Method and apparatus for the formation of a spheromak plasma
Abstract
An inductive method and apparatus for forming detached spheromak plasma using a thin-walled metal toroidal ring, with external current leads and internal poloidal and toroidal field coils located inside a vacuum chamber filled with low density hydrogen gas and an external axial field generating coil. The presence of a current in the poloidal field coils, and an externally generated axial field sets up the initial poloidal field configuration in which the field is strongest toward the major axis of the toroid. The internal toroidal-field-generating coil is then pulsed on, ionizing the gas and inducing poloidal current and toroidal magnetic field into the plasma region in the sleeve exterior to and adjacent to the ring and causing the plasma to expand away from the ring and toward the major axis. Next the current in the poloidal field coils in the ring is reversed. This induces toroidal current into the plasma and causes the poloidal magnetic field lines to reconnect. The reconnection continues until substantially all of the plasma is formed in a separated spheromak configuration held in equilibrium by the initial external field.
- Inventors:
-
- Princeton, NJ
- Lawrenceville, NJ
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 864912
- Patent Number(s):
- 4436691
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
H - ELECTRICITY H05 - ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR H05H - PLASMA TECHNIQUE
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y02 - TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE Y02E - REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-02-3073
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- method; apparatus; formation; spheromak; plasma; inductive; forming; detached; thin-walled; metal; toroidal; external; current; leads; internal; poloidal; field; coils; located; inside; vacuum; chamber; filled; density; hydrogen; gas; axial; generating; coil; presence; externally; generated; sets; initial; configuration; strongest; major; axis; toroid; toroidal-field-generating; pulsed; ionizing; inducing; magnetic; region; sleeve; exterior; adjacent; causing; expand; reversed; induces; causes; lines; reconnect; reconnection; continues; substantially; formed; separated; held; equilibrium; plasma region; chamber filled; toroidal magnet; toroidal current; field generating; major axis; toroidal magnetic; located inside; field coils; field lines; hydrogen gas; vacuum chamber; magnetic field; toroidal field; poloidal field; field coil; current lead; spheromak plasma; poloidal magnetic; axial field; coils located; metal toroidal; external field; thin-walled metal; external current; field configuration; detached spheromak; current leads; /376/
Citation Formats
Jardin, Stephen C, Yamada, Masaaki, Furth, Harold P, and Okabayashi, Mitcheo. Method and apparatus for the formation of a spheromak plasma. United States: N. p., 1984.
Web.
Jardin, Stephen C, Yamada, Masaaki, Furth, Harold P, & Okabayashi, Mitcheo. Method and apparatus for the formation of a spheromak plasma. United States.
Jardin, Stephen C, Yamada, Masaaki, Furth, Harold P, and Okabayashi, Mitcheo. Sun .
"Method and apparatus for the formation of a spheromak plasma". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/864912.
@article{osti_864912,
title = {Method and apparatus for the formation of a spheromak plasma},
author = {Jardin, Stephen C and Yamada, Masaaki and Furth, Harold P and Okabayashi, Mitcheo},
abstractNote = {An inductive method and apparatus for forming detached spheromak plasma using a thin-walled metal toroidal ring, with external current leads and internal poloidal and toroidal field coils located inside a vacuum chamber filled with low density hydrogen gas and an external axial field generating coil. The presence of a current in the poloidal field coils, and an externally generated axial field sets up the initial poloidal field configuration in which the field is strongest toward the major axis of the toroid. The internal toroidal-field-generating coil is then pulsed on, ionizing the gas and inducing poloidal current and toroidal magnetic field into the plasma region in the sleeve exterior to and adjacent to the ring and causing the plasma to expand away from the ring and toward the major axis. Next the current in the poloidal field coils in the ring is reversed. This induces toroidal current into the plasma and causes the poloidal magnetic field lines to reconnect. The reconnection continues until substantially all of the plasma is formed in a separated spheromak configuration held in equilibrium by the initial external field.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984},
month = {Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984}
}