Pulsed high beta fusion reactor

Abstract

Abstract A FUSION REACTOR IN WHICH THE THERMONUCLEAR PLASMA IS PRODUCED BY A STAGED THETA PINCH HAVING TWO DISTINCT ENERGY SOURCES, ONE FOR SHOCK HEATING AND ONE FOR ADIABATIC COMPRESSION. IN THE REACTOR CORE THE PLASMA IS SURROUNDED BY A THIN LIQUID-METAL-COOLED VACUUM WALL WHICH ALSO SERVES AS A SHOCK HEATING COIL. THIS COIL IS DRIVEN BY HIGH VOLTAGE CIRCUITS WHOSE ENERGY CONTENT IS ONLY A FEW PERCENT OF THAT OF THE TOTAL SYSTEM. THE LOW-VOLTAGE COMPRESSIONAL AND CONFINING MAGNETIC FIELD, WHOSE ENERGY IS PREPONDERANT, HAS A RISETIME OF A FEW MILLISECONDS AND IS GENERATED BY A MULTITURN CIOL WHOSE RADIUS IS SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THEN THAT OF THE SHOCK-HEATING COIL. THE COMPRESSION COIL OPERATES NEAR ROOM TEMPERATURE, AND THE SYSTEM IS SUFFICIENTLY ECONOMICAL OF JOULE LOSSES THAT THEY CAN LARGELY BE MADE UP BY DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION FROM THE EXPANSION OF THE HIGH-BETA PLASMA AGAINST THE MAGNETIC FIELD DURING THE BURING PULSE. THE COMPRESSION COIL IS PROTECTED FROM EXCESSIVE NUCLEAR RADIATION AND HEATING BY A PORTION O THE NEUTRON-MODERATING, TRITIUM-BREEDING BLANKET. THIS INNER PORTON O THE BLANKET OPERATES AT A TEMPERATURE AS HIGH AS ABOUT 800*C. MAGNETIC ENERGY IS SWITCHED REVERSIBLY INTO THE COMPRESSION COIL FROM A CRYOGENIC MAGNETIC ENERGY STORE SITUATED OUTSIDE THE REACTOR CORE. THE COMPRESSION MAGNETIC ENERGY IS RETURNED TO THE STORE AT THE END OF EACH POWER PULSE, WHICH LASTS APPROXIMATELY 100 MSEC. THESE PULSES ARE SEPARATED BY TIMES OF THE ORDER OF A FEW SEC. REFUELING ANY FLUSHING OF THE SPENT PLASMA BETWEEN BURNING PULSES ARE ACCOMPLISHED BY FLOWING D-T GAS THROUGH THE VACUUM CHAMBER.

Inventors

• 👤 F Ribe
• 👤 S Burnett
• 👤 W Ellis

Bibliographic Details