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Title: System and method for small, clean, steady-state fusion reactors

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a system for widening and densifying a scrape-off layer (SOL) in a field reversed configuration (FRC) fusion reactor is disclosed. The system includes a gas box at one end of the reactor including a gas inlet system and walls of suitable heat bearing materials. The system further includes an exit orifice adjoining the gas box, wherein the exit orifice has a controllable radius and length to allow plasma to flow out from the gas box to populate the SOL with the plasma. The system may also include fusion products, which decrease in speed in the plasma in the SOL, allowing energy to be extracted and converted into thrust or electrical power and further allowing ash to be extracted to reduce neutron emissions and maintain high, steady-state fusion power.

Inventors:
;
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
1805517
Patent Number(s):
10923236
Application Number:
17/011,400
Assignee:
The Trustees of Princeton University (Princeton, NJ)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
F - MECHANICAL ENGINEERING F03 - MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS F03H - PRODUCING A REACTIVE PROPULSIVE THRUST, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
G - PHYSICS G21 - NUCLEAR PHYSICS G21B - FUSION REACTORS
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-09CH11466
Resource Type:
Patent
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 09/03/2020
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Citation Formats

Cohen, Samuel A., and Chu-Chueong, Matthew K. System and method for small, clean, steady-state fusion reactors. United States: N. p., 2021. Web.
Cohen, Samuel A., & Chu-Chueong, Matthew K. System and method for small, clean, steady-state fusion reactors. United States.
Cohen, Samuel A., and Chu-Chueong, Matthew K. Tue . "System and method for small, clean, steady-state fusion reactors". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1805517.
@article{osti_1805517,
title = {System and method for small, clean, steady-state fusion reactors},
author = {Cohen, Samuel A. and Chu-Chueong, Matthew K.},
abstractNote = {According to some embodiments, a system for widening and densifying a scrape-off layer (SOL) in a field reversed configuration (FRC) fusion reactor is disclosed. The system includes a gas box at one end of the reactor including a gas inlet system and walls of suitable heat bearing materials. The system further includes an exit orifice adjoining the gas box, wherein the exit orifice has a controllable radius and length to allow plasma to flow out from the gas box to populate the SOL with the plasma. The system may also include fusion products, which decrease in speed in the plasma in the SOL, allowing energy to be extracted and converted into thrust or electrical power and further allowing ash to be extracted to reduce neutron emissions and maintain high, steady-state fusion power.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2021},
month = {2}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Telescoping nozzle assembly
patent, April 1989


Controlled fusion in a field reversed configuration and direct energy conversion
patent-application, January 2010


All Digital Burst-Mode Clock and Data Recovery (CDR)
patent-application, May 2014