Thermonuclear inverse magnetic pumping power cycle for stellarator reactor

Patent · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:875274

Ho, Darwin D. ^[1]; Kulsrud, Russell M. ^[2]

---

1. Pleasanton, CA
2. Princeton, NJ

The plasma column in a stellarator is compressed and expanded alternatively in minor radius. First a plasma in thermal balance is compressed adiabatically. The volume of the compressed plasma is maintained until the plasma reaches a new thermal equilibrium. The plasma is then expanded to its original volume. As a result of the way a stellarator works, the plasma pressure during compression is less than the corresponding pressure during expansion. Therefore, negative work is done on the plasma over a complete cycle. This work manifests itself as a back-voltage in the toroidal field coils. Direct electrical energy is obtained from this voltage. Alternatively, after the compression step, the plasma can be expanded at constant pressure. The cycle can be made self-sustaining by operating a system of two stellarator reactors in tandem. Part of the energy derived from the expansion phase of a first stellarator reactor is used to compress the plasma in a second stellarator reactor.

• Research Organization: Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), Princeton, NJ (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH03073
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): H000936
• Application Number: 06/911533
• OSTI ID: 875274
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: 1986 Sep 25
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

statutory invention registration
thermonuclear
inverse
magnetic
pumping
power
cycle
stellarator
reactor
plasma
column
compressed
expanded
alternatively
minor
radius
thermal
balance
adiabatically
volume
maintained
reaches
equilibrium
original
result
pressure
compression
corresponding
expansion
negative
complete
manifests
back-voltage
toroidal
field
coils
direct
electrical
energy
obtained
voltage
step
constant
self-sustaining
operating
reactors
tandem
derived
phase
compress
direct electrical
field coils
plasma column
electrical energy
toroidal field
constant pressure
power cycle
field coil
thermal equilibrium
complete cycle
plasma pressure
thermal balance
energy derived
/376/