Helical field stabilization of plasma devices

Claim 2

A toroidal plasma device comprising a toroidal confinement vessel having walls for defining a toroidal space and confining gas therein, means for generating magnetic flux linking said toroidal space to induce substantial toroidal plasma current therein, said toroidal plasma current producing a substantial poloidal magnetic field, first and second windings wound substantially helically around said vessel with the same sense of twist at substantially the same pitch, said first windings and said second windings being disposed alternately and substantially equally spaced around the minor circumference of said vessel, and means for passing first direct current through said first windings and second direct current through said second windings in the direction counter to said first direct current to generate a helical magnetic field acting in combination with said poloidal magnetic field to produce closed and nested magnetic flux surfaces spaced from said vessel walls, wherein a safety factor q within said plasma current is the sum of two components, one being axisymmetric and substantially proportional to the ratio of toroidal magnetic field to poloidal magnetic field, and the other being nonaxisymmetric and substantially helically symmetric and substantially the quantity ##EQU41## where b is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field from said helical windings, R is the major radius of said toroidal space, r is the average minor radius of the magnetic flux surface, B.sub.θ,o is the poloidal magnetic field produced by said toroidal plasma current, ##EQU42## is the partial derivative of B.sub.θ,o with respect to r, l is the number of said first windings, k is the wavenumber of the magnetic field produced by said first and second windings, I l (kr) is the modified Bessel function of order l, and I l '(kr) is the derivative of I l (kr) with respect to its argument, q being defined as the average over a flux surface of the number of transits made around said toroidal space in the toroidal direction by a magnetic flux line in making a single transit in the poloidal direction, and the absolute magnitude of q being less than 1 within said plasma current.

Claim 3

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 1 wherein the sense of twist of said first and second windings and the direction of said plasma current produce a variation in the safety factor q with minor radius at any poloidal angle whereby the polarity of q reverses near the outer edge of said plasma current.

Claim 4

A toroidal plasma device comprising a toroidal confinement vessel for defining a toroidal space and confining gas therein, means for generating magnetic flux linking said toroidal space to induce substantial toroidal plasma current therein, said toroidal plasma current producing a substantial poloidal magnetic field, first and second windings wound substantially helically around said vessel with the same sense of twist at substantially the same pitch, said first windings and said second windings being disposed alternately and substantially equally spaced around the minor circumference of said vessel, and means for passing first direct current through said first windings and passing second direct current through said second windings in the direction counter to said first direct current to generate a helical magnetic field acting in combination with said poloidal magnetic field to produce a variation in a safety factor q with minor radius at any poloidal angle whereby the polarity of q reverses near the outer edge of the plasma current, q being defined as the average over a flux surface of the number of transits made around said toroidal space in the toroidal direction by a magnetic flux line in making a single transit in the poloidal direction, wherein a safety factor q within said plasma current is the sum of two components, one being axisymmetric and substantially proportional to the ratio of toroidal magnetic field to poloidal magnetic field, and the other being nonaxisymmetric and substantially helically symmetric and substantially the quantity ##EQU43## where b is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field from said helical windings, R is the major radius of said toroidal space, r is the average minor radius of the magnetic flux surface, B.sub.θ,o is the poloidal magnetic field produced by said toroidal plasma current, ##EQU44## is the partial derivative of B.sub.θ,o with respect to r,l is the number of said first windings, k is the wavenumber of the magnetic field produced by said first and second windings, I l (kr) is the modified Bessel function of order l, and I l '(kr) is the derivative of I l (kr) with respect to its argument, and q being less than 1 within said plasma current.

Claim 5

A toroidal plasma device comprising a toroidal confinement vessel for defining a toroidal space and confining gas therein, means for generating magnetic flux linking said toroidal space to induce substantial toroidal plasma current therein, said toroidal plasma current producing a substantial poloidal magnetic field, first and second windings wound substantially helically around said vessel with the same sense of twist at substantially the same pitch, said first windings and said second windings being disposed alternately and substantially equally spaced around the minor circumference of said vessel, and means for passing first direct current through said first windings and passing second direct current through said second windings in the direction counter to said first direct current to generate a helical magnetic field acting in combination with said poloidal magnetic field to produce a variation in a safety factor q with minor radius at any poloidal angle whereby the polarity of q reverses near the outer edge of the plasma current, q being defined as the average over a flux surface of the number of transits made around said toroidal space in the toroidal direction by a magnetic flux line in making a single transit in the poloidal direction, wherein a safety factor q within said plasma current is the sum of two components, one being axisymmetric and substantially proportional to the ratio of toroidal magnetic field to poloidal magnetic field, and the other being nonaxisymmetric and substantially helically symmetric and substantially the quantity ##EQU43## where b is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field from said helical windings, R is the major radius of said toroidal space, r is the average minor radius of the magnetic flux surface, B.sub.θ,o is the poloidal magnetic field produced by said toroidal plasma current, ##EQU44## is the partial derivative of B.sub.θ,o with respect to r,l is the number of said first windings, k is the wavenumber of the magnetic field produced by said first and second windings, I l (kr) is the modified Bessel function of order l, and I l '(kr) is the derivative of I l (kr) with respect to its argument, and q being less than 1 within said plasma current.

Claim 6

A toroidal plasma device comprising a toroidal confinement vessel having walls for defining a toroidal space and confining gas therein, means for generating magnetic flux linking said toroidal space to induce substantial toroidal plasma current therein, said toroidal plasma current producing a substantial poloidal magnetic field, means for generating a vertical magnetic field within said toroidal space, said vertical field being perpendicular to the equatorial plane of said toroidal space, first and second windings wound substantially helically around said vessel with the same sense of twist at substantially the same pitch, said first windings and said second windings being disposed alternately and substantially equally spaced around the minor circumference of said vessel, and means for passing first direct current through said first windings and second direct current through said second windings in the direction counter to said first direct current to generate a helical magnetic field acting in combination with said poloidal magnetic field and said vertical field to produce closed and nested magnetic flux surfaces spaced from said vessel walls, wherein a safety factor q within said plasma current is the sum of two components, one being axisymmetric and substantially proportional to the ratio of toroidal magnetic field to poloidal magnetic field, and the other being nonaxisymmetric and substantially helically symmetric and substantially the quantity ##EQU45## where b is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field from said helical windings, R is the major radius of said toroidal space, r is the average minor radius of the magnetic flux surface, B.sub.θ,o is the poloidal magnetic field produced by said toroidal plasma current, ##EQU46## is the partial derivative of B.sub.θ,o with respect to r, l is the number of said first windings, k is the wavenumber of the magnetic field produced by said first and second windings, I l (kr) is the modified Bessel function of order l, and I l '(kr) is the derivative of Il(kr) with respect to its argument, q being defined as the average over a flux surface of the number of transits made around said toroidal space in the toroidal direction by a magnetic flux line in making a single transit in the poloidal direction, and the absolute magnitude of q being less than 1 within said plasma current.

Claim 7

A toroidal plasma device comprising a toroidal confinement vessel having walls for defining a toroidal space and confining gas therein, means for generating magnetic flux linking said toroidal space to induce substantial toroidal plasma current therein, said toroidal plasma current producing a substantial poloidal magnetic field, means for generating a vertical magnetic field within said toroidal space, said vertical field being perpendicular to the equatorial plane of said toroidal space, first and second windings wound substantially helically around said vessel with the same sense of twist at substantially the same pitch, said first windings and said second windings being disposed alternately and substantially equally spaced around the minor circumference of said vessel, and means for passing first direct current through said first windings and second direct current through said second windings in the direction counter to said first direct current to generate a helical magnetic field acting in combination with said poloidal magnetic field and said vertical field to produce closed and nested magnetic flux surfaces spaced from said vessel walls, wherein a safety factor q within said plasma current is the sum of two components, one being axisymmetric and substantially proportional to the ratio of toroidal magnetic field to poloidal magnetic field, and the other being nonaxisymmetric and substantially helically symmetric and substantially the quantity ##EQU45## where b is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field from said helical windings, R is the major radius of said toroidal space, r is the average minor radius of the magnetic flux surface, B.sub.θ,o is the poloidal magnetic field produced by said toroidal plasma current, ##EQU46## is the partial derivative of B.sub.θ,o with respect to r, l is the number of said first windings, k is the wavenumber of the magnetic field produced by said first and second windings, I l (kr) is the modified Bessel function of order l, and I l '(kr) is the derivative of Il(kr) with respect to its argument, q being defined as the average over a flux surface of the number of transits made around said toroidal space in the toroidal direction by a magnetic flux line in making a single transit in the poloidal direction, and the absolute magnitude of q being less than 1 within said plasma current.

Claim 8

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 4 wherein said means for generating a vertical field comprises a plurality of circular coils coaxial with the major axis of said toroidal space.

Claim 9

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 4 wherein the sense of twist of said first and second windings and the direction of said plasma current produce a variation in the safety factor q with minor radius at any poloidal angle whereby the polarity of q reverses near the outer edge of said plasma current.

Claim 10

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 6 wherein said means for generating a vertical field comprises a plurality of circular coils coaxial with the major axis of said toroidal space.

Claim 11

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 3 including means for generating a vertical field within said toroidal space, said vertical field being perpendicular the equatorial plane of said toroidal space.

Claim 12

A toroidal plasma device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 further comprising means for producing net applied toroidal magnetic field in said toroidal space.

Claim 13

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 9 wherein said helical magnetic field and said poloidal magnetic field generate a separatrix within said toroidal space bounding the region in which said nested magnetic flux surfaces exist.

Claim 14

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 10 wherein the distance of said separatrix from the minor axis of said toroidal space increases with an increase in said plasma current.

Claim 15

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 9 including means for separating said plasma current from said vessel walls.

Claim 16

A toroidal plasma device according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 3 wherein said first and second direct currents are substantially equal.

Claim 17

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 9 wherein said means for producing net applied toroidal magnetic field comprises means for unbalancing said first and second direct currents.

Claim 18

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 9 wherein said means for generating magnetic flux comprises a solenoid coaxial with the major axis of said toroidal space.

Claim 19

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 15 wherein said toroidal confinement vessel comprises a conductive thin toroidal wall.

Claim 20

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 16 including means for evacuating said toroidal space.

Claim 21

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 17 wherein the number of said first and second windings around the minor circumference are each two.

Claim 22

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 17 wherein the number of said first and second windings around the minor circumference are each three.

Claim 23

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 17 including a toroidal shell containing and spaced from said confinement vessel, said shell being of electrically conductive material with the conductive path interrupted in the toroidal direction.

Claim 24

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 9 wherein said first and second windings are wound at such pitch as to produce relatively small interwinding forces when said first and second direct currents are passed therethrough.

Claim 25

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 21 wherein said windings are wound at an angle of approximately 45° to the minor axis of the confinement vessel.

Claim 26

A plasma device comprising a confinement vessel having an axis and an axial direction and walls surrounding the axis thereof for defining a space and confining gas therein, means for producing substantial plasma current within said space in said axial direction, said plasma current producing a substantial magnetic field around said axis within the plasma, first and second windings wound substantially helically around said vessel with the same sense of twist at substantially the same pitch, said first windings and said second windings being disposed alternately and substantially equally spaced around said axis, and means for passing first direct current through said first windings and second direct current through said second windings in the direction counter to said first direct current to generate a helical magnetic field acting in combination with the magnetic field produced by said plasma current to produce nested magnetic flux surfaces within said plasma, which surfaces are spaced from said vessel walls and are closed in the direction transverse of the axis, wherein a safety factor q within said plasma current is the sum of two components, one being axisymmetric and substantially proportional to the ratio of axial magnetic field to circumaxial magnetic field, and the other being nonaxisymmetric and substantially helically symmetric and substantially the quantity ##EQU47## where b is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field from said helical windings, L is the length of said plasma current within said space, r is the average radius of the magnetic flux surface, B.sub.θ,o is the circumaxial magnetic field produced by said axial plasma current, ##EQU48## is the partial derivative of B.sub.θ,o with respect to r, l is the number of said first windings, k is the wavenumber of the magnetic field produced by said first and second windings, I l (kr) is the modified Bessel function of order l, and I l '(kr) is the derivative of I l (kr) with respect to its argument, q being defined as the average over a flux surface of the number of transits of the length of the plasma current by a magnetic flux line in making a single transit around the plasma current, and the absolute magnitude of q being less than 1 said plasma current.

Claim 27

A plasma device comprising a confinement vessel having an axis and an axial direction and walls surrounding the axis thereof for defining a space and confining gas therein, means for producing substantial plasma current within said space in said axial direction, said plasma current producing a substantial magnetic field around said axis within the plasma, first and second windings wound substantially helically around said vessel with the same sense of twist at substantially the same pitch, said first windings and said second windings being disposed alternately and substantially equally spaced around said axis, and means for passing first direct current through said first windings and second direct current through said second windings in the direction counter to said first direct current to generate a helical magnetic field acting in combination with the magnetic field produced by said plasma current to produce nested magnetic flux surfaces within said plasma, which surfaces are spaced from said vessel walls and are closed in the direction transverse of the axis, wherein a safety factor q within said plasma current is the sum of two components, one being axisymmetric and substantially proportional to the ratio of axial magnetic field to circumaxial magnetic field, and the other being nonaxisymmetric and substantially helically symmetric and substantially the quantity ##EQU47## where b is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field from said helical windings, L is the length of said plasma current within said space, r is the average radius of the magnetic flux surface, B.sub.θ,o is the circumaxial magnetic field produced by said axial plasma current, ##EQU48## is the partial derivative of B.sub.θ,o with respect to r, l is the number of said first windings, k is the wavenumber of the magnetic field produced by said first and second windings, I l (kr) is the modified Bessel function of order l, and I l '(kr) is the derivative of I l (kr) with respect to its argument, q being defined as the average over a flux surface of the number of transits of the length of the plasma current by a magnetic flux line in making a single transit around the plasma current, and the absolute magnitude of q being less than 1 said plasma current.

Claim 28

A plasma device according to claim 23 wherein the sense of twist of said first and second windings and the direction of said plasma current produce a variation in the safety factor q with distance from the center of said plasma current in any direction transverse to said plasma current whereby the polarity of q reverses near the boundary of said plasma current.

Claim 29

A plasma device according to either one of claims 23 and 24 wherein said helical magnetic field and said magnetic field produced by said plasma current generate a separatrix within said space bounding the region in which said nested magnetic flux surfaces exist.

Claim 30

A plasma device according to claim 25 wherein the distance of said separatrix from the center of said plasma current increases with an increase in said plasma current.

Claim 31

A plasma device according to either one of claims 23 and 24 including means for separating said plasma current from said vessel walls.

Claim 32

A plasma device comprising a confinement vessel for defining a space having an axis and an axial direction and confining gas therein, means for producing substantial plasma current within said space in said axial direction, said plasma current producing a substantial magnetic field around said axis, first and second windings wound substantially helically around said vessel with the same sense of twist at substantially the same pitch, said first windings and said second windings being disposed alternately and substantially equally spaced around said vessel, and means for passing first direct current through said first windings and second direct current through said second windings in the direction counter to said first direct current to generate a helical magnetic field acting in combination with said magnetic field produced by said plasma current to produce a variation in a safety factor q with distance from the center of said plasma current in any direction transverse to said plasma current whereby the polarity of q reverses near the boundary of said plasma current, q being defined as the average over a flux surface of the number of transits of the length of the plasma current by a magnetic flux line in making a single transit around the plasma current, wherein the safety factor q within said plasma current is the sum of two components, one being axisymmetric and substantially proportional to the ratio of axial magnetic field to circumaxial magnetic field, and the other being nonaxisymmetric and substantially helically symmetric and substantially the quantity ##EQU49## where b is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field from said helical windings, L is the length of said plasma current within said space, r is the average minor radius of the magnetic flux surface, B.sub.θ,o is the circumaxial magnetic field produced by said axial plasma current, ##EQU50## is the partial derivative of B.sub.θ,o with respect to r, l is the number of said first windings, k is the wavenumber of the magnetic field produced by said first and second windings, I l (kr) is the modified Bessel function of order l, and I l '(kr) is the derivative of I l (kr) with respect to its argument, and the absolute magnitude of q being less than 1 within said plasma current.

Claim 33

A plasma device comprising a confinement vessel for defining a space having an axis and an axial direction and confining gas therein, means for producing substantial plasma current within said space in said axial direction, said plasma current producing a substantial magnetic field around said axis, first and second windings wound substantially helically around said vessel with the same sense of twist at substantially the same pitch, said first windings and said second windings being disposed alternately and substantially equally spaced around said vessel, and means for passing first direct current through said first windings and second direct current through said second windings in the direction counter to said first direct current to generate a helical magnetic field acting in combination with said magnetic field produced by said plasma current to produce a variation in a safety factor q with distance from the center of said plasma current in any direction transverse to said plasma current whereby the polarity of q reverses near the boundary of said plasma current, q being defined as the average over a flux surface of the number of transits of the length of the plasma current by a magnetic flux line in making a single transit around the plasma current, wherein the safety factor q within said plasma current is the sum of two components, one being axisymmetric and substantially proportional to the ratio of axial magnetic field to circumaxial magnetic field, and the other being nonaxisymmetric and substantially helically symmetric and substantially the quantity ##EQU49## where b is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field from said helical windings, L is the length of said plasma current within said space, r is the average minor radius of the magnetic flux surface, B.sub.θ,o is the circumaxial magnetic field produced by said axial plasma current, ##EQU50## is the partial derivative of B.sub.θ,o with respect to r, l is the number of said first windings, k is the wavenumber of the magnetic field produced by said first and second windings, I l (kr) is the modified Bessel function of order l, and I l '(kr) is the derivative of I l (kr) with respect to its argument, and the absolute magnitude of q being less than 1 within said plasma current.

Claim 34

A plasma device according to any one of claims 23, 24 and 28 wherein said first and second direct currents are substantially equal.

Claim 35

A plasma device according to any one of claims 23, 24 and 28 further comprising means for producing net applied magnetic field in said direction in said space.

Claim 36

A plasma device according to claim 30 wherein said means for producing net applied magnetic field comprises means for unbalancing said first and second direct currents.

Claim 37

A plasma device according to claim 30 wherein said first and second windings are wound at such pitch as to produce relatively small interwinding forces when said first and second direct currents are passed therethrough.

Claim 38

A plasma device according to claim 32 wherein said windings are wound at an angle of approximately 45° to the axial direction.

Claim 41

A method according to claim 34 wherein the sense of twist of said first and second windings and the direction of said plasma current produce a variation in the safety factor q with minor radius at any poloidal angle whereby the polarity of q reverses near the outer edge of said plasma current.

Claim 46

A method according to claim 37 wherein said vertical field is generated by currents in circular windings coaxial with the major axis of said toroidal space.

Claim 47

A method according to claim 37 wherein the sense of twist of said first and second windings and the direction of said plasma current produce a variation in the safety factor q with minor radius at any poloidal angle whereby the polarity of q reverses near the outer edge of said plasma current.

Claim 48

A method according to claim 39 wherein said vertical field is generated by currents in circular windings coaxial with the major axis of said toroidal space.

Claim 49

A method according to claim 36 including the step of generating a vertical magnetic field within said toroidal space, said vertical field being perpendicular to the equatorial plane of said toroidal space.

Claim 51

A method according to claim 42 wherein said helical magnetic field and said poloidal magnetic field generate a separatrix within said toroidal space bounding the region in which said nested magnetic flux surfaces exist.

Claim 52

A method according to claim 43 wherein the distance of said separatrix from the minor axis of said toroidal space is increased by increasing said plasma current.

Claim 53

A method according to claim 42 wherein said plasma current is separated from said vessel walls.

Claim 55

A method according to claim 42 wherein said net applied toroidal magnetic field is produced at least in part by the unbalance of said first and second direct currents.

Claim 56

A method according to claim 42 wherein said plasma current is induced by changing magnetic flux linking said toroidal space.

Claim 59

A method according to claim 49 wherein the sense of twist of said first and second windings and the direction of said plasma current produce a variation in the safety factor q with distance from the center of said plasma current in any direction transverse to said plasma current whereby the polarity of q reverses near the boundary of said plasma current.

Claim 61

A method according to claim 51 wherein the distance of said separatrix from the center of said plasma current is increased by increasing said plasma current.

Claim 67

A method according to claim 56 wherein said net applied magnetic field is produced at least in part by the unbalance of said first and second direct currents.

Claim 68

A method according to claim 56 wherein said plasma current is induced by changing magnetic flux linking said space.

Claim 69

A toroidal plasma device according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 4 to 7 wherein said helical magnetic field and said poloidal magnetic field generate a separatrix within said toroidal space bounding the region in which said nested magnetic flux surfaces exist.

Claim 70

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 59 wherein the distance of said separatrix from the minor axis of said toroidal space increases with an increase in said plasma current.

Claim 71

A toroidal plasma device according to any one of claims 1, 2 and 4 to 7 including means for separating said plasma current from said vessel walls.

Claim 73

A method according to claim 62 wherein the distance of said separatrix from the minor axis of said toroidal space is increased by increasing said plasma current.

Claim 75

A plasma device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 23, 24, 28, 4, 5, 6 and 7 wherein the number of said first and second windings are each more than 1.

Claim 76

A toroidal plasma device according to claim 9 wherein the number of said first and second windings are each more than 1.

Claim 77

A plasma device according to claim 30 wherein the number of said first and second windings are each more than 1.

Claim 79

A method according to claim 42 wherein the number of said first and second windings are each more than 1.

Claim 80

A method according to claim 56 wherein the number of said first and second windings are each more than 1.