Method of producing fusion reactions and apparatus for a fusion

Induced nuclear reactions: processes – systems – and elements – Nuclear fusion – Magnetic confinement of plasma

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376107, 376121, 376127, 376144, G21B 102

Patent

active

048531731

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a method of producing D-D fusion reactions as well as an apparatus for a fusion reactor.
In order to produce an energy producing fusion reaction the so-called Lawson criterium must be fulfilled, that is the product of the confinement time of the particles and the density must exceed 10.sup.14 cm.sup.3.s for an ion temperature of 50 keV, see e g Furth, Physica Scripta, vol. T2/2, 1982, pages 324-335, International Conference on Plasma Physics, Editor H. Wilhelmsson.
Losses caused by instabilities and other scattering phenomena in the fusion plasma so far have made it impossible to fulfill this criterium for energy producing fusion reactions.
The object of the present invention is to propose a new method of energy production by fusion reactions, preferably D-D (D deuterium) reactions, the movements of the particles being totally controlled and kept in well defined stabilized orbits up to the time of the reaction, as well as to provide an apparatus which functions correspondingly and has a positive energy balance.
This object is obtained by a method according to claim 1 and an apparatus according to claim 7.
From Physics Reports (Review of Physics Letters) 58, No. 2 (1980), pages 73-119 a technique is known for obtaining a high degree of control of particle beams, it then being possible to keep the beam in a circulating orbit for a very long time.
According to the present invention the fusion reactions are produced periodically.
The advantages of the apparatus according to the present invention are that no untried technique is used for the construction. Without exceptions ordinary magnetic materials and conventional vacuum pumps, ion sources, accelerators, beam optic equipment and moderators as well as equipment for converting heat to electric current are used.
Additional advantages reside in the fact that no extreme electric or magnetic fields are required. Subsequent to a reaction in the apparatus according to the invention scattered particles are absorbed in the walls of the apparatus, but blanket and wall problems are reduced by using D-D reactions, since in that case no tritium recovery is required. In this way ordinary wall materials can be used. Heavy paraffin containing deuterium can be used round the reaction centre as a moderator as well as a target for particles which are scattered from the primary reaction, as well as for energy conversion.
By taking into consideration the various reactions which may occur in connection with the invention, e g the desirable D-D fusion reaction, elastic Coulomb scattering between individual charges, the cumulative effect of multiple Coulomb scattering, charge exchange, electric forces and magnetic pinch effects on the annular particle beams as well as sputtering, it has been found that the ion energy preferably should be in the range of 0.1 to 3 MeV.
With the present invention fusion reactions are produced periodically with a frequency of 10.sup.5 to 10.sup.6 Hz and the density of the ion beam is increased to 10.sup.14 to 10.sup.16 before it is deflected for reaction. An upper limit for the possible particle density in the circulating beam is given by the condition that the potential difference between the centre of the beam and its outer limitation must be small compared to the kinetic energy. This results in a density limit in the range of 10.sup.14 to 10.sup.16 cm.sup.-3.
An exemplifying embodiment of the fusion reactor according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings, on which
FIG. 1 shows a principal overall view of the apparatus according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a plasma gun which is used as an ion source for injecting deuterium ions into the tank of the apparatus;
FIG. 3 is a schematic lateral view of a pick-up device;
FIG. 4 is an end view of the device in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the design of the storage magnets;
FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the design of the electrodes;
FIG. 7 is a resultant force diagram of the forces acting

REFERENCES:
patent: 3094474 (1963-06-01), Gale
patent: 3243348 (1966-03-01), Hansen et al.
patent: 3343020 (1967-09-01), Gordon
patent: 3344357 (1967-09-01), Blewett
Plasma and Controlled Fusion, David J. Rose, Melville Clark, Jr., The M.I.T. Press, 1961.

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