skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Apparatus for magnetic and electrostatic confinement of plasma

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1260398
;

An apparatus and method for containing plasma and forming a Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) magnetic topology are described in which plasma ions are contained magnetically in stable, non-adiabatic orbits in the FRC. Further, the electrons are contained electrostatically in a deep energy well, created by tuning an externally applied magnetic field. The simultaneous electrostatic confinement of electrons and magnetic confinement of ions avoids anomalous transport and facilitates classical containment of both electrons and ions. In this configuration, ions and electrons may have adequate density and temperature so that upon collisions ions are fused together by nuclear force, thus releasing fusion energy. Moreover, the fusion fuel plasmas that can be used with the present confinement system and method are not limited to neutronic fuels only, but also advantageously include advanced fuels.

Research Organization:
Univ. of California, Oakland, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
N00014-99-1-0857
Assignee:
THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (Oakland, CA)
Patent Number(s):
9,386,676
Application Number:
13/915,521
OSTI ID:
1260398
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2013 Jun 11
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (119)

Plasma and ion beam injection into an FRC journal October 2005
Suppression of plasma instabilities by the feedback method journal September 1977
Controlled Thermonuclear Reactions journal December 1965
Turbulent transport in magnetic confinement: how to avoid it journal December 1996
Generation and Transport of a Low-Energy Intense Ion Beam journal October 2004
Fundamental limitations on plasma fusion systems not in thermodynamic equilibrium journal April 1997
Generation of Field-Reversing E Layers with Millisecond Lifetimes journal August 1976
Basic cross section data for aneutronic reactor
  • Feldbacher, Rainer; Heindler, Manfred
  • Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, Vol. 271, Issue 1, p. 55-64 https://doi.org/10.1016/0168-9002(88)91125-4
journal August 1988
Measurements of classical deceleration of beam ions in the DIII‐D tokamak journal January 1990
The diffusion of fast ions in Ohmic TFTR discharges journal November 1991
On the Maximal Energy Attainable in a Betatron journal June 1944
A Direct Determination of the Magnetic Moment of the Proton in Nuclear Magnetons journal October 1950
Deceleration of antiprotons from MeV to keV energies journal December 1993
A possible route to small, flexible fusion units journal April 1979
On design and development issues for the FRC and related alternate confinement concepts journal September 2000
Kinetic Effects on the Convective Plasma Diffusion and the Heat Transport journal January 1979
Feasibility of a Colliding Beam Fusion Reactor journal July 1998
Observations of the stable equilibrium and classical diffusion of field reversing relativistic electron coils journal January 1974
A general critique of inertial‐electrostatic confinement fusion systems journal June 1995
Fokker-Planck Equation for an Inverse-Square Force journal July 1957
Large orbit magnetic confinement systems for advanced fusion fuels report January 1992
Classical scattering in a high beta self-collider/FRC
  • Rostoker, N.; Binderbauer, M.; Skiner, R.
  • Physics of high energy particles in toroidal systems, AIP Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.1063/1.46557
conference January 1994
Self-Colliding Beams as an Alternative Fusion System for D-He3 Reactors book January 1997
Alternate Fusion Concepts book January 1997
Colliding Beam Fusion Reactor journal November 1997
Long time implosion experiments with double gas puffs journal April 2000
Electron trapping and acceleration in a modified elongated betatron journal November 1992
Stability of annular equilibrium of energetic large orbit ion beam journal November 1991
Pyrotron Thermonuclear Reactor and Process patent February 1965
Direct acting plasma accelerator patent March 1977
Transverse-excitation laser with preionization patent October 1977
Radio frequency sustained ion energy patent November 1977
Particle beam injection system patent December 1977
Dual-function magnetic structure for toroidal plasma devices patent July 1978
Pulsed nuclear fusion reactor patent January 1980
Operationally confined nuclear fusion system patent February 1980
Converging beam fusion system patent May 1980
Multicusp plasma containment apparatus patent November 1980
Thermonuclear fusion system patent January 1981
Containment of plasmas at thermonuclear temperatures patent May 1981
Systems for merging of toroidal plasmas patent June 1981
Process and gas for treatment of semiconductor devices patent December 1981
Production of field-reversed mirror plasma with a coaxial plasma gun patent February 1982
Channel of series-type magnetohydrodynamic generator patent February 1982
Trochoidal nuclear fusion reactor patent August 1982
Means for the focusing and acceleration of parallel beams of charged particles patent September 1982
One-gun two-beam cathode ray tube patent February 1983
Directed beam fusion reaction with ion spin alignment patent June 1983
Compressed beam directed particle nuclear energy generator patent August 1983
Control for orbiting charged particles patent November 1983
Electron space charge channeling for focusing ion beams patent February 1984
Method and apparatus for plasma etching a substrate patent November 1984
Multiple pinch method and apparatus for producing average magnetic well in plasma confinement patent September 1985
Microwave plasma source having improved switching operation from plasma ignition phase to normal ion extraction phase patent September 1985
Tokamak plasma heating with intense, pulsed ion beams patent October 1985
Method and apparatus for producing average magnetic well in a reversed field pinch patent December 1985
Plasma devices patent April 1986
Beam direct converter patent April 1986
Steady state compact toroidal plasma production patent July 1986
Wafer cooling and temperature control for a plasma etching system patent October 1986
Magnetic confinement nuclear energy generator patent October 1986
Temperature measuring apparatus patent December 1986
Recyclotron III, a recirculating plasma fusion system patent January 1987
Injection, containment and heating device for fusion plasmas patent March 1987
Method and apparatus for preventing cyclotron breakdown in partially evacuated waveguide patent August 1987
Method and apparatus for controlling charged particles patent May 1989
Method of producing fusion reactions and apparatus for a fusion reactor patent August 1989
Beam fusion device and method patent January 1990
Method of forming a pellet of condensed gas and a pellet injector for injecting the same into a reactor patent February 1990
Method and apparatus for generating and utilizing a compound plasma configuration patent May 1991
Method and apparatus for generating and utilizing a compound plasma configuration patent August 1991
Circular induction accelerator for borehole logging patent June 1992
Fusion reactor patent November 1992
Method and apparatus for creating and controlling nuclear fusion reactions patent November 1992
Low energy, steered ion beam deposition system having high current at low pressure patent April 1993
Multi-megawatt pulsed inductive thruster patent May 1993
High current ion ring accelerator patent August 1994
Portable X-ray source and method for radiography patent October 1994
Ion trap mass spectrometer system and method patent May 1995
Device for isotope separation by ion cyclotron resonance patent June 1995
Method and apparatus for altering material patent December 1995
System and method for magnetic scanning, accelerating, and implanting of an ion beam patent January 1996
Direct current energized pulse generator utilizing autogenous cyclical pulsed abnormal glow discharges patent March 1996
High-current, low-pressure plasma-cathode electron gun patent July 1996
Plasma beam generating method and apparatus which can generate a high-power plasma beam patent September 1996
Method for manufacturing salicide semiconductor device patent August 1997
Electron flow accelerating method and apparatus which can generate a high-power beam patent October 1997
Three-dimensional quadrupole mass spectrometer patent May 1998
Method and apparatus for transmutation of atomic nuclei patent June 1998
Power generation system utilizing turbine and fuel cell patent September 1998
Plasma processing apparatus patent December 1998
Method and apparatus for transmutation of atomic nuclei patent December 1998
Plasma extrusion dynamo and methods related thereto patent July 1999
Plasma processing apparatus with a dielectric body in the waveguide patent July 2000
Apparatus and method for electrostatically shielding an inductively coupled RF plasma source and facilitating ignition of a plasma patent June 2001
Programmed electron flux patent July 2001
Ion implantation with charge neutralization patent August 2001
Radial plasma mass filter patent November 2001
Method for implanting negative hydrogen ion and implanting apparatus patent January 2002
Devices for determining the flow characteristics of a multi-phase fluid patent February 2002
Chamber having improved process monitoring window patent May 2002
Apparatus for generating a compound plasma configuration with multiple helical conductor elements patent May 2002
Z-pinch plasma X-ray source using surface discharge preionization patent June 2002
Apparatus and methods for continuous beam fourier transform mass spectrometry patent September 2002
Compound plasma configuration, and method and apparatus for generating a compound plasma configuration patent November 2002
Magnetic confinement in a plasma reactor having an RF bias electrode patent December 2002
Apparatus and methods for controlling charged particles patent July 2003
Controlled fusion in a field reversed configuration and direct energy conversion patent August 2003
System for the plasma treatment of large area substrates patent October 2003
Formation of a field reversed configuration for magnetic and electrostatic confinement of plasma patent December 2003
Chamber having process monitoring window patent March 2004
Flow meter for multi-phase mixtures patent June 2004
Controlled fusion in a field reversed configuration and direct energy conversion patent February 2005
Method for generating extreme ultraviolet with mather-type plasma accelerators for use in Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography patent October 2006
Formation of a field reversed configuration for magnetic and electrostatic confinement of plasma patent October 2006
Apparatus for magnetic and electrostatic confinement of plasma patent October 2006
Magnetic and electrostatic confinement of plasma with tuning of electrostatic field patent October 2008
Apparatus for magnetic and electrostatic confinement of plasma patent August 2009
Apparatus for magnetic and electrostatic confinement of plasma patent June 2013

Similar Records

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY