fields could
still allow commercially viable designs.
[0237] Organizations such as the National High Magnetic Field
Laboratory have reach quasi-continuous magnetic fields of 65 Tesla
in small bore magnets, and have numerous magnets with magnetic
fields in the 20-45 Tesla range, including a 30 Tesla continuous
magnetic field resistive magnet. If current design goals are met,
organizations such as the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
are expected to reach 100 Tesla in a non-destructive magnet.
Magnetic fields of up to 820 Tesla have been reached using
destructive magnets at the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
[0238] Incremental increases in reaching higher magnetic fields in
test magnets are being made by through the use of superconductors,
by improving cooling, through alloy selection, by using better
capacitors--or other energy sources--reinforcement structures, etc.
The modular designs of all of the new reactor designs in the
present invention allow new and improved materials and devices to
be tested, and first generation components to be replaced later, by
more advanced components-especially in the three key components;
the reactor cores 101, the conducting spheres 102, and the coils
106, 147 and FIG. 51.
[0239] Reactor Core Spherical Electromagnetic Confinement Field 140
Field Goal
[0240] The power that is transmitted to the focal point of the core
can be found by using the following expressions:
P=A Equation #1
[0241] (Power is equal to the Poynting Vector times the area of the
sphere.) 1 S = 1 0 E .times. B Equation #2
[0242] (The Poynting Vector is proportional to the cross product of
the electric and magnetic fields.)
E=cB Equation #3
[0243] (The electric field is proportional to the magnetic field
times the speed of light.)
A=4.pi.r.sup.2 Equation #4
[0244] (The surface area for a sphere.)
[0245] Solving: 2 P = 1 0 B 2 c4r 2 Equation #5
[0246] As an example of what this implies for these reactor
designs, if a magnetic field can be generated at the surface of a 5
meter conducting sphere with a value of 1 Tesla, then the power
transmitted towards the focal point of the sphere would be: 3 p = 1
[ T 2 ] 3 .times. 10 8 [ m / s ] 4 25 [ m 2 ] 4 .times. 10 - 7 [ Wb
/ A m ] = 1 [ T 2 ] 3 .times. 10 15 [ m / s ] 25 [ m 2 ] [ A m / Wb
] = 75 .times. 10 15 [ kg .times. m 2 s 3 ] Equation #6
[0247] Thus, a 1 Tesla field over a 5 meter sphere would focus 75
petawatts at the core of the reactor. A magnetic field of 1.5 Tesla
would focus 168.75 petawatts at the core of the reactor. A magnetic
field of 2 Tesla would yield 300 petawatts. A magnetic field of 3
Tesla would yield 675 petawatts. A magnetic field of 4 Tesla would
yield 1.2 exawatts. All of these example energies are very extreme.
This is energy that is focused towards the center of the reactor
core 101. It is referred to as the spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140. (In some design variations, the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 will be relied upon to ignite
the fusion fuel.)
[0248] With a spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 that
has enough power, the steps to production of usable fusion energy
are ready to begin.
[0249] General Steps for Operation of Reactor.
[0250] It is believed that the invention operates as follows:
[0251] 1) The capacitor bank(s) 105 for both the containment
circuit and the lasers 103 are charged.
[0252] 2) A reactor core 101, with a spherical fuel pellet
136--held in place at the center of the reactor core 101 by three
abatable glass wires 135 in the x, y, and z axis--is placed on the
central core pedestal 111.
[0253] 3) The inner shield clamp 110 and middle reactor shields 109
are closed.
[0254] 4) The conducting sphere track 104 and middle reactor shield
109 are filled with coolant 130 and cooled. Coolant 130 is pumped
through the conductor pedestal 112 and core pedestal 111.
[0255] 5) The sliding trough shields 131 are closed.
[0256] 6) The overhead gantry and cranes 132 are retracted.
[0257] 8) High-speed switches 138 allow energy stored in the
capacitor banks 105 to flow into the laser circuit and the
containment circuit. The lasers 103 are allowed to fire so that
their peak energy is applied to the fuel pellet 136 slightly ahead
of when the peak of the containment energy sweeps around the
containment circuit and is applied to the reactor core 101.
[0258] 9) The current through the hemispherical coils 106 induces
electromagnetic fields over the conducting layer 118 of the
conducting spheres 102. These fields create a magnetic circuit
around the containment circuit, i.e., the electrons in the
conducting spheres 102 do not flow around the circuit, they
counter-rotate around each conducting sphere 102, as shown in FIG.
13, and create a strong magnetic field at each pole of the
conducting spheres 102. The cross-product of the Electric and
Magnetic fields--the Poynting Vector--creates a strong central
pointing field in each conducting sphere 102. The non-conducting
core 119 within each conducting sphere 102 would be heated and
compressed, but not enough to start a fusion burn as is intended in
the reactor core 101. In the reactor core 101, a strong spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 will start to develop.
[0259] 10) The lasers 103 implode the fuel pellet 136 and creates a
nucleus of fused material.
[0260] 11) The spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 over
the reactor core 101 grows as the peak energy starts to flow
through the containment circuit. (Extra capacitors are triggered-as
needed-to lengthen the duration of the spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140.)
[0261] 12) Using high-speed switches 138, the containment circuit
is switched from the capacitor bank 105 to the energy grid.
[0262] 13) In general, the spherical electromagnetic confinement
field 140 that is set up over the reactor core 101 inhibits the
nucleus of fused material from exploding. A more precise way of
saying this, is the fused fuel is inhibited from decaying. In
general, the spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 will
compress the fusion burn uniformly in all directions, helping the
fusion burn to be harmonic. In general, some instabilities 139 will
be ejected from the surface of the fusion burn in jet-like
flows.
[0263] 14) The outward exploding streams of plasma instabilities
139 will setup flows at right angles to the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140. The exploding streams of
plasma 150 will interact with spherical electromagnetic confinement
field 140 that surrounds the core in a MHD fashion. The outward
exploding streams of plasma 150 will push out on the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 via the MHD effect. The
inward pointing spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140
will push back on the exploding streams of plasma 150. The rate of
flow of the outward exploding streams of plasma 150 will be slowed.
The energy lost in the slowing of the outward moving streams of
plasma 150 will be transferred to the spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140, effectively increasing its strength, and
creating an increased magnetic differential across the reactor core
101.
[0264] 15) The increased magnetic differential creates a magnetic
flow, analogous to a current flow, around the containment circuit.
A current flow will be induced in the hemispherical coils 106 by
the magnetic flow around the containment circuit. The induced
current from the hemispherical coils 106 is allowed to flow out
into the energy grid. High efficiency is obtained because fusion
energy is directly converted into electricity, and the excess
energy in the spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 is
recycled.
[0265] 16) The active confinement of the fusion burn by the
spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 will allow the
fusion burn to have a duration that is longer than without active
containment.
[0266] 17) The central nucleus of fused fuel continues to eject
exploding streams of plasma 150--or possibly pulsates--until the
fuel is consumed. Then, when the fuel is almost totally consumed,
the process stops. The rate at which energy is released from the
fusion burn will depend on the harmonics of the burn. Smoother
harmonics will allow a slower release of energy. Poorer harmonics
will release energy faster.
[0267] 18) Heat is extracted from the coolant 130 in the middle
reactor shield 109 and the coolant bath 108 and is used to drive
secondary steam turbine generators.
[0268] 19) When the reactor core 101 is cooled sufficiently, the
outer shield doors are opened and the reactor core 101 is replaced.
The sliding trough shields 131 are retracted. Parts are inspected
and replaced as needed.
[0269] 20) The next cycle begins.
[0270] The length of the burn will be affected by many variables
such as: materials selected for conducting spheres 102, the reactor
core 101, and the size of the capacitor bank 105. These variables
do not affect the general design concepts that patent protection is
being applied for, but may affect the details of specific patent
variations.
[0271] Theory of Operation
[0272] The simplest way to describe the idea of spherical
confinement, is to take a hollow sphere made of a conducting
material--e.g., copper--and to set up a voltage across the sphere
as shown in FIG. 19. It is important that the sphere is:
symmetrical, smooth, of consistent material, and of consistent wall
thickness. Also important is that the diameter of the sphere be
much larger than the thickness of the wall of the sphere as shown
in FIG. 20.
D>>t
[0273] The voltage across the sphere will create a current across
the sphere. However, on one hemisphere the current density is
decreasing as the current spreads out over the greater surface area
of the sphere, and on the other hemisphere the current density is
increasing as the current comes together at the pole. This change
in the current density will induce magnetic fields at right angles
on the surface of the sphere. Another way of describing this is the
electric flux is changing due to the geometry of the conducting
sphere. The changing electric flux induces magnetic fields.
[0274] Magnetic Fields
[0275] If the voltage is set up so the current passes from left to
right in this example, then the magnetic fields will form parallel
to the equator of the sphere, as indicated in FIG. 21. As the
current passes over the surface of the sphere, the electrical field
will change due to the geometry of the sphere. This changing
electrical field induces magnetic fields on the surface of the
sphere at right angles the electrical field according to the right
hand rule. Since the electrical field is decreasing on the left
hemisphere there is a negative sign, thus explaining why the
magnetic field is turning around that hemisphere according to the
left hand rule. In essence, the flux of the electrical current is
being forced to spread out, by flowing over the sphere, and then is
being forced to come back together again. Forcing the current to
change direction in such a manner, induces the magnetic fields.
[0276] For purposes of the present invention, this central
conducting sphere may be referred to as the "core." The core can be
described as manufactured with numerous layers of different
materials, or as a plasma 150. In a group of reactor designs
described in one embodiment of the present invention--called "No
Core" Reactors--the core will be made of no materials at all--only
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140.
[0277] The Poynting Vector
[0278] One of the important characteristics of an electromagnetic
wave is that it can transport energy from point to point. The rate
of energy flow per unit area for an electromagnetic wave can be
expressed by the vector S, and it is called the Poynting Vector
after John Henry Poynting (1852-1914), who first described it.
[0279] For current flowing through a typical wire with constant
circular cross section, the Poynting Vector almost always points
inwards towards the center of the wire as shown in FIG. 22. In high
voltage and/or high current situations, especially in thick
conductors, waves can set up in the conductor, creating a varying
direction for the Poynting Vector as shown in FIG. 23. Normally,
such waves are a major problem. Spherical electromagnetic waves
such as these can explode wires, and have been known to crush pipes
in a sausage-link-like fashion when the pipes were struck by
lightning. Many wire designs--such as cables used with lightning
rods--are composed of thin filaments 164, twisted or woven, to
minimize this effect--see FIG. 50. This natural pattern of
spherical waves will be utilized in a beneficial manner in the
present invention. In many parts of the designs of the present
invention, steps must be taken to prevent such instabilities from
exploding components. (This is sometimes referred to as, "the
exploding wire phenomenon" and will be explained more in depth
hereinafter.)
[0280] In prior nuclear fusion experiments, "instabilities" may
have been the result of unintended, or unexpected spherical
electromagnetic waves in the plasma 150 (i.e., the induced
cross-product of the time varying, and/or, area varying Electric
and Magnetic fields.)
[0281] The Poynting Vector can be expressed by the equation: 4 S =
1 0 E .times. B Equation 7
[0282] In this form--i.e., with this constant--the Poynting Vector
can be described using SI Basic Units or SI Derived Units. In SI
Derived Units, S is often expressed in terms of watts/meter.sup.2.
In SI Basic Units, S is expressed in terms of kg/second.sup.3. The
direction of the vector S gives the direction in which the energy
moves. The vectors E and B refer to the instantaneous vectors for
the Electric and Magnetic fields.
[0283] Over the surface of the cores in the fusion reactors
described here, the instantaneous vectors for E and B are usually
tangential to the core's spherical surface. There are two primary
possibilities for how the electric and magnetic fields are oriented
over the core. These two possibilities can be equated to "electric"
circuits and "magnetic" circuits.
[0284] In one of the two primary orientations of electric and
magnetic fields described in these fusion reactors, the electric
fields E are aligned so that they travel from pole to pole over the
conducting sphere, while the magnetic fields B point at a right
angle to E--essentially parallel to the equator of the conducting
spheres, as shown in FIG. 24(a) and FIG. 24(b).
[0285] In the other of the two primary orientations of electric and
magnetic fields described in these fusion reactors, the magnetic
fields B are aligned so that they travel from pole to pole over the
conducting sphere, while the electric fields E point at a right
angle to B--essentially parallel to the equator of the conducting
spheres. This particular arrangement of electric and magnetic
fields--essential for "magnetic" circuits--will be the preferred
field orientation and is required for the "No-Core" reactor design,
as shown in FIG. 25(a) and FIG. 25(b).
[0286] Analyzing the Poynting Vector on a Conducting Sphere or
Core
[0287] At any point on the surface of a Conducting Sphere or
Reactor Core, the electric and magnetic field can be analyzed. By
analyzing the cross-product of the electric and magnetic fields,
the Poynting Vector can be found. At all points on the surface of
the sphere the cross-product S is directed towards the center of
the sphere. Two example points of analyzing the Poynting Vector for
a sphere are shown in FIG. 26.
[0288] The Poynting Vector can be expressed in different forms, but
in general, energy is being transported to the focal point--to the
center of the sphere. In essence, the electrical current is being
forced to spread out and then allowed to come back together again
by the geometry of the conducting sphere 102, or reactor core 101.
If a current was traveling down a long, straight conductor, then
forced to spread out because of a bulge in the conductor, then
there must be a force pointing towards the center of the bulge. The
equal and opposite force, equivalent to the mechanical force that
is spreading the electrical current apart over the sphere's region,
is the central pointing energy transport that can be expressed in
the form of the Poynting Vector as shown in FIG. 27.
[0289] The larger the voltage applied across the conducting sphere
102, the larger the current across the conducting sphere 102. The
larger the current across the conducting sphere 102, the larger the
electric and magnetic fields. The larger the electric and magnetic
fields, the larger the amount of energy that is focused on the
focal point--at the center of the reactor core 101.
[0290] It is critical to note that, if a conducting sphere 102 or
reactor core 101 is thin-walled, structurally weak, or in plasma
form, then the electromagnetic fields will collapse and implode the
conducting Sphere 102 or reactor core 101. This is a problem if the
conducting sphere 102 or reactor Core 101 needs to be designed not
to collapse. Such a collapsing and implosion can be a benefit if it
used as an ignition technique to ignite a plasma into a fusion
burn. However, in general, to prevent conducting spheres 102 or
reactor cores 101 from vaporizing, imploding, crushing, rupturing
or some other catastrophic event, and in order to provide massive
central pointing impulses of energy at the center of the reactor
core, the conducting spheres 102 and reactor cores 101 must be
relatively large, strong, and massive rather than small, and
thin.
[0291] Plasma Fusion Within the Core
[0292] A significant early question is, how could a fusion reaction
be induced in the reactor core 101 of the reactors designs of the
present invention? The first two key issues are: how is the fuel
placed in the reactor core 101; and, how is the fuel ignited? The
next section on MHD will address the issue of how energy will be
extracted. There are numerous techniques that could be used to
place the fuel inside the core.
[0293] 1) In one approach--shown in FIG. 28--a nozzle 149 could be
placed in the side of the reactor core 101 to inject a plasma 150
into the reactor core 101 just prior to it being ignited. However,
a permanently placed nozzle 149 in the side of the reactor core 101
could interfere with the harmonics of the spherical electromagnetic
confinement fields 140 and dramatically reduce their effectiveness
to contain the fusion reaction.
[0294] 2) A second approach--as shown in FIG. 29(a) and FIG.
29(b)--would be to place plasma 150 into the reactor core 101 when
it is manufactured and have the plasma 150 completely sealed in the
reactor core 101. Thus, the reactor would need to be designed so
that the reactor cores 101 could be easily replaced between each
fusion burn. With this technique, the reactor core 101 would need
to be preheated before the main confinement/triggering pulse in
order to re-ionize the plasma 150.
[0295] 3) A third approach--as shown in FIG. 30--would be to place
a fuel pellet 136 at the center of the reactor core 101,
pre-positioned and held in place by adjustable, ablatable wires 135
made of a materials which may include but not be limited to: spider
web, Kevlar, carbon or glass. There may be 1, 2, 3, or more wires
used to hold the pellet in place. In this example, there are 3
wires forming a 3-dimensional x, y, z-type grid.
[0296] 4) A fourth approach--shown in FIG. 31--would be to place a
fuel pellet 136 inside a small spherical wire implosion cage 151
made of thin conducting wires 152. How this cage is designed
depends on if the containment circuit is acting in an electric mode
or magnetic mode. In the electric mode, the thin conducting wires
152 would be aligned from pole to pole as shown in FIG. 32. In the
magnetic mode, the thin conducting wires 152 would be made of
concentric wires as shown in FIG. 33. The number of strands that
make up the cage could be low--e.g., 20-30 wires. However, current
tests by Sandia National Laboratories with cylindrical wire cages
in their Z-Pinch device would suggest 100-300 wires would be
better. Examples of materials for the spherical wire implosion
cage's 151 thin conducting wires 152 would include, but not be
limited to: tungsten, copper, aluminum, and gold.
[0297] The purpose of the Spherical wire implosion cage 151 is to
implode and ignite the fuel pellet 136 located at the center of the
spherical wire implosion cage 151. The fuel pellet 136 would be
held in position inside the spherical wire implosion cage 151 by
ablatable non-conducting wires 153. Examples of materials for the
ablatable non-conducting wires 153 would include, but not be
limited to: spider web, carbon, silicon and Kevlar. The spherical
wire implosion cage 151 of thin conducting wires 152 would be held
in position within the larger, outer reactor core 101 by a thick
conducting wire 154.
[0298] A massive voltage would be setup across the reactor core
101--as shown in FIG. 32--or any number of design variations
operating in the electric mode. Part of the current would induce a
spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 around the reactor
core 101. Some of the current would pass along the inner thick
conducting wire 154 which would vaporize the thick conducting wire
154 and vaporize and implode the spherical wire implosion cage 151.
This implosion would ignite the fuel pellet 136 inside the
spherical wire implosion cage 151. The remaining current passing
over the outer reactor core 101 would provide the containment
forces for the fusion explosion. The difficulty of inducing a
harmonic magnetic mode containment field on the reactor core 101
and in the spherical wire implosion cage 151 at the same time
probably will inhibit using this technique. The difficulty caused
by the mass transport of electrons around the containment circuit
when using the spherical wire implosion cage 151 technique in the
electric mode will inhibit using this technique.
[0299] 5) A fifth approach would have the reactor core 101 placed
inside a larger plasma container/shield 156 that is filled with
plasma 150--see FIG. 34(a). In the sides of the reactor core 101
would be small plasma flow ports 158 that would allow the plasma
150 to move inside the reactor core 101. With this technique, the
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 over the reactor
core 101 would compress and ignite the plasma 150 inside the
reactor core 101 when a massive electric voltage, or magnetic
differential is set up across the poles of the reactor core
101--see FIG. 34(b). But this would not ignite the plasma 150
outside of the reactor core 101. At most it would compress it
outward. As the reactor cools, there will be less pressure in the
reactor core 101 than outside of the reactor core 101. The small
plasma flow ports 158 in the sides of the reactor core 101 would
allow the plasma 150 outside the reactor core 101 back into the
reactor core 101 between each electromagnetic pulse--see FIG.
34(c).
[0300] If the small plasma flow ports 158 through the sides of the
reactor core 101 are small enough, then there should be no
disruption to the harmonics of the electromagnetic fields within
the conducting layer 118 of the reactor core 101--the massive
electromagnetic pulses that travel through the conducting layer 118
of the reactor core 101 would simply arc across the plasma flow
ports 158. This technique may not be feasible if the plasma flow
ports 158 disrupt the harmonics of the spherical electromagnetic
confinement fields 140 too much. Also, the reactor cores 101 would
need to be easily replaced with this design since the arcing of the
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 across the plasma
flow ports 158 would eventually weld them shut.
[0301] 6) The previous 5 techniques are meant only as examples.
There are other, obvious techniques for placing the fusion fuel
into the reactor core 101, such as dropping a fusion fuel pellet
136 through a hole in the top of the reactor core 101.
[0302] With a fusion fuel--such as D-T in plasma or pellet form--in
place within the reactor core 101, a high voltage or magnetic
differential is applied across the reactor core 101 just moments
before the fuel is ignited. This step is critical, and occurs for
all variations of this patent. The details of ignition depend on
which method of fuel placement is used:
[0303] 1) FIG. 35 corresponds to the ignition of approach 1 in FIG.
28. Approach 1 uses electromagnetic fields induced across the
sphere to focus a tremendous surge of power to the center of the
reactor core 101--expressed in terms of the Poynting Vector. This
focused energy would compress, heat and confine the plasma. With
strong enough spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140--the
actual magnitude would be dependent upon many design features--the
centrally focused energy would ignite the fuel and a nuclear fusion
burn would take place. This technique requires stronger spherical
electromagnetic confinement fields 140 across the reactor core 101
relative to the other techniques of the present invention since the
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 are used not only
for confinement but also for ignition.
[0304] 2) FIG. 36 corresponds to the ignition of approach 2 in FIG.
29(b). With approach 2, the electromagnetic fields induced across
the sphere would focus a tremendous surge of power to the center of
the reactor core 101--expressed in terms of the Poynting Vector.
This focused energy would compress, heat and confine the plasma.
With strong enough spherical electromagnetic confinement fields
140--the actual magnitude would be dependent upon many design
features--the centrally focused energy would ignite the fuel and a
nuclear fusion burn would take place. This technique requires
stronger spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 across
the reactor core 101 relative to the other techniques of the
present invention since the spherical electromagnetic confinement
fields 140 are used not only for confinement but also for
ignition.
[0305] 3) FIGS. 37(a) and 37(b) correspond to the ignition of
approach 3 in FIG. 30. With the third technique, just as the
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 are growing in
magnitude across the conducting layer 118 of the reactor core 101,
the fuel pellet 136 is imploded with traditional inertial
confinement methods. For example, external lasers 103, or ion beams
would pass through laser ports 137 and focus on the fuel pellet
136. The key here is the timing--an electric voltage or magnetic
differential must be set up across the reactor core 101 at the
correct moment so that the spherical electromagnetic confinement
fields 140 are induced so that they should reaching a maximum just
prior to when the fusion implosion changes direction to become an
explosion. Since the inertial confinement energy is applied
directly to the fuel pellet 136 with relatively easy-to-use and
understood inertial techniques, the required magnitude of the
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 are less with this
technique. The spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 are
not required to start ignition of the fusion process. The spherical
electromagnetic confinement fields 140 are used to confine and
lengthen the fusion burn, and extract energy via the MHD
process.
[0306] 4) FIGS. 38(a), 38(b), 38(c), and 38(d) correspond to the
ignition of approach 4 in FIGS. 31 and 32. With the fourth
technique, just as the spherical electromagnetic confinement fields
140 are building, the fuel pellet 136 is imploded with an "x, y,
z"--or, "spherical"--pinch. This spherical pinch technique is
enabled by passing a current through a thick conducting wire 154
that is strung within the reactor core 101--FIG. 38(a). As the
massive spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 set up
across the reactor core 101 area, some of the current will flow
over the conducting layer 118 of the reactor core 101--FIG. 38(b)
left--through the thick conducting wire 154, and through the thin
conducting wires 152 of the spherical wire implosion cage 151--FIG.
38(b) right. This current will be far too massive for the thick
conducting wire 154 and will vaporize it. (This is according to the
ideas expressed in the section below on the exploding wire
phenomena.) However, before the thick conducting wire 154
vaporizes, the current will also sweep across the thin conducting
wires 152 of the spherical wire implosion cage 151. This current
will be far too massive for the thin conducting wires 152 of the
spherical wire implosion cage 151 and will also vaporize them.
Magnetic fields will setup across the conducting layer 118 of the
reactor core 101 and the spherical wire implosion cage 151 as is
shown in FIG. 38(c). Due to the same geometry of electric and
magnetic fields in both the conducting layer 118 of the reactor
core 101 and the spherical wire implosion cage 151, the spherical
wire implosion cage 151 will implode into the fuel pellet 136--FIG.
38(d) right--igniting the fusion reaction. The fusion reaction is
further compressed and contained by the spherical electromagnetic
confinement fields 140--FIG. 38(d) left--in the much larger, more
massive, cooled, shielded and reinforced conducting layer 118 of
the reactor core 101. In other words, if all goes as planned, the
wire spherical wire implosion cage 151 implodes but the reactor
core 101 does not.
[0307] 5) FIGS. 39(a), 39(b), 39(c), 39 correspond to the ignition
of approach 5 in FIGS. 34(a), 34(b), and 34(c). With this
technique, a plasma 150 is set up in the plasma container/shield
156, some of which will flood the inner volume of the reactor core
101. A massive electric voltage or magnetic differential is applied
across the reactor core 101, inducing massive spherical
electromagnetic confinement fields 140 across the core. The
cross-product of this electromagnetic pulse, the Poynting Vector:
compresses, heats, and ignites the plasma within the reactor core
101--FIG. 39(a). While the plasma external to the reactor core 101
would also be heated and compressed to some extent, by designing
the plasma container/shield 156 to be large enough, it would not be
heated and compressed sufficiently to ignite. Inside the plasma
container/shield 156, the energy from spherical electromagnetic
confinement fields 140 within the reactor core 101 concentrates the
plasma. Outside the plasma container/shield 156, the spherical
electromagnetic confinement fields 140 on the reactor core 101 will
repel the plasma, heating and compressing it outwards. The plasma
inside the reactor core 101 would be burned until the fuel
dissipates and the fusion reaction stops. As the spherical
electromagnetic confinement fields 140 over the reactor core 101
die off, the remaining plasma within the reactor core 101 is free
to expand--FIG. 39(b). At some point, the pressure of the plasma
outside of the reactor core 101 will be greater than the pressure
of the plasma within the reactor core 101, creating a pressure
difference. Then, the some of the remaining plasma external to the
reactor core 101 would be sucked into the reactor core 101 due to
the pressure difference--FIG. 39(c). At this point, the next
massive electric voltage or magnetic differential would be applied
across the reactor core 101, inducing another massive pulse of
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 across the reactor
core 101 and the next fusion burn would occur--FIG. 39(d). This
process has many similarities with an internal combustion
engine--especially, with diesel engines.
[0308] MHD (MagnetoHydroDynamics)
[0309] When a nuclear fusion burn occurs in the center of the
reactor core 101 in these reactor designs, the plasma 150 will
suddenly expand. In each reactor design, the expanding plasma 150
is surrounded by a very strong spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140. MHD is the study of the properties of plasma
150 flows exposed to intense electromagnetic fields. The three
critical factors needed for MHD energy production--a highly ionized
and conductive plasma 150; a magnetic field; and a high plasma flow
speed directed directly at the magnetic field (at a right angle to
a magnetic field)--are all included in these designs. What happens
next in the fusion reactor designs described here can be described
using the MHD effect:
[0310] 1) The plasma 150 will suddenly expand. As it expands it
will travel at high velocity directly towards the inner wall and
the spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 of the reactor
core 101.
[0311] 2) As the plasma 150 travels with high velocity towards the
spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140, the ions in the
plasma 150 will induce new electromagnetic fields--described here
as "MHD fields 162" to contrast from the initial spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140--in the conducting layer 118
of the spherical reactor core 101. (There will be a superposition
of spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 and the induced
MHD fields 162.)
[0312] 3) These new MHD electromagnetic fields 162 will become
apparent as a higher voltage, either electric or magnetic, across
the conducting sphere 102 and can be tapped directly with high
efficiency for use as electricity.
[0313] This process can be analyzed by looking at a graph in FIG.
40, which is assumed to approximate the voltage across the core
versus time. (This graph depicts the reactor core 101 operating in
the Electric Mode.)
[0314] 1) At time 1, there is no voltage across the reactor core
101, but it is just starting to rise.
[0315] 2) At time 2, the main electromagnetic wave hits the reactor
core 101 as the voltage starts to quickly rise. This spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 is created by energy applied
to the reactor core 101 from external sources. The energy lost in
this process is the largest portion of lost energy that must be
made up by the fusion process in order for break-even energy
productions to occur.
[0316] 3) Time 3 is found by performing experimental tests on each
specific reactor design. This is the time when the voltage stops
rising sharply and starts to level out. This is a critical moment.
It is the time when the ignition of the fusion fuel must occur.
[0317] 4) At time 4, the confining voltage has just reached its
peak and the fusion burn is starting to explode. At this moment,
the spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 is just
starting to react to the charged ions that are rapidly approaching
it from within. The height of the voltage at this point has the
value "A" and is an important design parameter.
[0318] 5) Between time 4 and 5, the voltage suddenly spikes. This
increase in voltage from "A" to "B" is the induced MHD 162 voltage.
The combined fields resist, and potentially stops the plasma 150
instabilities 139. The reactor core 101 and conducting circuit must
be designed to withstand this maximum spike. This height
difference--B minus A--must be less than the voltage A by 5-10% for
safety sake. Otherwise, the MHD voltage will be greater than the
confining voltage, and the voltage polarity could suddenly reverse,
with dangerous consequences. This spike in voltage should be
relatively brief and will end as the initial major instabilities
139 are suppressed and dampened.
[0319] 6) At time 6, the plasma 150 has had its initial major
instabilities 139 suppressed and dampened. However, smaller,
numerous instabilities 139 continue to keep the average voltage
relatively high. This excess voltage is where most of the useful
energy will be extracted. The electrical circuit must be designed
to tap off the voltage difference between voltage level B and A. If
the confining voltage were to drop below A, then the fusion
explosion could breach the spherical electromagnetic confinement
field 140. (To maximize the length of the burn at this stage, more
fusion fuel is needed. However, if the fusion burn starts with more
fuel, the peak voltage back at time 5 would be higher. This would
require bigger, stronger, more complex reactors. Instead of
starting with more initial fuel, it would be better to add fuel
after time 6 in small increments.)
[0320] 7) At time 7, the fusion burn has expended the bulk of its
fuel, and the instabilities 139 stop having enough energy to push
against the spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140.
[0321] 8) At time 8--without the addition of new fuel to the
burn--the fusion process has stopped. The electrical circuit must
be designed to monitor voltage and cut off the any remaining
confining voltage when this drop occurs.
[0322] 9) At time 9, the voltage has dropped to zero. In initial
designs, there would now be a period for cooling, safety checks,
and maintenance. Then, the cycle would be repeated.
[0323] The main source of energy losses in these types of fusion
reactors will come from resistive heating of the reactor core 101
and conducting spheres 102, which can be cooled--the heat being
used as a secondary energy source by driving steam powered turbine
generators. Depending upon the design of the reactors it will be
possible to create AC or DC electricity. Additional circuitry will
be required to transform and condition the electrical energy
produced for the needs of the power grid.
[0324] Magnetohydrodynamics and Plasma Instabilities
[0325] The main difficulty in all prior attempts at nuclear fusion
has been various instabilities 139 in the plasma 150 that suddenly
stop the fusion reaction and frequently damage the reactor.
Fundamental to the present invention is the contention that these
instabilities 139 themselves are very strong and stable.
Furthermore, the sudden strength of these instabilities 139 is a
result of the cross-product of the electric and magnetic fields in
the plasma 150 caused by the sudden acceleration of ions by the
ignition of the fusion burn. In essence, all instabilities 139 have
been induced by time varying, or area varying electromagnetic
fields. They could be collectively called, "induced Poynting Vector
Fields."
[0326] For example, in Tokamak reactors, as the electric fields and
magnetic fields that confine and heat the plasma 150 build, the
plasma 150 rotates faster and faster in the torus. Eventually, when
the fusion burn starts, the plasma 150 is accelerated in new
directions--at magnitudes much greater than the those at which the
plasma 150 rotates in the reactor--inducing a powerful cross
product of electric and magnetic fields, in directions that cannot
be anticipated and counteracted in time. Without an appropriate
containment field existing prior to the development of the
instability 139, the induced Poynting Vector is too powerful and it
pushes the instability 139 too powerfully to be contained.
Inevitably, the containment fields collapse and the plasma 150
quickly cools, stopping the fusion burn.
[0327] Benefits of Spherical Electromagnetic Confinement Field
[0328] Many prior designs, such as Tokamaks, have not utilized
spherical containment geometries. While inertial confinement
reactors have used spherical geometries for inertial confinement,
they have not utilized active electromagnetic confinement after the
fusion burn starts. One of the benefits of spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 as described in the present
invention is that the perfect symmetry of the sphere minimizes
initial instabilities 139 within the reactor core 101. By
minimizing these instabilities 139, the time of the fusion burn is
maximized. Some instabilities 139 are still expected to form inside
these types of reactors. These instabilities 139 will be identical
to other previous attempts that used spherical inertial confinement
techniques, such as laser implosion of spherical D-T pellets.
[0329] However, in the new fusion reactor designs of the present
invention, it is exactly these instabilities 139 that will drive
the MHD process and be used to extract the fusion energy as useful
electrical energy. In earlier spherical inertial techniques, the
plasma 150 was allowed to expand and cool without attempting to
confine the plasma 150 after the initial burn. Another benefit is
that the expanding plasma 150 will automatically interact with
spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 at a 90.degree.
angle, the best angle for meeting a requirement for the MHD
process. Thus, the main benefits of having a spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 existing prior to the fusion
burn are: the fusion burn will be contained, the fusion burn will
last longer, the fusion burn will push out on the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 at a 90.degree. angle, and by
pushing against the spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140
a 90.degree. angle, the plasma 150 will create energy in a MHD
fashion.
[0330] Charged Particles/Neutral Particles Ratio
[0331] A fusion plasma 150 is made of both charged particles--e.g.,
electrons, protons, etc.--and neutral particles-neutrinos, and
neutrons the primary examples. Charged particles will interact
strongly with the confining fields. Since neutral particles still
have a magnetic moment, it is expected they will interact at least
weakly with the confining fields. However, it is better to have a
higher percentage of charged particles in the plasma 150 and a
lower percentage of neutral particles. It is assumed that the
fusion fuel mixture will have some affect on the percentages of
charged and neutral particles in the plasma 150. For example, a D-D
mixture may be better than a D-T mixture, or perhaps, the other way
around. In these early designs, attempts at fine tuning the
percentage of charged to neutral particles by varying the
percentages of fuel ingredients will be ignored.
[0332] MHD Interaction in Spherical Electromagnetic Confinement
Fields 140
[0333] In the types of reactors of the present invention, as an
instability--appearing as a jet of plasma 150--travels with a
velocity V away from the center of mass of the fused material at
the center of the reactor core 101 and towards the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140--essentially, always at a
right angle to the electric and magnetic fields, as a result of the
geometry of the sphere--the electrical charge of the moving plasma
150 will interact with the confining electric and magnetic fields
via the MHD effect. Creating this geometrical interaction is one of
the key factors distinguishing these designs and prior art. This
interaction will induce the magnitude of the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 to higher levels. In an
electric mode, the voltage across the reactor core 101 will
increase. In a magnetic mode, the magnetic differential across the
reactor core 101 will increase. The increase in the magnitude of
the spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140--the MHD fields
162--will be proportional to the magnitude of the energy of the
charged particles in the instability. Since there exists a
preexisting confinement field at the time of the fusion burn, and
since the instability 139 induces new confining fields in direct
proportion to the size of the instability 139, the instability 139
should dissipate and be confined. If instabilities 139 are not
dissipate and confined, a viable commercial reactor is still
possible. However, it would make sense to increase the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 until instabilities 139 are
confined.
[0334] Preexisting Confining Field versus Induced Confining
Field
[0335] Thus, the magnitude of the electric and magnetic fields over
the reactor core 101 can be thought of as having two components:
the preexisting spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140,
and the induced spherical electromagnetic confinement field 162. If
the combination of the strength and induced MHD field 162 strength
is designed to be greater in strength than the largest instability,
then the fusion burn will remain essentially spherical but
pulsating until the fuel runs out.
[0336] Plasma particles, especially in the form of neutral
particles, may penetrate the spherical electromagnetic confinement
field 140 if it is not designed to have a large enough initial
strength. If too much energy is lost through neutral particles,
then the fusion process will halt, and damage to the reactor could
occur.
[0337] Description of an Example Non-harmonic Instability
Interacting With the Spherical Electromagnetic Confinement Field P
FIG. 41 shows what the plasma 150 instabilities 139 would look like
for a spherical target shortly after the implosion reverses
direction to become an explosion. At the point the plasma wall
changes direction, the plasma 150 will have a geometry
approximating a sphere. Shortly after starting to explode,
instabilities 139 on the surface of the sphere would start to
appear. At this early stage, they would look something like knobs
or bumps. While this is an approximation of the plasma shape,
actual instabilities 139 similar to these have been observed in
plasmas 150. As the instabilities 139 worsen, they will grow in
length. Also, the diameter of the central core of the plasma 150
will expand. For this example, it is useful to examine just one
expanding instability 139 and ignore the others as if they were not
expanding. The example of non-harmonic instability 139 is indicated
in FIG. 42.
[0338] If these reactors become totally efficient at eliminating
jets of instabilities, it is assured from theory that the entire
plasma 150 will act like a pulsating ball and will still interact
with the spherical electromagnetic confinement field in an MHD
fashion.
[0339] This non-harmonic instability 139 is made up of plasma 150.
The plasma 150 is primarily made up of charged particles. The
charged particles on the outside of the plasma 150 are more likely
to be the lighter particles, and therefore negative electrons, as
shown in FIG. 43. It does not matter for this example what the
charge of individual ions in the plasma 150 is, however. If the
charge of the ions were positive, the net results would be the
same. The example non-harmonic instability 139 is shown in FIGS. 43
and 44 moving away from the center of the plasma 150 towards the
confining wall of the fusion reactor with a velocity V. In essence,
it is acting as a powerful current.
[0340] In the fusion reactor designs described for the present
invention, the currents from the exploding instabilities 139
interacts with the spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140,
shown in FIG. 45. Analyzing the example non-harmonic instability's
139 current for an arbitrary angle of interaction with the
spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140--in this example,
acting in an electric mode--is shown in FIG. 45.
[0341] There are only two possible ways the non-harmonic
instability 139 may interact with the spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140. First, the non-harmonic instability 139 may
induce new electromagnetic fields--MHD fields 162--that will
combine with the preexisting spherical electromagnetic confinement
field 140 creating a more powerful spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140. Second, the non-harmonic instability 139 may
be blocked by the spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140.
In essence, the non-harmonic instability's 139 growth will halt. If
instabilities 139 are halted, then the fused material plasma 150
fuel at the center of the reactor core 101 will stay essentially
spherical and harmonic--perhaps pulsating. With these types of
reactors, both the possibility that the spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140 will be increased, or that the fused material
plasma 150 fuel will stay spherical and harmonic are good. Because
a non-harmonic instability 139 induces the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 to higher values, its energy
is dissipated and it is blocked. If the non-harmonic instability
139 is blocked, the fusion burn will last longer. If the
non-harmonic instability 139 induces new electromagnetic
fields--MHD fields 162--that combine with the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140, then the voltage, if in the
electric mode, or the magnetic differential, if in the magnetic
mode, across the reactor core 101 will increase and will be
available for creating useful electric energy by induction through
the coils located around the containment circuit. It is expected
that both interactions will occur. Looking closely at the details,
the instability's 139 current intersects with the existing electric
and magnetic fields of the confining fields. The intersection
occurs at right angles. To summarize:
[0342] The non-harmonic instability's 139 plasma 150 current
intersects the spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 at a
right angle.
[0343] The confining electric and magnetic fields were already at
right angles, by design.
[0344] The current must induce higher electric and magnetic
fields--MHD fields 162--in the spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140. Thus, all the requirements for inducing
energy via MHD process are present.
[0345] There are many implications of the interaction between the
instabilities 139 and the spherical electromagnetic confinement
field 140:
[0346] 1) The instabilities 139 will induce higher voltages or
magnetic differentials across the reactor core 101.
[0347] 2) The instabilities 139 will be blocked.
[0348] 3) The instabilities 139 will be prevented from growing in
the first place, in essence the plasma 150 will remain
harmonic.
[0349] 4) The spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 will
sap the energy of growing instabilities 139.
[0350] 5) The fusion burn will last longer.
[0351] 6) The plasma 150 will be compressed to greater
densities.
[0352] 7) The plasma 150 will reach higher temperatures.
[0353] 8) The more powerful any particular individual non-harmonic
instability 139 is, the more powerful the induced MHD field 162
will be. The resulting combination of the spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140 and the MHD field 162 will be powerful enough
to block the non-harmonic instability 139.
[0354] 9) Large instabilities 139 are not likely to occur, since
the spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 will inhibit
and block their formation, and sap their energy before they can
grow to be large
[0355] 10) The initial harmonics of the spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140 will have an effect on how harmonic the
fusion burn proceeds. Thus, it is beneficial to take all
precautions in order to help the initial spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140 to be highly harmonic.
[0356] 11) Non-harmonic spherical electromagnetic confinement
fields 140 may allow a strong instability 139 to burst through the
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140, possibly even
helping or causing the non-harmonic instability 139 to grow. As
such a non-harmonic instability 139 bursts through the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140, a dangerous jet of plasma
150 will exist that could burn through very thick protective
shields. Thus, catastrophic failure must be planned for. For
example, if a powerful plasma 150 jet punctures the double walls of
the reactor shield, which is filled with coolant 130, then, the
coolant 130 could suddenly explode. This requires that the reactor
has an outer shield.
[0357] 12) The initial confining fields must be stronger than the
average large non-harmonic instability 139, otherwise possible
combinations of the added MHD fields 162 and spherical
electromagnetic confinement fields 140 could occur that would flip
the polarity of the voltage across the reactor core 101, or flip
the magnetic field across the reactor core 101.
[0358] 13) The plasma 150 will spherically pulsate--like a ringing
bell--with a characteristic frequency that depends on many
variables of the reactor design. This pulsing plasma 150 will
create pulses of energy in the output circuit that will need a
dampening mechanism before the current can go out into the power
grid--most likely large capacitor banks. However, the entire
confinement circuit will act as such a dampening mechanism. The
peaks in the pulses will occur at the point the plasma 150 is
expanding outward with maximum acceleration. In designs with two or
more reactor cores 101, an outward pulsation in one core 101 can be
used to compress another reactor core 101.
[0359] 14) Smooth harmonics within the initial spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 will be reflected within the
plasma as longer, smoother burns.
[0360] 15) Poor quality harmonics within the initial spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140 will be reflected within the
plasma with shorter, non-smooth burns-possibly catastrophic
rupturing of conducting spheres 102, reactor core(s) 101, coils,
the electrical bus 107, and other components.
[0361] Reactor Efficiency
[0362] The overall efficiency of this type of nuclear fusion
reactor can be roughly estimated by multiplying the percent of
energy carried away from the fusion burn by charged particles by
the percent of energy converted directly to electricity by the MHD
process in the conducting wall of the reactor core 101. For
example, if 90% of the energy of the fusion burn is carried away in
the form of charged particles, and if 10% of the energy created by
the MHD process is lost to thermal interaction within the
conducting wall of the reactor core(s) 101, conducting spheres 102,
electrical bus 107 and other components, then the theoretical
efficiency of such a reactor would be 81%. The actual final
efficiency would be somewhat less due to thermal losses in the
conducting spheres 102. However, some of the lost heat in the
reactor core(s) 101 and conducting spheres 102 can be recovered
using steam drive turbine generators.
[0363] Eventually, it might be possible to design the reactor
core(s) 101 and conducting spheres 102 of such reactors with super
conducting materials. The efficiency of such a design could
approach 100%. The only loss in efficiency would be due to neutral
particles that can penetrate the confining field or add thermal
losses to the reactor wall.
[0364] An unknown at this point is if the so-called "neutral"
particles will also be deflected or slowed by the spherical
electromagnetic confinement fields 140. Most neutral particles have
magnetic moments that may allow the neutral particles to be
deflected to some extent by the massive spherical electromagnetic
confinement fields 140. Also, it is possible, that while a neutral
particle is "overall" neutral, it may have small, localized spots
of electric and magnetic charge that may interact strongly with the
confining fields rather than weakly. Thus, even the energy of
neutral particles may be absorbed by the confining fields of these
reactor designs, pushing these reactor design's efficiency to
higher levels.
[0365] Active versus Passive Monitoring of Instabilities
[0366] There have been attempts to actively monitor confining
fields in other types of reactors, such as in Tokamaks and
Spheromaks, in order to actively increase the confining field
strength when an instability 139 occurs. With the designs of the
nuclear fusion reactors in the present invention, the spherical
electromagnetic confinement fields 140 are passively--i.e., without
computer interaction--self-healing. The confining forces are
automatically electromagnetically induced to greater values--the
MHD fields 162--by the non-harmonic instability's 139 MHD
interaction with the spherical electromagnetic confinement fields
140. This process automatically closes the "wound" in the spherical
electromagnetic confinement field 140, thus preventing the plasma
150 from bleeding through. With these designs, there is no need to
create sensors or a computer controlled feedback system to try to
monitor and respond to the instabilities 139.
[0367] Burn Duration
[0368] If the reactor core 101 can be engineered to have enough
strength, heat dissipation capability, and current carrying
capability--greater than the rate at which energy is released by
the fusion burn--then it would be possible to contain the plasma
until the fusion fuel is almost totally consumed. Fusion burns of
minutes or even hours in duration are possible. With the "No-Core"
design, fusion burns of indefinite length are possible. In some
designs, plasma injectors 146 could continuously inject small
amounts of new fuel into the reactor core 101 to keep the fusion
burn going.
[0369] The Danger of Polarity Reversals
[0370] As the fusion burn is proceeding, it is possible to describe
the spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 on the reactor
core 101 in two parts: the initial spherical electromagnetic
confinement fields 140 created by the voltage or magnetic field
across the poles of the reactor core; and the later, plasma induced
MHD fields 162. One potential problem in the nuclear fusion designs
of the present invention is the electric and magnetic fields
induced by the MHD process--the MHD fields 162--could be greater
than the initial confining fields 140. If the induced MHD fields
are less than the original confining fields, then current or
magnetic flow will remain in the same direction--the MHD fields 162
will add to the confining fields 140. This will manifest itself by
the voltage or magnetic field across the conducting spheres and the
core suddenly increasing. On the other hand, the danger exists that
if the induced MHD fields are larger in magnitude than the original
confining fields, then current flow or magnetic field in the
confining circuit could suddenly reverse direction. This could
manifest itself by the voltage across the conducting sphere
suddenly flipping values from +to -, to the values -to +, or the
magnetic polarity flipping the values from N to S, to the values S
to N.
[0371] It does not matter which direction an increased voltage or
magnetic field appears across the reactor core 101, the higher
voltage or magnetic field could be utilized in either direction.
However, it would be better to know, and control, which direction
the current or magnetic fields will flow for safety reasons. A
sudden change in current flow or magnetic fields could explode or
vaporize equipment involved. Thus, a major design feature would be
to design the yield of the fusion fuel to be less than the peak
energy-absorption capability of the reactor. This capability is a
function of many design features which include: the total mass and
material types of the reactor core 101; the thermal heat
dissipation capability of the reactor core 101; the active cooling
capability of the reactor (whether normally conductive or super
conductive); the conductivity of the reactor core 101 as a function
of time and temperature over the course of the burn; the
capacitance and inductance of the confining circuit; and the
ability of the electrical circuit to carry away the net MHD
electricity, which is also a function of the circuits maximum
current load, capacitance, inductance, and conductivity.
[0372] Thus, the yield of the fusion fuel must be tailored to be
less than the peak energy absorption capability of the reactor.
This can be visualized in the FIG. 46. Key details in FIG. 46
are:
[0373] 1) The peak of the fusion fuel yield is lower than the peak
energy the reactor can absorb.
[0374] 2) The reactor can absorb the energy faster than the energy
will be released from the fusion burn. This is shown by the
reactor's peak at 2 coming before the fuel's peak at 3.
[0375] 3) The long-term ability of the reactor to absorb energy
should be greater than the peak energy release from the fusion fuel
for safety considerations. For example, if a reactor core 101 with
manufacturing imperfections was accidentally used, an abnormally
large non-harmonic instability 139 could occur and damage other
areas of the reactor.
[0376] 4) This graph also depicts the expected time-varying release
of energy from the fusion fuel due to its interaction with the
fusion reactor's confining fields. The yield pulsates up and down.
This pulsing in the yield would induce pulsing in the spherical
electromagnetic confinement fields 140.
[0377] 5) The length of the fusion burn, as depicted in this graph,
is partly dependent on the initial strength of the spherical
electromagnetic confinement fields 140. If they can not be
maintained, then the fusion burn will cease before the fusion fuel
is consumed.
[0378] This situation could be considered with an analogy using a
hydroelectric dam. A hypothetical dam is designed, with an empty
reservoir, that would be big enough and strong enough to stop a
massive tidal wave and then, in a controlled fashion, let the water
pour out through the penstocks to electrical generators. The
reactor cores 101 of these reactor designs would be like the dam.
Just as the dam must be strong enough to stop the initial tidal
wave, the reactor core's 101 physical and electromagnetic strength
must be strong enough to stop the fusion explosion. The penstock
and generator is like the electrical circuit in these reactor
designs. Just like the penstock must have enough capacity for water
to flow out and relieve the sudden pressure of the tidal wave
before the dam would burst, these reactor's electrical circuits
must have enough capacity for the electricity to flow out before
the reactor core 101 or circuit would electrically burst.
[0379] Initial Critical Design Considerations
[0380] Initial critical design considerations for these reactors
include:
[0381] 1) A mechanism to place the fusion fuel inside the reactor
core 101.
[0382] 2) A mechanism to start an ignition burn inside the
spherical reactor core 101.
[0383] 3) Design the reactor core 101 so that massive spherical
electromagnetic confinement fields 140 can be supported. Estimated
sustained minimum induced magnetic field to be in the range of
0.5-5 Tesla. Estimated peak magnetic field to be withstood briefly
without bursting to be in the range of 2-100 Tesla.
[0384] 4) Design the reactor core 101 to withstand massive forces
from its electrons, which will cause Coulombic heating, Hall-effect
forces, and others.
[0385] 5) Design the reactor core 101 so that it will not implode
from the initial transport of confining energy, or explode from the
latter fusion explosion.
[0386] 6) Design the reactor core 101 so that it can be cooled,
without the cooling process affecting the spherical harmonics of
the reactor core's 101 spherical electromagnetic confinement fields
140. Active cooling during the fusion burn may not be as important
as exceptional pre-burn and post-burn cooling ability.
[0387] 7) Design an electrical circuit that can transfer to, and
carry away from the reactor core 101 extremely high electrical
currents and maintain extremely high voltages.
[0388] 8) Design a secondary cooling system that utilizes thermal
heat from the reactor core 101, containment circuit and electrical
circuit to power steam generators and increase efficiency.
[0389] High Voltage Containment Circuit
[0390] As shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the type of circuit needed
for containment of the plasma can be quite simple. In the electric
mode, it consists of a high voltage across a conducting sphere 102.
In the magnetic mode, it consists of high magnetic voltage across a
conducting sphere 102. The points of contact between the conducting
wire and the reactor core 101 define the poles of the sphere.
However, while the circuits are simple, there are quite a few
engineering hurdles that need to be solved in order safely maintain
such a circuit and tap off the excess fusion energy.
[0391] The Exploding Wire Phenomena
[0392] When a large enough voltage is placed across a conducting
wire 164, it will vaporize and explode. If a conducting wire 164 is
exploded over a white background surface, the background surface
will show regularly spaced transverse striations as is shown in
FIG. 47. Exactly how the conducting wire 164 explodes depends on
many variables: wire composition, voltage, wire resistance, wire
length, wire diameter, initial wire geometry, etc. For example,
FIG. 50 shows thin strands of wire woven in complex patterns. These
patterns are used to create cables resistant to this effect for use
between lightning rods and grounding poles. As wire is exploded
with increasingly more energy, the striations become sharper. An
example is shown in FIG. 48.
[0393] In general, these striations are a result of spherical
electromagnetic waves sweeping through the wire. Where the
spherical waves come to a point, or node, in the waves, the
electromagnetic fields become stronger, and move the electrons in
the conductor faster. In essence, the heat becomes more intense at
the nodes than at the antinodes. This disparity in temperature
vaporizes the conducting wire 164 locally at the nodes first. This
creates the dashed pattern observed from exploding conducting wires
164 as shown in FIGS. 47 and 48. Induced magnetic fields--which
result from the fast moving ionized plasma 150--further confines
the exploding plasma 150 helping to direct the flow of the
instabilities 139. An example of how the electromagnetic waves
vaporize the wire locally at the nodes can be seen in FIG. 49.
[0394] In the lower part of FIG. 49 is the side and end profile a
round conducting wire 164. When a high-voltage current is set up
across the conducting wire 164, the most likely wave-form for the
electromagnetic wave, that sweeps over the conducting wire 164, to
take is a spherical wave where the wavelength is equal to the
diameter of the conducting wire 164. Other wavelengths and
wave-forms are possible, and can be greatly affected by how the
voltage is connected to the conducting wire 164.
[0395] At the nodes of the waves, the local temperature is
dramatically higher than at the antinodes. At the nodes, the
electric field is focused to a very small spot. This intense
electric field will induce local electrons to extremely high
temperatures and velocities. This effect creates localized regions
along the conducting wire 164 that vaporize and explode first-that
is, before vaporizing other areas such as at the anti-nodes. These
localized regions of exploding plasma 150, while primarily caused
by focused electrical fields, will be further constrained by a
radial pattern of intense magnetic fields curving around the
conducting wire 164 according to alternating left-hand and
right-hand rules. The sharp "spikes" that are evident in the more
violent examples of exploding conducting wires 164--as shown in
FIG. 48--are caused by induced magnetic fields that axially confine
the thin jets of plasmas 150 as they move away from the core of the
conducting wire 164. Thus, magnetic fields take at least two
distinct forms. They curve around the conducting wire 164, and they
curve around the jets of plasma 150 shooting away from the
conducting wire 164 at approximately right angles. The danger of
exploding the conducting wires 164 in the circuits required for
these nuclear fusion reactors is not just great. If not planned
for, such explosions are certain.
[0396] High Voltage Cabling
[0397] Two techniques used to prevent electrical conducting wire
164 or cable from exploding when high voltages are applied are: to
use many small strands of conducting wire 164 instead of one large
strand; and to weave or twist the individual strands to make a
larger conducting wire 164 or cable, as is shown in FIG. 50.
[0398] These types of cabling are used in lightning protection
systems. The purpose of using thin strands is it reduces the radius
of any individual conducting surface area. This reduces the
wavelength of any resulting electromagnetic waves the follow along
the wave guide formed by the strand. Shorter electromagnetic waves
reduce the amount of electrons that can be piled up or focused at
the nodes of a wave. The weaving, braiding and twisting of
individual strands reduces the effects from induced magnetic
fields. The magnetic fields tend to have smaller, more complex
fields and interactions. This prevents the intensity of any
particular wave from growing and creating localized hot spots that
would melt or explode the cabling. The drawback to such cabling is,
if overall harmonic wave patterns are desired, then this type of
cabling creates non- harmonic patterns, or patterns that are too
complex to easily understand and control. Superconducting materials
could be used to avoid this problem.
[0399] Alternative Design Variations
[0400] Coils Variations
[0401] Hemispherical coils 106 are used in the preferred
embodiment. However, in the sizes envisioned for these reactor
designs, they are untested. There are many other possible coil
designs that could be used instead. They fall into two major
categories: coils that create electric mode operation; and coils
that create magnetic mode operation. Magnetic mode operation is
preferred because, in general, electric mode operation can cause
electrons to pile up and burn out components as discussed in the
previous section on the exploding wire phenomena.
[0402] In general, the main electrical circuit or magnetic
circuit--i.e., the containment circuit made up of conducting
spheres 102 and reactor core(s) 101--described for these nuclear
fusion reactor designs--with the exception of straight-line designs
(FIG. 59)--are closed circuits. That is, they form a loop, with no
"end" of the circuit directly connected to the commercial power
grid. Thus, the only way of adding or extracting energy to the
closed loop, and controlling the flow of the energy around the
closed loop, is by using inductive coils.
[0403] There are three main types of coils that could be used for
these purposes: normal wound coils; Rowland Ring coils 147; and
hemispheric coils 106.
[0404] Normal Coils
[0405] Normally wound coils are shown in FIGS. 51(a)-(d). The
cylindrical coil in FIG. 51(a) is one of the most common types of
coils, it produces a simple, very well understood magnetic field.
The strength of the magnetic fields created by these coils is
somewhat limited.
[0406] The concentric cylindrical coils in FIG. 51(b) combine their
magnetic fields, thus creating stronger magnetic fields. Some of
the world's strongest magnetic fields are created by magnets that
are wound in this way. The more powerful designs using this type of
coil must be structurally reinforced both on the inside and out and
must be provided with powerful cooling mechanisms. The helically
wound coils in FIG. 51(c) can provide relatively strong magnetic
fields but have some harmonics problems. It is difficult for
powerful currents to change direction quickly. At the center of a
helical coil, the lead changes direction abruptly-see the center of
the coil in FIG. 51(c)--and can lead to problems. The coil in FIG.
51(d) is a combination of cylindrical and helical designs. It can
produce large magnetic fields but because of the back and forth, or
random, winding patterns typically used in this design, the
magnetic fields might not be harmonic enough for these nuclear
reactor designs.
[0407] Each of these coil types could be used to induce magnetic
fields--and indirectly, electric fields over the conducting spheres
102--in the containment circuits of these nuclear fusion reactor
designs. These designs do lend themselves to effectively inducing
harmonic electromagnetic fields over a sphere. However, there are
other reactor designs more appropriate for coils such as these.
They use a straight-wire type of solid conductor 160 with a
circular cross-section, as shown in FIGS. 72, 73, 74, 75, and 76
rather than a circuit of spherical conductors 160.
[0408] Rowland Ring coils
[0409] As shown in FIG. 52, a Rowland Ring coil 147 is a donut
shaped coil. Current typically flows through the Rowland Ring coil
147 as shown in FIG. 52. Rowland Ring coils 147 sometimes have a
solid, soft-iron core. Such cores allow higher magnetic fields, but
only up to a point. Without a core, the coil is less efficient, but
it is possible to obtain much higher magnetic fields by using brute
strength--by using more turns and higher currents. All Rowland Ring
coils 147 used in the designs of the present invention will be
designed for very strong currents and magnetic fields. It is
assumed that all of the Rowland Ring coils 147 in these designs are
completely covered by a high-strength mechanical shield and cooling
system.
[0410] The Electric and Magnetic Interaction of Coils With
Conducting Spheres
[0411] When an electric current flows through a coil, according to
Ampere's Law, the coil induces a magnetic field. The magnetic field
times the area of the coil gives the magnetic flux of the coil. If
the current through the a coil is changing, then the induced
magnetic flux through the coil is changing. According to Faraday's
Law of induction, as the magnetic flux is changing, the coil will
induce an EMF across the coil.
[0412] A coil can be placed next to a conducting sphere 102. If a
current is set up through the coil, so that it grows rapidly from
zero to some large value, then the current in the coil will induce
electromagnetic fields in the conducting sphere 102. According to
Lenz's Law, which applies to closed conducting circuits, the
induced fields in the conducting spheres 102 will appear in such
directions as to oppose the changes that produced them.
[0413] Various configurations of coils can create different
combinations of electric and magnetic fields on the surface of the
sphere. For example, a Rowland Ring coil 147 will induce
electromagnetic fields over a conducting sphere 102 in the opposite
manner as a regular cylindrical coil, as is shown in FIGS. 53(a)
and 53(b).
[0414] There are significant advantages and disadvantages to each
type of coil. A Rowland Ring coil 147 that induces smooth
electromagnetic fields in conducting spheres 102 would be easy to
design, compared with other coil types. This is important for
harmonics. All that is required is that the wavelength of the
Rowland Ring coil 147 match the wavelength of the conducting sphere
102. Also, if the Rowland Ring coil 147 has a soft iron core, then
the Rowland Ring coil 147 will efficiently produce large magnetic
fields. An added advantage to a Rowland Ring coil 147 having a soft
iron core is that this inhibits the flipping of the polarity-a key
safety consideration-due to the phenomena of hysteresis in the soft
iron core. However, a soft iron core limits Rowland Ring coil 147
designs to "medium" magnetic fields, that is, inhibiting induction
of "massive" magnetic fields. Without the soft iron core, and using
the shear brute force of large, brief currents, a Rowland Ring coil
147 can produce "large" magnetic fields.
[0415] In FIG. 53(b), note how the rotation of the magnetic field
in the Rowland Ring coil 147 is opposite to the rotation of the
magnetic field in the conducting sphere 102--according to Lenz's
Law. Also, note how the electric fields sweep over the conducting
sphere 102 from pole to pole. This is the disadvantage to using a
Rowland Ring coil 147 to induce electric and magnetic fields in the
conducting sphere 102. The electric field sweeping from pole to
pole over the conducting sphere 102 will create a current flow
across the conducting sphere 102. This will concentrate electrons
on one pole. The electrons will build up only to a point before
they will arc across to the next conducting sphere 102. This arcing
will damage the conducting spheres 102 and weld them together.
Tests will be required to prove how damaging this will be.
[0416] It is possible that the magnetic fields induced around the
conducting sphere 102 by a Rowland Ring coil 147 will limit the
actual flow of the electrons. In essence, the conducting sphere 102
may act as if:
[0417] there is a large voltage across the conducting sphere
102--from pole to pole
[0418] there will be a massive resistance across the conducting
sphere 102 from the magnetic fields
[0419] and there will be only a small current flow.
[0420] In FIG. 53(a), note how the magnetic field in the coil is
induced by the normal coil's current, and how the coil's magnetic
field opposes the induced magnetic field sweeping over the
conducting sphere 102 from pole to pole-according to Lenz's Law.
Also, note how the electric fields sweep over the sphere in
counter-rotating hemispheres. This is an advantage of using regular
coils to induce the electric and magnetic fields over the
conducting spheres 102. Because the fields in this configuration
push the electrons in counter-rotating directions around each
hemisphere, there is no net electron migration around the main
conducting circuit. In essence, the main conducting circuit would
not conduct electrons, it would conduct a magnetic field. It would
be a magnetic circuit rather than an electric circuit. As far as
the ability of the confining fields at the reactor core 101 are
concerned, there is no difference between using an electric or
magnetic circuit.
[0421] The main drawback in using normal coils is they would be
more difficult to design than Rowland Ring Coils 147 or
Hemispherical coils 106. Because of the pattern in how the coil
wire 165 wraps in the normal coil, the induced magnetic field would
not be as smooth as with the fields induced by the Rowland Ring
coil 147. Two possible solutions for creating smoother fields would
be to use parallel helical coils or hemispherical coils 106.
Parallel helical coils are shown in FIG. 54(b).
[0422] In this configuration, parallel helical coils are separated
by structural reinforcement panels that have interior channels for
reinforcement and cooling panels 161. The reinforcement and cooling
panels 161 could be made of non-conductive, rigid material such as:
ceramics or RCC. The reinforcement and cooling panels 161 will keep
the coils in position and prevent them from deflecting under the
mechanical forces of the intense electromagnetic fields. The
reinforcement and cooling panels 161 will have channels that can
handle a high volume of coolant 130.
[0423] In order to maintain equivalent voltages between layers and
to maintain the timing of the electromagnetic pulses, the
in-flowing wire leads would all have a common connection, as well
as the out-flowing wire leads. The weak point in this coil design
will be where the coils connect with the center lead. At this
point, there will be an abrupt change in direction which will have
the potential for burning out the coils, and disrupting harmonics.
See FIG. 51(c).
[0424] Reactor Core and Conducting Sphere Variations Conducting
Layer
[0425] The conducting layer 118 of the reactor core 101, and the
conducting layer 118 of the conducting spheres 102 of the preferred
embodiment is represented as solid Copper-Niobium alloy spheres. It
has already been mentioned that the material of these conducting
layers 118 could be other conducting materials, gases, or plasmas.
What was not mentioned is that the "solid" layer of manufacture
could be substituted for strands of conducting wire 164 that are
woven, braided, or twisted around a substrate to form a spherical
shape. FIGS. 55(a) and 55(b) show how this might look for a
conducting sphere 102
[0426] The conducting layer strands 141 are simply wound around the
non-conducting core 119. In essence, they create thousands of
closed loops of conductors. This method would work in the magnetic
mode, but probably not in the electric mode. FIGS. 55(a) and 55(b)
do not represent any weaving, braiding or twisting of the
conducting layer strands 141 as shown in FIG. 50. However, with a
much higher cost of manufacture, this is possible. Reducing the
chance that individual conducting layer strands 141 will burn out
does not seem worth the extra cost of utilizing the manufacturing
methods shown in FIG. 50.
[0427] Super Conductors
[0428] It would be preferable, if the conducting layer 118 of the
reactor core 101, and the conducting layer 118 of the conducting
spheres 102 and the conducting wire 164 in any induction coils used
in these designs were made of a super-conducting material. At this
point, in the history of super-conducting materials, the costs
associated with manufacturing a nuclear fusion power plant
following these designs and using super-conducting materials would
appear to be too high. The modular form of these reactor designs
allows swapping out old materials with new as they become cost
effective. An example of a possible super-conducting material would
include, but not be limited to, multi-filamentary Nb3Sn and NbTi
superconductors.
[0429] Other Conducting Layer Materials
[0430] The conducting layer 118 within a reactor core 101 could be
made of:
[0431] Copper and copper alloys
[0432] Aluminum and aluminum alloys
[0433] Iron, steel and other ferrous alloys
[0434] Silver, and silver alloys
[0435] Gold, and gold alloys
[0436] Titanium, and titanium alloys
[0437] Vanadium, and vanadium alloys
[0438] Magnesium, and magnesium alloys
[0439] Other conductive metals and metal alloys, including but not
limited to: Chromium, Lead, Molybdenum, Platinum, Tin, Tungsten,
Mercury and Zinc.
[0440] Conductive forms of glasses, ceramics, plastics and
polymers, composites, and multi-compound materials.
[0441] Plasma Core
[0442] One possible form for the conducting layer 118 of the
conducting spheres 102 or the reactor cores 101 is the plasma 150
form. The plasma 150 form offers some key benefits. First, cooling
of the conducting layer 118 is not required, it must be hot to be
in plasma 150 form. Second, refurbishment of the conducting layer
118 is not required. Third, costs of materials for the conducting
layer 118 would be reduced. Fourth, Hall and Coulombic forces
tearing the conducting layer 118 apart would not be an issue. The
key issue is, how can the plasma 150 form the spherical shape
needed? At first, this issue may seem difficult. However, it may
not be difficult at all. A simple solution for using plasmas 150,
at least within the reactor core 101 will be presented.
[0443] First, in FIG. 56 is one "solution" that may be very
difficult and problematic. The conducting sphere 102, or reactor
core 101 is made of a strong inner and outer layer of material,
which may include but not be limited to Steel, Titanium or RCC. The
plasma layer 144 is filled with a highly conductive plasma 150, but
offers no support between the inner layer 143 and the outer layer
145. Therefore, supports 142 are needed between the inner layer 143
and outer layer 145. However, the massive electromagnetic fields
that will be generated in the plasma layer 144 will force the ions
in the plasma 150 to rotate very fast. Any supports 142, of any
known material or construction, will be quickly eroded by the
moving plasma 150. When the supports 142 fail, the reactor core 101
may collapse, catastrophically. The initial idea an engineer might
have would be to make the supports 142 stronger, but this leads to
another problem. The stronger the supports 142 are, the more
disruptive they will be to the harmonics within the plasma 150. If
the harmonics within the plasma 150 are distorted to greatly, the
instabilities 139 within the plasma burn will become great enough
to destroy just about any container.
[0444] There may be some optimum trade-off point where supports
142, for example made of Tungsten, may survive long enough within
the plasma layer 144 for a typical fusion burn to take place, and
where the supports 142 do not create disruptions in the harmonics
that are large enough to allow plasma instabilities 139 to explode
through the reactor core 101. If so, then this design variation may
be viable.
[0445] "No-Core" Reactor Core Design
[0446] In the long-term development of these reactor designs,
perhaps the best "core" design will be to have no reactor core 101
at all. The No-Core design has no hard materials. It is made up
solely of electromagnetic fields, or electromagnetic fields within
a plasma 150.
[0447] The key to the No-Core design is a conducting circuit, made
of conducting spheres 102, that is designed so that the magnetic
fields over the reactor core 101 area are very strong. It is
estimated that a magnetic field about 4 Tesla at a radial distance
of about 2.5 meters from the center of the reactor core 101 area
may be strong enough. With a magnetic field of 4 Tesla, a 5-meter
diameter reactor core 101 would focus about 1.2 exawatts of energy
at the focal point of the reactor core 101. (At 5 Tesla, 1.875
exawatts, at 6 Tesla 2.7 exawatts, at 7 Tesla 3.675 exawatts, at 8
Tesla 4.8 exawatts, at 9 Tesla 6.075 exawatts, and at 10 Tesla 7.5
exawatts would be focused at the center of the reactor core 101
area.
[0448] Reaching such high magnetic fields with large diameters
would require extremely optimized reactor designs that may involve
massive amounts of superconducting materials and previously unheard
of cooling requirements. The capacitor and triggering requirements
to start the process would be equaling daunting. However, the
engineering is straightforward. There are no magical physics
barriers to break through. The design simply requires better
superconducting materials, more superconducting material, more
cooling and more capacitors.
[0449] At these energies, many problems with earlier designs would
be moot. There would be no need to design complex reactor cores
101--the No-Core design would have to be used. There would be no
need to have lasers 103 or some other method trigger the burn--the
spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 would be powerful
enough to trigger the fusion burn. There would be no complexity of
having to trigger the lasers 103 and spherical electromagnetic
confinement field 140 in the proper sequence since there would be
no lasers 103.
[0450] A possible No-Core containment circuit might look like FIG.
57. The No-Core core area would look like FIG. 58. Examples of the
complete No-Core reactor designs are shown in FIGS. 68 and 80. The
middle reactor shield 109 would have a wider diameter to help make
insure that no disruption to the harmonics results from the middle
reactor shield 109. The spherical electromagnetic confinement
fields 140 would provide containment of the fusion burn, and
provide ignition of the fuel to begin with. The electromagnetic
field orientation would be in the magnetic mode. The anode/cathode
conducting spheres 113 would be the weak link. When they melt, the
harmonics would be lost.
[0451] A fuel pellet 136 could be prepositioned in the middle
reactor shield 109 via ablatable wires 135 similar to those shown
in FIGS. 9 and 30, and/or, plasma 150 could be injected into the
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 via a plasma
injector 146. The advantage of an plasma injector 146 system is
that it would allow the fusion burn to be continually fed with
additional plasma 150.
[0452] A variation would be to coat the anode/cathode conducting
spheres 113 with some material, such as thin layer of Boron
impregnated high-temperature ceramic to help them survive longer.
Or, it might be possible to actively cool the anode/cathode
conducting spheres 113. The problem in cooling the anode/cathode
conducting spheres 113 is that half of each anode/cathode
conducting sphere 113 is inside the inner shield where no cooling
equipment could be placed without disrupting the harmonics of the
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140. If only part of
each conducting sphere 102 is cooled, then it would create
differences that would likely disrupt the electromagnetic harmonics
of the spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140.
[0453] Another possible solution might be to allow the
anode/cathode conducting spheres 113 to spin within a cooling and
clamping device. While only about one half of the anode/cathode
conducting spheres 113 would be cooled at any one time, the
anode/cathode conducting spheres 113 would be constantly rotating
the hot side into the cooling portion of the clamp.
[0454] Most likely, the cooling plan would be to pre-cool the
entire circuit and operate until heating disrupts the harmonics. It
is possible that burns of several minutes could occur with such a
technique. This would be a very respectful burn duration.
Thermonuclear fusion burns of several minutes would give off
tremendous amounts of energy. There seems little doubt that the
limits of this design would be in cooling the anode/cathode
conducting spheres 113 rather than in fueling the burn area.
[0455] The No-Core design emphasizes a key detail of these patents.
The design of the reactor core 101 area depends not upon materials
selection, but on the formation of powerful, spherical,
electromagnetic confinement fields 140, that focus energy at the
center of the reactor core 101 area. The other key detail is that
the same circuit not only focuses energy on the center of the
reaction but that it also allows energy coming out of the center of
the reaction to be absorbed by the circuit via the MHD process. If
this process was not equal and opposite, then the design would not
work.
[0456] RCC/Boron (23) & RCC Layers (24), (26), (27) in Reactor
Core
[0457] The element carbon takes a wide range of forms from
amorphous carbon, to graphite, to graphite fibers and diamond. Some
of these forms, such as graphite and graphite fibers, can be highly
conductive. Other forms of carbon, such as amorphous carbon
(lampblack), are relatively non-conductive. Tests must be conducted
to test the best form of carbon for the second non-conducting layer
123, third non-conducting layer 124, sixth non-conducting layer 126
and seventh non-conducting layer 127 as shown in FIG. 6. In
general, conductive or non-conductive forms could be used. It is
assumed at this point, that the non-conductive forms will perform
better, due to smaller eddy currents, smaller inductive losses,
smaller thermal losses, and the possibility of being affected by
massive Hall and Coulombic forces.
[0458] Since materials can change forms under high temperatures,
pressures, and electromagnetic forces, it is assumed that the
material characteristics will vary over time and possibly reduce
the effectiveness of some or all of the reactor core 101 materials.
Tests will be needed to determine the longevity of these
components.
[0459] Secondary Diamond Manufacture
[0460] In the center of the conducting spheres 102 of the preferred
embodiment will be amorphous carbon. This material is essentially
non-conducting when compared with conducting layer 118. However,
after repeated use and exposure to high temperatures, pressures and
electromagnetic forces, it is expected that the amorphous carbon
will be transformed into other forms of carbon, including graphite
and diamond. It is not the intended purpose of these fusion power
plant designs to manufacture diamonds. However, they may be
extremely efficient at doing exactly that.
[0461] If the non-conducting core 119 in a conducting sphere 102,
or if carbon in second non-conducting layer 123, third
non-conducting layer 124, fourth non-conducting layer 125, sixth
non-conducting layer 126 and seventh non-conducting layer 127
within the reactor core 101 transform into more conductive forms of
carbon, then failure may occur due to sudden increases in currents
within these components of the reactor.
[0462] In order to offset costs, remove radioactive materials, and
prevent failure of key components, the conducting spheres 102 and
the reactor cores 101 will require refurbishment at regular
intervals. The refurbishment process will involve removing any
diamonds formed at the center of conducting spheres 102.
[0463] Containment Circuit Variations
[0464] Circuit Design
[0465] With the exception of the straight-line containment circuit,
these designs need a closed electric or magnetic circuit for the
confinement circuit. These designs utilize conducting spheres 102
in a straight, circular or oval geometrical fashion.
[0466] Straight-line Containment Circuit Designs
[0467] FIG. 59 represents one type of a straight-line
configuration. It utilizes Rowland ring coils 147, and operates in
the electric mode. In other words, the magnetic fields lines are as
in FIG. 12. The key to this design is the very powerful and
harmonic coils. There is no oval or circular circuit in this
design. The load is connected almost directly to the circuit.
(There would be circuitry that includes capacitors and DC to AC
inverters between the reactor and the load.)
[0468] The number of conducting spheres 102 in this design can be
increased to improve harmonics over the reactor core 101 area, or
decreased to reduce the overall reactor design costs. The design in
FIG. 59 has four conducting spheres 102. The number of conducting
spheres 102 could be reduced to two or zero. If zero conducting
spheres 102 are used, then an almost perfect set of hemispherical
coils 106 would be needed to enclose the reactor core 101 area.
While this might be the limit to reducing these designs to a
minimum set of components, it is not believed that current
manufacturers have the capability to manufacture such hemispherical
coils 106 at this time.
[0469] Circular Containment Circuit Designs
[0470] Circular designs, as contained in FIG. 60, do not seem to
offer an advantage over other designs except perhaps in reduced
cost. The number of reactor cores 101 can be increased to provide
more power, or can be decreased to minimize costs. The number of
conducting spheres 102 can be increased to improve harmonics, or
reduced to minimize costs.
[0471] Oval Containment Circuit Designs
[0472] The advantage of an oval conducting sphere track 104, as
shown in FIG. 61, is that there are a number of conducting spheres
102 adjacent to each side of the reactor core 101 that are aligned
in a straight line. This would allow the eddy currents to diminish
in each successive conducting sphere 102 in the straight-line
portion of the oval leading in and out of the reactor core 101.
This would tend to "clean up" the main electromagnetic wave and
allow for a more harmonic wave to pass over the reactor core 101.
Once again, there are trade-offs that create questions that only
experiments with different configurations of reactor designs and
different materials can answer. However, these are questions of
optimization and cost reduction, not fundamental questions of
whether these reactor designs will work.
[0473] FIG. 63 contains a layout of the preferred embodiment. The
design calls for 29 conducting spheres 102, 2 anode/cathode
conducting spheres 113 and 1 reactor core 101, each conducting
sphere 102 and anode/cathode conducting sphere 113 has a 5 meter
outside diameter. Thus, the mean center path-length of this example
circuit would be 160 meters long.
[0474] There is a symmetry problem with the circular and oval
layouts. If a conducting sphere 102 is analyzed, it is found that
either the electric or the magnetic field sweeps over the
conducting sphere 102 from pole to pole-in the electric mode or
magnetic mode. However, the poles of the conducting spheres 102 are
not perfectly aligned-pole to pole-in the curved sections of the
circular or oval layouts. There is an offset 163 as shown in FIG.
62. Because the poles are not aligned, the electromagnetic wave
takes longer to sweep around the outside edge of the conducting
sphere 102 than the inside edge. This path difference is where the
bulk of eddy currents and heat loss in these designs will occur. It
is the main problem that might prevent these reactor designs from
working well. If the conducting sphere track 104 were enlarged by
adding more conducting spheres 102 then this effect would be
lessened. If the conducting sphere track 104 had less conducting
spheres 102, then the offset 163 between the poles would be
greater. The smaller the quantity of conducting spheres 102 in the
track design, the greater the offset 163. An increased offset 163
will result in greater eddy currents, greater Coulombic heating and
reduced efficiency. The larger the conducing sphere track 104 and
the higher the quantity of conducting spheres 102, the less the
offset 163 between the poles will be. However, this increases the
cost of the reactor.
[0475] A possible solution to this problem is having variable
cooling for the conducting spheres 102 in the curved portions of
the conducting sphere track 104. If the coolant 130 was pumped into
the track from the outside edge of the conducting sphere track 104,
and removed from the inside edge of the conducting sphere track
104, then the outside of the conducting spheres 102 would be
slightly more conductive and the inside of the conducting spheres
102 would be slightly less conductive. This might reduce the
non-harmonics caused by the offset 163 of the poles to the point of
being a non-factor.
[0476] Multi-core Reactors
[0477] Initially, the fusion reactors built on these designs would
probably have one reactor core 101 per electrical circuit. Later,
as the design variations are perfected for different price points,
it will be possible to create reactors with different numbers of
reactor cores 101. Each reactor core 101 would be analogous to a
piston in a gasoline engine. The energy produced from one igniting
reactor core 101 could be used to compress the next reactor core
101 in the electrical circuit while excess electricity is siphoned
off using induction coils. In FIG. 64, two major design variations
are demonstrated: the conducting sphere track 104 is circular, and
there are two reactor cores 101. An advantage of a two reactor core
101 design is that one reactor core 101 can be igniting and
compressing the fuel in the other reactor core 101. The circular
conducting sphere track 104 design reduces costs as compared to an
oval conducting sphere track 104.
[0478] In FIG. 65, two major variations are demonstrated: the
conducting sphere track 104 is oval, and there are two reactor
cores 101. An advantage of a two reactor core 101 design is that
one reactor core 101 can be igniting and compressing the fuel in
the other reactor core 101. The oval conducting sphere 104 design
improves harmonics as compared to a circular conducting sphere
track 104.
[0479] In FIG. 66, two major design variations are demonstrated:
the conducting sphere track 104 is circular, and there are four
reactor cores 101. Increasing the number of reactor cores 101 is
possible, but does not seem to offer any key benefits over a two
reactor core 101 design. In theory, the number of reactor cores 101
could be increased to the point where only reactor cores 101 are
present and there are no conducting spheres 102 in the circuits. An
extreme variation would be to replace all conducting spheres 102
with reactor cores 101. However, the complexity of timing more than
2 reactor cores 101 appears to be a major drawback.
[0480] Conducting Sphere Wavelength to Reactor Core Wavelength
[0481] In all design variations shown so far, the diameter--or
wavelength--of the conducting spheres 102 and reactor cores 101
were the same. Observations of planetary nebulae using the Hubble
Space Telescope indicate that there would be an advantage to having
conducting spheres 102 that have wavelengths that are larger than
the wavelengths of the reactor cores 101. An example, of such a
planetary nebula is shown in FIG. 67. In FIG. 67, the outer
diameter 173 is greater than the inner diameter 174. The ratio of
the wavelength of the conducting spheres 102 to the reactor cores
101 could be 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, and so on. A design like this amplifies
the energy transmitted from the conducting spheres 102 to the
reactor core 101 area and reduces the stress on the conducting
spheres 102. An example of such a design is shown in FIG. 68. The
diameter of the outer lobes in the planetary nebula in FIG.
67--equivalent to the anode/cathode conducting spheres 102--is a
multiple of the diameter of the central star--equivalent to the
reactor core 101. FIG. 67 visually shows how the electromagnetic
confinement techniques in these reactor designs work. There are two
obvious shells of plasma 150 in both lobes of this planetary
nebula--which is not uncommon for planetary nebulae. There is an
inner plasma shell 175 and an outer plasma shell 176 in each lobe.
The outer plasma shells 176 are being ejected from the core of the
central star. The inner plasma shells 175 are being created by
nuclear explosions within each lobe. They are trying to explode
outward but are being confined. The explosions within the lobes are
pushing out in a MHD type fashion, strengthening the confining
forces provided by the outer layers of each lobe. This is an
astronomical example of the self-healing design feature of these
reactor designs.
[0482] Because the electromagnetic confinement provided by the
outer layers is not completely spherical, the plasma 150 from the
explosions within the lobes can vent out the two ends of the
nebula. The reactor designs of the present invention are explicitly
designed to close the ends of the reactor core 101 area to prevent
plasma 150 from escaping like this. FIG. 68 is a very advanced
design. It has many advantages over the preferred embodiment. The
main disadvantage is the increased sophistication and cost of
components.
[0483] Details of the FIG. 68 design include:
[0484] It is a No-Core design.
[0485] It is a dual reactor core 101 design.
[0486] It operates in the AC mode.
[0487] The left and right halves of the conducting sphere track 104
are mounted on massive core wavelength adjustment tracks 148 that
allow the two halves to be adjusted in a left-to-right direction
allowing fine tuning of the reactor core 101 wavelength during the
burn. This will be important for long-duration burns as thermal
expansion and contraction causes changes in the primary wavelength
of the electromagnetic fields.
[0488] It uses hemispherical coils 106.
[0489] It does not use lasers 103 since implosion, ignition and
confinement are performed solely by the conducting circuit.
[0490] It uses plasma 150 fuel that is continuously replenished via
plasma injectors 146.
[0491] There are many advantages to this design. First, because of
the core wavelength adjustment tracks 148, the reactor can be
continually adjusted to optimize the harmonics, even if thermal
expansion of conducting spheres 102 occurs. Second, as one fusion
reaction explodes, it will implode the other fusion reaction. The
two reactor cores 101 can continually cycle back and forth like a
two piston engine--creating an alternating current. But in this
case, at the center of the reactor cores 101 will be two pulsating
stars. The burn length of this design is potentially days or
weeks--or longer--depending on active cooling capabilities.
[0492] Alternate Core Designs
[0493] The reactor core 101 must be designed to be highly
conductive or superconductive. One likely material choice would be
to use copper, or a copper alloy. A Copper alloy, Cu--Nb, will be
used as an example for the conducting layer 118 though this is not
meant as a limit or restriction from using other suitable
conducting or superconducting metals, ceramics, fluids, plasmas and
materials. The key design aspect is placing a spherical conducting
or superconducting material around a nuclear fusion reaction for
the purposes of confining the reaction and extracting energy from
the reaction, or, a spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140
in the "No-Core" designs. Some possible copper alloys include, but
are not limited to: Cu, Cu--Al2O3, Cu--Ag, Cu--Nb, Cu-St.St.,
Cu--Be. Some possible superconducting materials include:
niobium-titanium; and ceramics. Some possible fluids include:
liquid lead, liquid lithium. Some possible gases include: vaporized
water, and Xenon. A vacuum is also a possibility as is explained in
the "No- Core" reactor design.
[0494] As the large spherical electromagnetic confinement fields
140 are generated over the conducting layer 118 of the reactor core
101, mechanical forces are exerted on the material of the
conducting reactor core 101 itself. Electrical energy within the
reactor core 101 is converted to heat as the electrons in the
material are excited and collide with atoms. In order to withstand
these mechanical forces and stresses, and to minimize heating of
the conducting layer 118 of the reactor core 101, a conducting
material that combines both mechanical strength and electrical
conductivity is needed. However, it appears that these two
requirements oppose each other. Mechanically strong materials tend
to be poor conductors, and good conductors tend to be mechanically
weak.
[0495] If copper, or some other similar conductor that could easily
melt were used in the conducting layer 118, then a non-conducting
inner wall 179, as shown in FIGS. 6, 69, 70, and 71, must protect
the conducting layer 118 from the heat of the fusion reaction.
Thus, since the conducting layer 118 will be prone to melting, it
must be shielded internally by the non-conducting inner wall 179.
The purpose of the non-conducting inner wall 179 is not to
completely prevent the melting of the reactor cores 101. For a
commercially viable reactor, all that is needed, is that the
non-conducting inner wall 179 significantly delay the heating of
the conducting layer 118.
[0496] A shield material similar to that used to protect the
exterior of space craft and rockets--such as space shuttle's
exterior-from high temperatures during reentry would be an ideal
component for the fourth non-conducting layer 125 of the
non-conducting inner wall 179 for the reactor core 101. One of the
shield materials used on NASA's Space Shuttles is made of a
low-density, high-purity silica consisting of 99.8% amorphous fiber
insulation (fibers derived from common sand, 1 to 2 mils thick)
that is made rigid by ceramic bonding. This tile is 90 percent void
and 10 percent material. This material is used in 1 to 5 inch
blocks on Space Shuttles and can withstand tremendous thermal
shock. Experiments have been done where the material is transferred
from an oven at 2300.degree. F. to cold water without suffering
damage.
[0497] For these reactor designs, a slurry of this silica material
containing fibers mixed with water and a colloidal silica binder
solution would be formed over metal hemispheres, partially heated
to remove the bulk of the moisture, removed from the metal forms,
and then sintered in high temperature ovens to form rigid
hemispheres of the fourth non-conducting layer 125. The fourth
non-conducting layer 125 constructed of this material could be made
by attaching two hemispheres with an overlapping lap-joint. This
layer would protect the conducting sphere 102 from a massive
thermal shock. A thermal expansion problem may exist for this inner
silica-based thermal shield material. The solid hemispheres might
not expand well, cracking when heated. If this is the case, a more
complex--but still relatively simple--design of smaller tiles
attached to a more flexible non-conducting inner layer 124 may be
required.
[0498] This silica type of shield material will work well if the
temperature does not exceed about 2300.degree. F. If the
temperature of the non-conducting inner wall 179 will exceed
2300.degree. F., then a third non-conducting layer 124 inside of
the fourth non-conducing layer 125 would be needed. The third
non-conducting layer 124 could be made of Reinforced Carbon Carbon
(RCC) which could withstand temperatures inside the reactor core
101 up to about 3000.degree. F.
[0499] When the massive pulse of electromagnetic energy sweeps over
the conducting layer 118 of the reactor core 101, forces within
this conducting layer 118 will effectively try to implode the
reactor core 101. To prevent the implosion of the reactor core 101,
the non-conducting inner layer 179 within the conducting layer 118
must be able to withstand very strong crushing forces. RCC is a
material that can stand up well to these crushing forces. This is
another good reason that the third non-conducting layer of RCC 123
should be planned for.
[0500] RCC fabrication begins with a rayon cloth, graphitized and
impregnated with a phenolic resin. This impregnated cloth is laid
up as a laminate and cured over a metal hemisphere in an autoclave.
After being cured it is removed from the metal form, then the
laminate is pyrolized to convert the resin to carbon. This material
is then impregnated with furfural alcohol in a vacuum chamber, then
cured and pyrolized again to convert the furfural alcohol to
carbon. This process is repeated three or more times until the
desired carbon-carbon properties are achieved. RCC can withstand
temperatures up to 3000.degree. F.
[0501] In a reactor design by the Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory, for a reactor with slightly larger inner
dimensions--6.5 meter inner diameter versus this example that uses
a 5 meter conducting wall diameter--called "Sombrero", 400 MJ yield
fusion fuel Holoraum targets were calculated to create a surface
temperature at the non-conducing inner wall 179 of about
2100.degree. C. or 3812.degree. F. If this non-conducting inner
wall 179 temperature is correct, then another layer of material
would be needed that can withstand higher temperatures, or larger
diameter reactor cores 101 of approximately 10 meters in diameter
would be needed, or targets with lower yields would be needed. Only
tests will verify the temperature. It is possible that the
spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140 will slow the
fusion burn and reduce the non-conducting inner wall 179
temperature.
[0502] If the temperature of the non-conducting inner wall 179 will
exceed 3000.degree. F., then another non-conducting layer 122,
inside of the second RCC wall 123 should be planned for. An inner
layer of non-conducting material 122 could also be made of Ultra
High Temperature Ceramics. One such material is hafnium diboride
silicon carbide which has been tested to temperatures of at least
5,000.degree. F. There are other similar ceramics that could be
used. The primary material characteristics should be: the ability
to withstand temperatures between 3000-5000.degree. F.; strength;
the ability to withstand thermal shock without cracking; little or
no conductivity; and ease of forming into rigid, spherical shapes.
Therefore, since such materials already exist, temperatures at the
inner wall of the core up to 5000.degree. F. could be designed for
at this time.
[0503] The conducting layer 118 of the reactor core 101 will
confine elementary particles in the fusion plasma that have a
charge. Neutral particles such as neutrinos and neutrons, in all
likelihood, will not be sufficiently contained by the
electromagnetic shield. Thus, the non-conducting inner wall 179
must have some compound to stop neutrons. The element Boron has
been found to be excellent at stopping neutrons and can be combined
with the materials for the non-conducting inner wall 179 of a
fusion reactor. It has been considered in many other fusion reactor
designs just for this purpose.
[0504] In these reactor designs, different inner walls could be
used to stop neutrons. For example, the fourth non-conducting layer
125 could be coated or impregnated with a layer of Boron, the
second non-conducting layer 123 could be coated or impregnated with
Boron or the inner layer of non-conducting material 122 could be
coated or impregnated with Boron. Some ultra-high temperature
ceramics contain Boron, thus eliminating the necessity of coating
or impregnating the ceramics. If Boron is to be impregnated into
one of the inner layers constructed of RCC, it might be best to
create one inner layer of Boron RCC 123, and a second, thicker wall
124, just of RCC to reduce costs.
[0505] The fusion burn will also subject the non-conducting inner
wall 179 to x-ray radiation. With the reactor designs described
here that burn fuel pellets 136--hybrid inertial confinement
designs--the inside of the reactor core 101 could be filled with
approximately 0.5 torr of xenon gas. The purpose of this gas would
be to absorb the x-ray radiation and re-radiate it over a longer
time at longer wavelengths to help reduce the surface temperature
and damage to the inner wall. If the density of the gas were
greater, it would likely cause the inertial confinement lasers 103
to be blocked.
[0506] The primary goal of the conducting layer 118 is to create
smooth, harmonic, massive spherical electromagnetic confinement
fields 140. It is not intended to with withstand the forces of the
internal fusion explosion. The conducting layer 118 would need
reinforcement from the outside to withstand explosive mechanical
forces from within. Another layer of material, external to the
conducting layer 118, for purposes of reinforcement would be
needed. In general it should be made of a non-conducting material
or be essentially non-conducting. Another layer of RCC would be
ideal for this. RCC is thermally conductive, allowing heat to flow
out of the conducting layer 118 improving passive or active
cooling.
[0507] The materials of these reactor core 101 designs must be able
to withstand mechanical stresses to within 90-95% of their yield
strength for continuous operation. For pulsed operation, the
strength of the materials may be exceeded for brief periods. The
calculations of forces for all layers of the reactor core 101
material should be taken into account. For example, if a copper
alloy is used for the conductive layer 118, even though the extreme
heat involved may melt this layer at some point later in the
process, the initial ductility of the metal should be considered in
the calculations that determine if the reactor core 101 can
withstand the internal fusion explosion.
[0508] To summarize, an initial reactor core 101 could be designed
as such:
[0509] 1) An inner layer of non-conducting material 122 made up of
an Ultra High Temperature Ceramic such as: hafnium diboride silicon
carbide; or, Zirconium diboride composite; or, other related
ceramic compounds. The exact thickness of this inner layer of
non-conducting material 122 is unknown at this time due to the
classified nature of these ceramics (they are now used to make
nose-cones for missiles). The estimated required thickness is 1
inch. Preferably, the material will have a composition that
includes some Boron to stop neutrons. (Most likely manufactured as
two interlocking hemispheres.)
[0510] 2) A second non-conducting layer 123 that is composed of
material that can withstand high temperatures, thermal shock,
compressive forces from without, explosive forces from within and
can stop neutrons. A second non-conducting layer 123 could be a 1
inch wall composed of RCC impregnated with Boron. (Most likely
manufactured as two interlocking hemispheres. Possibly manufactured
as a single piece around the inner layer of non-conducting material
122.)
[0511] 3) A third non-conducting layer 124 that is composed of
material that can withstand high temperatures, thermal shock,
compressive forces from without and explosive forces from within. A
third non-conducting layer 124 could be composed of 1 inch of RCC.
(Most likely manufactured as one piece around the inner layer of
non-conducting material 122 and second non-conducting layer
123.)
[0512] 4) A fourth non-conducting layer 125 that is composed of a
material that can withstand massive thermal shocks and lessen the
thermal shock to the conducting layer 118. The fourth
non-conducting layer 125 could be composed of 5 inches of silica
(99.8% amorphous fiber) made rigid by ceramic bonding. (Most likely
manufactured as two interlocking hemispheres. Possibly manufactured
as multiple interlocking tiles attached to the outside of the inner
layer of non-conducing material 122, second non-conducting layer
123 and third non-conducting layer 124)
[0513] 5) A conducting layer 118 that is composed of a material
with very low resistance, is economical, that can be formed into
spherical shells of the size needed, and can withstand the internal
Coulombic and Hall forces created by massive electromagnetic
fields. The conducting layer 118 could be composed of Cu--Nb, 6
inches thick. (Most likely manufactured as two interlocking
hemispheres that are heat-shrunk to each other with the lap-joint
situated at the eventual equator of the electromagnetic field.) A
high current should be put through this conducting layer 118 in
order to weld the joints together. The joint should be tested for
gaps which could cause nonharmonic electromagnetic fields and
failure.
[0514] 6) A sixth non-conducting layer 126 that is composed of
material that can withstand high temperatures, thermal shock and
explosive forces from within. The sixth non-conducting layer 126
could be composed of 2 inches of RCC. (Most likely manufactured as
two interlocking hemispheres.)
[0515] 7) A seventh non-conducting layer 127 that is composed of
material that can withstand high temperatures, thermal shock and
explosive forces from within. The seventh non-conducting layer 127
could be composed of 2 inches of RCC. (Most likely manufactured as
two interlocking hemispheres with the joint oriented 90.degree.
from the hemispheres in the sixth non-conducting layer 126.)
[0516] Total reactor wall thickness of approximately 18 inches, of
which {fraction (1/3)} is conductive.
[0517] To compensate for differences in thermal expansion, the
inner and outer sides of individual layers may be designed with a
grid of grooves--e.g., the outer side of the fourth non-conducting
layer 125 and the inner side of the sixth non-conducting layer 126.
Using a copper alloy, as in this example, the inner surface of the
conducting layer 118 will thermally expand more than the external
surface of the conducting layer 118. This is due to the greater
temperatures experienced on the inside of the conducting layer 118
due to the fusion burn. The inside of the conducting layer 118 may
even melt. To compensate for this volume change, the outside of the
fourth non-conducting layer 125, Silica in this example, and the
inner side of the sixth non-conducting layer 126, RCC in this
example, could be composed of voids 168 created by a cross-hatched
grid of grooves. In this example, as the conductive layer 118
expands, it would expand into the voids 168 created by these grids
of grooves. These voids 168 are illustrated in FIG. 70.
[0518] The voids 168 would need to have a vacuum at the time of the
fusion reaction. If they were filled with a gas, the gas would
expand during heating of the reactor core 101 and potentially
rupture the reactor core 101. Small channels through the inner
layer of non-conducting material 122, second non-conducting layer
123 and third non-conducting layer 124 to the central reactor core
101 could be used to relieve such pressure. In most of these
nuclear fusion reactors, the reactor core 101 will either be under
a vacuum, or will be filled with a low pressure gas such as
Xenon.
[0519] Periodic tests of the reactor cores 101 for melting will be
required. If the conducting layer 118 melts into the voids 168
after a number of fusion burns, then the geometry required for
harmonic containment fields will be lost. The melted reactor core
101 can be replaced with a new reactor core 101 and the used
reactor core 101 can be refurbished.
[0520] Expansion of the fourth non-conducting layer 125 would be
easy to plan for since it is primarily a thermal barrier and not
key in preventing implosion or explosion of the reactor core 101.
The fourth non-conducting layer 125 could be designed, if needed,
with overlapping panels created with a tongue-and-groove type
joint. The panels could simply slide together for a tighter fit to
deal with thermal expansion.
[0521] It is not critical that the fourth non-conducting layer 125
be made of a solid material. It has been discovered that hollow
ceramic spheres 169 that have a hole drilled in them are not only
excellent thermal barriers, but also excellent sound barriers. It
should be expected that the internal fusion explosion should
create, not only a massive thermal shock, but also a significant
sound shock. Such shocks repeatedly reverberating through the
reactor core 101 could cause reactor core failure. Therefore, the
fourth non-conducting layer 125 might simply start out as a hollow
void that is filled with sound-deadening, thermally resistant,
small, hollow ceramic spheres 169. Currently, these hollow ceramic
spheres 169 are rated to a temperature of about 2,000.degree. F.
But with more expensive, Ultra High Temperature Ceramics, the
hollow ceramic spheres 169 should be capable of withstanding
temperatures of up to 5,000.degree. F. while retaining their shock
dampening characteristics. An example of this type of wall--with a
thicker third non-conducting layer 124 might look like:
[0522] 1) An inner layer of non-conducting material 122 made up of
an Ultra High Temperature Ceramic such as: hafnium diboride silicon
carbide; or, Zirconium diboride composite; or, other Ultra High
Temperature Ceramic compounds. The exact thickness of the inner
layer of non-conducting material 122 is unknown at this time due to
the classified nature of these ceramics. The estimated thickness is
1 inch. Preferably, the material will have a composition that
includes some Boron to help stop neutrons. The inner layer of
non-conducting material 122 would most likely be manufactured as
two interlocking hemispheres.
[0523] 2) A second non-conducting layer 123 that is composed of
material capable of withstanding high temperatures, thermal shock,
compressive forces from without, explosive forces from within, and
stopping neutrons. The second non-conducting layer 123 could be a
1-inch wall composed of RCC impregnated with Boron. The second
non-conducting layer 123 would most likely be manufactured as two
interlocking hemispheres. The second non-conducting layer 123 may
be manufactured as a single piece around the inner layer of
non-conducting material 122.
[0524] 3) A third non-conducting layer 124 that is composed of
material that can withstand high temperatures, thermal shock,
compressive forces from without and explosive forces from within.
The third non-conducting layer 124 could be comprised of 2 inches
of RCC. The third non-conducting layer would most likely be
manufactured as one piece around the inner layers of non-conducting
material 122 and second non-conducting layer 123.
[0525] 4) A fourth non-conducting layer 125 that is composed of a
material that can withstand massive thermal and sound shocks while
lessening the thermal shock to the conducting layer 118. The fourth
non-conducting layer 125 could be comprised of 5 inches of hollow
ceramic spheres 169 made up of high temperature or ultra high
temperature ceramics. These would most likely be manufactured as
small, {fraction (1/16)}-{fraction (1/2)} inch, spheres with a
small hole drilled or formed in them. The hollow ceramic spheres
169 would be poured into the space between the third non-conducting
layer 123 and the conducting layer 118 through temporary openings
in the conducting layer 118. The gaps between the hollow ceramic
spheres 169 would be pumped to a vacuum or be allowed to fill with
a slight pressure of Xenon gas as an added measure to absorb X-ray
radiation.
[0526] 5) A conducting layer 118 that is composed of a material
with very low resistance, is economical, that can be formed into
spherical shells of the size needed, and can withstand the internal
Coulombic and Hall forces created by massive electromagnetic
fields. The conducting layer 118 may be comprised of 6 inches of
Cu--Nb. The conducting layer 118 would most likely be manufactured
as two interlocking hemispheres that are heat-shrunk to each other
with the lap joint situated at the eventual equator of the
electromagnetic field. A high current should be put through this
conducting layer 118 in order to weld the joints together. The
joint should be tested for voids 168 which could cause nonharmonic
electromagnetic fields and failure.
[0527] 6) A sixth non-conducting layer 126 that is composed of
material that can withstand high temperatures, thermal shock and
explosive forces from within. The sixth non-conducting layer 126
may be comprised of 2 inches of RCC. The sixth non-conducting layer
126 would most likely be manufactured as two interlocking
hemispheres.
[0528] 7) A seventh non-conducting layer 127 that is composed of
material that can withstand high temperatures, thermal shock and
explosive forces from within. The seventh non-conducting layer 127
may be comprised of 2 inches of RCC. The seventh non-conducting
layer 127 would most likely be manufactured as two interlocking
hemispheres with the joint oriented 90.degree. from the hemispheres
in the sixth non-conducting layer 126.
[0529] Having the fourth non-conducting layer 125 filled with
hollow ceramic spheres 169 may have advantages. But under the
unusual circumstances being described here, there are no guidelines
to be certain. Only experiment will discover if this method is
superior to using a more traditional thermal barrier such as
silica.
[0530] It is key that the conducting layer 118--a copper alloy in
this case--be magnitudes more conductive than the non-conductive,
or essentially non-conductive layers. It is believed this would
exclude metals, plasmas 150 and conductive gases for materials in
the inner conducting layer 122, second non-conducting layer 123,
third non-conducting layer 124, fourth non-conducting layer 125,
sixth non-conducting layer 126 and seventh non-conducting layer
127. However, the spherical electromagnetic confinement fields 140
may inhibit the burn so efficiently that only a thin non-conducting
inner wall 179 may be required to protect the conducting layer
118.
[0531] If conductive materials were used for the non-conducting
inner wall 179, then the main conducting layer 118 would induce
dissipative, eddy-like currents in the other conductive layers,
increasing Coulombic and Hall forces, increasing thermal loss, and
decreasing efficiency. In addition, if the layers of the
non-conducting inner wall 179 were made of conducting material,
then it is possible that these layers might shield the fusion
reaction from the Poynting Vector energy transport and the
spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140. A solid internal
conducting layer 118 for any of the layers of the non-conducting
inner 179 might be the worst possible choice because it could
reduce or eliminate the MHD effect altogether.
[0532] While materials for the layers of the non-conducting inner
wall 179 should be chosen for their essential
characteristics-non-conductivity, resistance to high temperatures
and thermal shock, resistance to high energy particles and photons,
ability to absorb neutrons, and high strength--they should also be
tested ahead of time to the transport energy induced in the
conducting layer 118. It is quite possible that the massive,
central-pointing energy-transport, expressed in terms of the
Poynting Vector, could shatter and implode the layers of the
non-conducting inner wall 179. While the layers of the
non-conducting inner wall 179 may be non-conductive, or essentially
non-conductive--as in Boron impregnated silicas, carbides, ceramics
or RCC structures--when compared to the conducting layer 118, the
center pointing transport energy may interact at the elementary
particle level, creating massive forces against charged elementary
particles--such as electrons, and atomic nuclei within the inner
layers. However, even if the induced central pointing energy
creates forces at the elementary particle level, these
non-conducting inner wall 179 materials may still be able to
withstand the shocks without absorbing too much energy for these
reasons:
[0533] 1) The layers of the non-conducting inner wall 179 are
directly next to the conducting layer 118.
[0534] 2) The diameter of the reactor core 101 is large compared to
the wall thickness.
[0535] 3) The imploding energy per square inch at the inner wall
will be small compared to at the focal point of the reactor core
101.
[0536] 4) The materials are strong by their nature.
[0537] 5) Also it is believed, the characteristic wavelength of the
imploding energy will be large, roughly equal to the diameter of
the conducting layer 118 of the reactor core 101. This long
wavelength will take time to excite charged elementary particles
within the non-conducting inner wall 179. By the time this happens,
the exploding forces may be counteracting the imploding forces.
[0538] All reactor core 101 designs, except the "No-Core" core
design, will face tremendous thermal, compressive, and explosive
forces. It should be expected that early reactor core 101 designs
may crack, melt, crush, shatter, be pierced by instabilities, and
possibly catastrophically explode. The inner shield clamp 110,
middle reactor shield 109 and outer shield wall 117 should be
designed for these possibilities. Again, the overall reactor design
should allow for the reactor cores 101 to be quickly and
efficiently replaced.
[0539] Misc. Induction Coils Notes
[0540] There are two key issues to consider with respect to
induction coils. First, how can massive electromagnetic pulses be
induced in the circuit of conducting spheres 102? Second, how can
excess electromagnetic energy be extracted from the circuit for use
in the power grid?
[0541] The circuit could be directly connected to the power grid.
See FIG. 59. However, this would not be practical since the massive
pulses would easily burn out many components in power grids.
[0542] Instead, induction coils and capacitors should be used to
act as an intermediary between the conducting circuit and the
electrical power grid.
[0543] There are hundreds if not thousands of possible combinations
of arrangements for the coils in such reactors. Possible coil
arrangements include:
[0544] 1) If a solid "wire-type" conducting circuit as depicted in
FIG. 72 is used, then one large coil could be wrapped around the
circuit. For this type of circuit to work, the coil must induce an
electromagnetic pulse through the conducting wire 164 with a
wavelength much longer than the diameter of the conducting wire
164, otherwise nodes in the waves will vaporize the conducting wire
164 and explode it as explained in the section on the exploding
wire phenomena.
[0545] However, even if it were possible to induce very long
wavelength pulses using the inductive coil, the wavelength of the
MHD effect in the reactor core 101 will be equal to diameter of the
reactor core 101, and if powerful enough, will explode the
conducting wire 164 at the anodes and cathodes as is shown in the
enlarged detail of FIG. 72. It appears inevitable that too much
energy will be focused on these small points to prevent the
conducting wire 164 from exploding.
[0546] 2) A simple attempt at solving this problem might be to use
a thicker conducting wire 164 as contained in FIG. 73. There are
many problems with this approach. First, the massive energy will
still be focused at the anodes and cathodes at the reactor core
101. Second, the larger the conducting wire 164, the less of a
change in direction will occur at the reactor core 101 and the
smaller will be the induced confining fields. Third, with thicker
conducting wires 164, there will be more avenues for currents to
"cut corners" and create eddy currents. There will be increased
numbers of possible harmonic waves around the conducting wire 164
with corresponding increased numbers of nodes that will vaporize
and explode the conducting wire 164.
[0547] 3) One possible approach is to create a solid conductor 160
that is exactly as thick as the reactor core 101. However, there
would be no induction of confinement fields. A fusion explosion in
the reactor core 101 might be confined radially but not axially. It
would explode in opposite directions--straight down the conductor
in both directions. Besides, the reactor core 101 will still create
waves of electromagnetic energy that will focus at nodes and
explode the solid conductor 160.
[0548] 4) To focus the energy, which would still allow the
induction of the intense containment fields over the surface of the
reactor core 101, the cathode and anode could be capped with a
hemispherical dome 180 as shown in FIGS. 74, 75, and 76. This
configuration could work if there was enough active cooling of the
conductor/superconductor. However, the solid conductor 160 would be
extremely massive and expensive. The overall length of the solid
conductor 160 would need to be extremely precise--a multiple of the
primary wavelength--to focus the energy. But when heated, the
harmonics would be lost since the solid conductor 160 length would
not be a multiple of the primary wavelength. Manufacturing the
solid conductor 160 with the incorrect length would be very
difficult to correct for. The exploding wire danger still exists at
nodes of the primary electromagnetic wave. Finally, if damage did
occur to either the solid conductor 160 or coil, in this design
they would be extremely difficult to repair or replace. A two
reactor core 101 version of this design is shown in FIG. 75.
[0549] 5) As shown in FIG. 76, another possible arrangement would
be to place numerous coils in series around the solid conductor 160
in an attempt to create electromagnetic pulses which have
wavelengths equal to the diameter of the solid conductor 160 and
reactor core 101, and then to try to actively cool the solid
conductor 160 to prevent it from overheating and exploding. This
technique does not appear feasible and would certainly be
dangerous. The main advantage of this design is not its
practicality but that it emphasizes the importance of analyzing the
primary electromagnetic wave: its wavelength, its shape, the
locations of nodes, the locations of eddy currents, the locations
of intense temperatures, etc.
[0550] 6) This leads to the approach, as indicated earlier, of
using conducting spheres 102 as shown in FIG. 77. With this
approach, the emphasis is not on inducing a current around the
circuit. Large-scale flow of electrons around the circuit is not
really desired--rather, local, short-distanced but very fast flow
of electrons is desired. The emphasis of this approach is creating
massive standing, spherical waves of electromagnetic fields that
result in a massive voltage across the containment sphere and
massive containing fields--i.e., high voltage, high resistance, low
current. (Or, massive magnetic differentials if the reactor is
operating in the Magnetic Mode.)
[0551] 7) Another possible concept contained in FIG. 18 for the
electrical or magnetic conducting circuit would be to create an
electrical or magnetic circuit using conducting spheres 102 as
previously described, laid out in an oval conducting sphere track
104, and to place coils around one or both of the hemispheres of
one or more of the conducting spheres 102. The coils will be used
to induce the electromagnetic pulses and to tap excess energy.
Using this overall concept, there are hundreds of possible wiring
schemes where the coils are connected in series, in parallel, on
separate circuits, or in combinations of these. This overall
concept has many common advantages. They are in stark contrast to
the disadvantages of the circuit described in 6 above. Advantages
include:
[0552] The conducting spheres 102 would be relatively cheap and
easy to manufacture.
[0553] It would not be a problem to lengthen or shorten the
circuit.
[0554] New or old conducting spheres 102 could be added or
removed.
[0555] While the harmonics of the heated circuit would change, it
would change uniformly over the entire circuit because, by actively
monitoring and equalizing coolant 130 temperatures, the expansion
and contraction of the conducting spheres 102 could be
controlled.
[0556] While localized eddy-currents from secondary currents still
could melt or explode small areas of conducting spheres 102, the
danger of the exploding wire phenomena would be minimized since the
main electromagnetic wave would not explode huge sections of a
conducting wire 164 or solid conductor 160.
[0557] Finally, the modular design would allow easy repair or
replacement of conducting spheres 102 or coils.
[0558] With respect to the construction of the coil support
material 166, the materials of construction may be chosen based
upon the materials dielectric constant. For example, coil support
material 166 in FIG. 14 maybe chosen based upon its dielectric
characteristics.
[0559] Wiring Pattern for Coils
[0560] How the coils are wired to each other around the conducting
circuit is a key consideration. Each coil could be treated as a
separate circuit. The coils could be wired in parallel, or in
series. Or they could be wired in various combinations. No
particular combination appears as the clear winner. Each example
could work. However, it seems that the simplest circuit would have
advantages for maintaining harmonic current flows and lower
costs.
[0561] FIG. 78 represents coils wired in series. FIGS. 79
represents coils wired in parallel. One technique would be to use
Rowland Ring coils 147 placed around an electrical circuit composed
of conducting spheres 102, as previously described. A Rowland Ring
coil 147 could be placed at one point along the electrical circuit,
or multiple Rowland Ring coils 147 could be placed around one or
both of the hemispheres of one or more of the conducting spheres
102. See FIG. 81. Again, there are hundreds of possible wiring
schemes where the Rowland Ring coils 147 are connected in series,
in parallel, on separate circuits, or in combinations of these. The
Rowland Ring coils 147 may or may not have a soft iron core.
Designs that have Rowland Ring coils 147 in series would be
preferable to coils in parallel because their inductance will add
thus creating a powerful voltage across the reactor core 101 that
would be very difficult for the MHD effect to reverse
direction.
[0562] Miscellaneous Insulation Notes
[0563] With respect to conducting spheres 102, they may need an
outer layer of material to protect the conducting layer 118 from
various problems. For example, the material in the conducting layer
may be easily scratched or dented. It may deform from its own
weight, especially when heated. Also, this layer of material could
reduce or eliminate electrical arcing between the conducting
spheres 102, coils, the conducting sphere track 104, coolant 130,
or other components or objects in proximity to the conducting
spheres 102. This layer, preferably, will not increase the distance
between adjacent conducting spheres 102. It may be applied prior to
the conducting spheres 102 being placed in the conducting sphere
track 104 or after. This material may be chosen with respect to its
dielectric constant as this may affect the electromagnetic
interaction between reactor cores 101, coils, and conducting
spheres 102. Alternately, a thicker insulating layer may be
provided around each sphere 102 with a coupling arrangement between
adjacent conducting spheres 102 to optimize the electromagnetic
flow.
[0564] Power Source
[0565] Depending on the reactor dimensions and materials, and
depending on the designed yield for the D-T plasma 150 or fuel
pellet 136, there would be a characteristic electric voltage or
magnetic differential required across the conducting sphere 102
just prior to the ignition of the fusion process. Obviously, an
external power source is needed for providing power to the coils
that provide the electromagnetic pulse that sweeps over the
conducting layer 118 of the reactor core 101 in order to provide
initial confinement and ignition--in the case of a purely inductive
compressive technique--and the confining fields for the MHD effect.
Also, in the case of using inertial techniques for initial ignition
of a D-T fuel pellet 136, a power source would be needed for the
lasers 103, or other beam devices.
[0566] Possible power sources could include:
[0567] 1) Coal powered AC generators
[0568] 2) Hydro powered AC generators
[0569] 3) Nuclear fission powered AC generators
[0570] 4) Coal powered DC generators
[0571] 5) Hydro powered DC generators
[0572] 6) Nuclear fission powered DC generators
[0573] 7) Capacitor banks 105 charged by any of the above devices
or: the commercial power grid; liquid fuel generators; solar
panels; geothermal energy capture devices; or a variety of other
energy sources.
[0574] For the purposes of describing this embodiment, a coal
powered DC generator will be used.
[0575] Removing Power from the Conducting Circuit
[0576] Depending on the reactor dimensions and materials, and
depending on the designed yield for the D-T plasma 150 or fuel
pellet 136, there would be a characteristic voltage required across
the conducting sphere 102 just prior to the ignition of the fusion
process. Once the fusion process starts, the MHD process will
induce a higher electric voltage or magnetic differential across
the reactor core 101. All that is needed is the electrical
circuitry to monitor this electric voltage or magnetic
differential, and to use the excess to induce current in the coils
and to move the current to the power grid.
[0577] One technique for tapping the correct amount of energy from
the circuit might be to attach a set number of coils to the circuit
and have about 60% of the coils maintaining the required containing
voltage and about 40% of the coils tapping off excess voltage. One
design would have:
[0578] 2 reactor cores 101--it is a 2 cycle engine
[0579] 30 conducting spheres 102--15 per each half of an oval
[0580] 48 total coils
[0581] 32 coils for creating and maintaining the confining
voltage--16 per each half of the oval
[0582] 16 coils for tapping off excess voltage--induced by the MHD
effect from the fusion reaction.
[0583] Since 66% of the coils are for maintain voltage, and 33% of
the coils are designed for tapping off excess voltage, the yield of
the fusion burn should not exceed 29% of the total capacity of the
circuit. This value of 29% would allow up to 2 of the tap coils to
burn out and still be able to draw off the MHD energy.
[0584] This example gives insight on the best wiring techniques.
What should happen if coils burn out? If one containment coil burns
out, then the whole containment circuit should shut down. This
would allow the fusion plasma 150 to expand, cool, and stop the
fusion burn. However, if a tap coil burns out, then an opposite
coil in the circuit should go down to keep a symmetric voltage. But
to insure the ability of the circuit to keep drawing off excess MHD
power, the tapping coils should not all be wired in series. If all
of the tapping coils went down, the MHD fields might be powerful
enough to flip the polarity of the entire conducting circuit--with
the resulting danger of the rapid voltage flip-flop.
[0585] DC versus AC
[0586] There are possible designs, using one or more reactor cores
101, that would, for these types of fusion reactors, create DC
currents. In such cases, an AC inverter would be required. There
are possible designs, using two or more reactor cores 101, that
would create AC currents. In such cases, if the frequency is
appropriate, the current could go directly to the power grid. If
the frequency is not correct, then additional circuitry would be
required for changing the frequency.
[0587] Major Nuclear Fusion Reactor Types
[0588] The major types of nuclear fusion reactors in these designs
all use a spherical electromagnetic confinement field 140 for the
purposes of confining the fusion burn and for MHD conversion of
energy. Most designs also use spherical conducting spheres 102 to
create a harmonic pulse that sweeps over the reactor core 101 area.
It has been mentioned that a design with a minimum of one core
covered with two hemispheric coils with no conducting spheres is
possible. Within these overall parameters, there are many possible
nuclear reactor design variations possible, using various
combinations of components available. Some of the variables in the
reactor design include:
[0589] 1) Fusion fuel: D-T, D-D, and D-He, and other elements
[0590] 2) Fusion fuel type: plasma 150 or fuel pellet 136
[0591] 3) Reactor core confinement field alignment: magnetic mode,
electrical mode
[0592] 4) Ignition technique: electromagnetic induction; laser 103
inertial; ion beam inertial, spherical wire implosion cage 151
[0593] 5) Reactor confinement material: solid conductor 160, solid
superconductor, plasma 150, liquid, gas, "No Core"
[0594] 6) Various reactor core 101 wall material choices, or
"No-Core" design
[0595] 7) Confinement circuit shape: oval, circular, straight
[0596] 8) Confinement coil type: normal cylindrical coil; normal
concentric cylindrical coils; normal (single) helical coils; normal
(multiple) parallel helical coils; Rowland Ring coils 147 with soft
iron cores; Rowland Ring coils 147 without soft iron cores;
individual hemispheric coils 106; grouped hemispheric coils 106
(cup-in-a-cup layout)
[0597] 9) Conducting sphere 102 type: hollow center with a vacuum;
solid filled
[0598] 10) Conducting sphere 102 fill material
[0599] 11) AC or DC output design
[0600] 12) One, two, three, four, or more reactor cores 101
[0601] 13) Burn length: pulsed, quasi-continuous, or continuous
operation
[0602] 14) Cooling technique: pulsed, quasi-continuous, or
continuous operation
[0603] Some Major Design Choices
[0604] One Reactor Core 101, Plasma Fuel Designs:
[0605] 1) One reactor core 101, ignition by induced compression,
plasma 150 fuel (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by circuit using
spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval pattern,
confinement fields induced by Rowland Ring coils 147 with a soft
iron core, pulsed or quasi-continuous DC operation
[0606] 2) One reactor core 101, ignition by induced compression,
plasma 150 fuel (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by circuit using
spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval pattern,
confinement fields induced by Rowland Ring coils 147 without a soft
iron core, pulsed or quasi-continuous DC operation. See FIG. 81 as
an example of this configuration
[0607] 3) One reactor core 101, ignition by induced compression,
plasma 150 fuel (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by circuit using
spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval pattern,
confinement fields induced by traditional coils, pulsed or
quasi-continuous DC operation
[0608] 4) One reactor core 101, ignition by induced compression,
plasma 150 fuel (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by circuit using
spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval pattern,
confinement fields induced by hemispherical coils 106, pulsed,
quasi-continuous, or continuous DC operation
[0609] Two or More Reactor Core 101, Plasma Fuel Designs:
[0610] 5) Two or more reactor cores 101, ignition by induced
compression, plasma 150 fuel (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by
circuit using spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or
oval pattern, confinement fields induced by Rowland Ring coils 147
with a soft iron core, pulsed or quasi-continuous AC operation
[0611] 6) Two or more reactor cores 101, ignition by induced
compression, plasma 150 fuel (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by
circuit using spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or
oval pattern, confinement fields induced by Rowland Ring coils 147
without a soft iron core, pulsed or quasi-continuous AC
operation
[0612] 7) Two or more reactor cores 101, ignition by induced
compression, plasma 150 fuel (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by
circuit using spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or
oval pattern, confinement fields induced by traditional coils,
pulsed or quasi-continuous AC operation
[0613] 8) Two or more reactor cores 101, ignition by induced
compression, plasma 150 fuel (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by
circuit using spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or
oval pattern, confinement fields induced by hemispherical coils
106, pulsed or quasi-continuous AC operation. See FIG. 82 as an
example of this configuration
[0614] One Core, Pellet Fuel Designs:
[0615] 9) One reactor core 101, ignition by inertial beam
technique, fuel pellet 136 (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by circuit
using spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval
pattern, confinement fields induced by Rowland Ring coils 147 with
a soft iron core, pulsed DC operation
[0616] 10) One reactor core 101, ignition by inertial beam
technique, fuel pellet 136 (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by circuit
using spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval
pattern, confinement fields induced by Rowland Ring coils 147
without a soft iron core, pulsed DC operation
[0617] 11) One reactor core 101, ignition by inertial beam
technique, fuel pellet 136 (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by circuit
using spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval
pattern, confinement fields induced by traditional coils, pulsed DC
operation
[0618] 12) One reactor core 101, ignition by inertial beam
technique, fuel pellet (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by circuit
using spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval
pattern, confinement fields induced by hemispherical coils 106,
pulsed DC operation. See the preferred embodiment in FIG. 1 as an
example of this configuration.
[0619] Two or More Cores, Pellet Fuel Designs:
[0620] 13) Two or more reactor cores 101, ignition by inertial beam
technique, fuel pellet 136 (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by circuit
using spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval
pattern, confinement fields induced by Rowland Ring coils 147 with
a soft iron core, pulsed AC operation
[0621] 14) Two or more reactor cores 101, ignition by inertial beam
technique, fuel pellet 136 (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by circuit
using spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval
pattern, confinement fields induced by Rowland Ring coils 147
without a soft iron core, pulsed AC operation
[0622] 15) Two or more reactor cores 101, ignition by inertial beam
technique, fuel pellet 136 (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by circuit
using spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval
pattern, confinement fields induced by traditional coils, pulsed AC
operation
[0623] 16) Two or more reactor cores 101, ignition by inertial beam
technique, fuel pellet 136 (D-D, D-He, D-T), confinement by circuit
using spherical conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval
pattern, confinement fields induced by hemispherical coils 106,
pulsed AC operation. See FIG. 83 as an example of this
configuration.
[0624] One No-core Core Plasma Fuel Designs in Electric Mode:
[0625] 17) One No-Core core, plasma 150 fuel gradually added to
chamber by injection, ignition by induced compression, continuous
voltage provided by circuit using spherical conducting coils
arranged in a circular or oval pattern, confinement field voltage
provided by Rowland Ring coils 147 with soft iron core, continuous
DC operation.
[0626] 18) One No-Core core, plasma 150 fuel gradually added to
chamber by injection, ignition by induced compression, continuous
voltage provided by circuit using spherical conducting coils
arranged in a circular or oval pattern, confinement field voltage
provided by Rowland Ring coils 147 without soft iron core,
continuous DC operation.
[0627] 19) One No-Core core, plasma 150 fuel gradually added to
chamber by injection, ignition by induced compression, continuous
voltage provided by circuit using spherical conducting coils
arranged in a circular or oval pattern, confinement field voltage
provided by traditional coils, continuous DC operation.
[0628] One No-core Core Plasma Fuel Designs in Magnetic Mode:
[0629] 20) One No-Core core, plasma 150 fuel gradually added to
chamber by injection, ignition by induced compression, continuous
magnetic differential provided by circuit using spherical
conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval pattern,
confinement field voltage provided by traditional coils, continuous
DC operation.
[0630] 21) One No-Core core, plasma 150 fuel gradually added to
chamber by injection, ignition by induced compression, continuous
magnetic differential provided by circuit using spherical
conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval pattern,
confinement field voltage provided by hemispherical coils 106,
continuous DC operation. See FIG. 80 as an example of this
configuration.
[0631] Two No-core Cores Plasma Fuel Designs in Magnetic Mode:
[0632] 22) Two No-Core cores, plasma 150 fuel gradually added to
chambers by injection, ignition by induced compression, continuous
magnetic differential provided by circuit using spherical
conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval pattern,
confinement field voltage provided by traditional coils, continuous
AC operation.
[0633] 23) Two No-Core cores, plasma 150 fuel gradually added to
chambers by injection, ignition by induced compression, continuous
magnetic differential provided by circuit using spherical
conducting coils arranged in a circular or oval pattern,
confinement field voltage provided by hemispherical coils 106,
continuous AC operation. See FIG. 68 as an example of this
configuration.
[0634] One No-core Core Plasma Fuel Straight-line Designs:
[0635] 24) One No-Core core, plasma 150 fuel gradually added to
chamber by injection, ignition by induced compression, continuous
magnetic differential provided by circuit using spherical
conducting coils arranged in a straight-line pattern, confinement
field voltage provided by traditional coils, continuous DC
operation.
[0636] 25) One No-Core core, plasma 150 fuel gradually added to
chamber by injection, ignition by induced compression, continuous
magnetic differential provided by circuit using spherical
conducting coils arranged in a straight-line pattern, confinement
field voltage provided by hemispherical coils 106, continuous DC
operation.
[0637] It is believed the best design of the present invention is
reactor design 12 using D-T fusion fuel pellets 136 and laser 103
inertial beams-as shown in the preferred embodiment in FIG. 1. The
confinement circuit described here could potentially be added to
the National Ignition Facility currently being built. Or, a similar
facility, using the same type of laser inertial confinement could
be built, but with the added confinement circuit. The benefits of
this design are: the simplicity of one reactor core 101; the lower
magnetic fields required due to inertial ignition techniques; and
the smooth harmonics of the hemispherical coils 106.
[0638] In the mid-term, it is believed that design number 8 would
be best. It has: 2 reactor cores 101; uses D-D plasma 150 fuel;
uses hemispherical coils 106; and is optimized for 60 MHz pulsed
(AC) operation. The benefits of this design are: efficient use of
one reactor core's MHD fields for creating the other reactor core's
confinement fields (like a two cylinder gasoline engine);
quasi-continuous operation (i.e., requiring periodic replacement of
reactor cores 101 and other components) using injected plasma 150;
and optimization for 60 MHz AC power for direct commercial
electrical grid utilization.
[0639] In the long range, it is believed that design number 23
using 2 reactor cores 101 based on the adjustable wavelength
"No-Core" design in FIG. 68 may be the best design. This design has
many advantages: the ability to operate almost nonstop since there
are no reactor cores 101 to wear out; the magnetic circuit does not
entail large-scale movements of electrons that could burn out
conducting spheres 102; the hemispherical coils 106 should provide
smooth confining fields; the conducting spheres 102 and
hemispherical coils 106 could be continuously cooled; the use of
pulse injected D-D plasma 150 fuel into the confining fields allows
the central burning mini-stars to continuously burn; the mini-stars
would pulse with opposite beats (i.e., as one star expands,
inducing a MHD field, this induced MHD field will induce confining
fields that compress the other star, then the cycle reverses); and
the induced current that is tapped off will be AC. The diameter of
anode/cathode conducting spheres are larger than the diameters of
the "No-Core" reactor core, amplifying the power of the spherical
electromagnetic field, containment field. And finally, the
wavelength of the reactor core 101 area can be adjusted to take
into account thermal heating and cooling. All that would be needed
would be periodic replacement of conducting spheres 102; shield
materials; miscellaneous electrical components, and cooling system
components.
* * * * *