Lockheed Martin Corporation

Thomas John McGuire

Josh Eugene Coleman

Jonathon Robert Heinrich

Michael Lane Garrett

Gabriel Ivan Font

A fusion reactor includes a fusion plasma reactor chamber. A magnetic coil structure is disposed inside of the fusion plasma reactor chamber, and a structural component is also disposed inside of the fusion plasma reactor chamber. The structural component couples the magnetic coil structure to the fusion plasma reactor chamber. A superconducting material is disposed at least partially within the structural component. A plurality of cooling channels are disposed at least partially within the structural component. An insulating material is disposed at least partially within the structural component.

Using superconductors to provide passive magnetic shielding of structures immersed in plasma

A plasma confinement system includes an enclosure, one or more internal magnetic coils suspended within the enclosure in a plasma region, and one or more supports configured to support the one or more internal magnetic coils suspended within the enclosure. Each support of the one or more supports includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end is coupled to an interior portion of the enclosure and the second end is coupled to a component disposed within the plasma region. Each support further includes electrical conducting material disposed between the first end and the second end. The electrical conducting material is configured to, when supplied with one or more electrical currents, generate a magnetic field having a magnetic field gradient that varies along the support from the first end to the second end.

Shielding structures in plasma environment

In one embodiment, a fusion reactor includes an enclosure, one or more internal magnetic coils suspended within an interior of the enclosure and co-axial with a center axis of the enclosure, one or more encapsulating magnetic coils co-axial with the center axis of the enclosure, the encapsulating magnetic coils having a larger diameter than the internal magnetic coils, one or more mirror magnetic coils co-axial with the center axis of the enclosure, and one or more magnetic reconnection coils co-axial with the center axis of the enclosure, wherein the one or more magnetic reconnection coils, when pulsed by a power source, are disposed to reconfigure one or more magnetic fields within the enclosure. The reconfiguration, or magnetic reconnection, of the one or more magnetic fields is disposed to increase energy in the magnetic fields, thereby facilitating the conditions operable to generate plasma, and further, when the magnetic fields are collapsed, releasing the energy into the plasma.

Plasma creation and heating via magnetic reconnection in an encapsulated linear ring cusp

Passive magnetic shielding of structures immersed in plasma using superconductors

In one embodiment, a fusion reactor includes two internal magnetic coils suspended within an enclosure, a center magnetic coil coaxial with the two internal magnetic coils and located proximate to a midpoint of the enclosure, a plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils coaxial with the internal magnetic coils, and two mirror magnetic coil coaxial with the internal magnetic coils. The fusion reactor further includes one or more heat injectors operable to inject a beam of neutral particles toward the center of the enclosure.

Heating plasma for fusion power using neutral beam injection

In one embodiment, a fusion reactor includes an enclosure, an open-field magnetic system comprising one or more internal magnetic coils suspended within the enclosure, and one or more encapsulating magnetic coils coaxial with the one or more internal magnetic coils of the open-field magnetic system. The one or more encapsulating magnetic coils form a magnetosphere around the open-field magnetic system. The open-field magnetic system and the one or more encapsulating magnetic coils, when supplied with electrical currents, form magnetic fields for confining plasma within the enclosure.

Encapsulating magnetic fields for plasma confinement

A fusion reactor includes an enclosure having a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a midpoint substantially equidistant between the first and second ends of the enclosure. The fusion reactor includes two internal magnetic coils suspended within the enclosure and positioned on opposite sides of the midpoint of the enclosure, one or more encapsulating magnetic coils positioned on each side of the midpoint of the enclosure, two mirror magnetic coils positioned on opposite sides of the midpoint of the enclosure, and one or more support stalks for supporting the two internal magnetic coils suspended within the enclosure. The one or more encapsulating magnetic coils and the two mirror magnetic coils are coaxial with the internal magnetic coils. The magnetic coils are operable, when supplied with electric currents, to form magnetic fields for confining plasma within the enclosure.

System for supporting structures immersed in plasma

In one embodiment, a fusion reactor includes a plurality of internal magnetic coils suspended within an enclosure, one or more center magnetic coils coaxial with the plurality of internal magnetic coils, a plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils coaxial with the internal magnetic coils, and a plurality of mirror magnetic coils coaxial with the internal magnetic coils. The encapsulating magnetic coils maintain a magnetic wall that prevents plasma within the enclosure from expanding.

Magnetic field plasma confinement for compact fusion power

In one embodiment, a fusion reactor includes two internal magnetic coils suspended within an enclosure, a center magnetic coil coaxial with the two internal magnetic coils and located proximate to a midpoint of the enclosure, a plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils coaxial with the internal magnetic coils, and two mirror magnetic coil coaxial with the internal magnetic coils. The fusion reactor further includes one or more electromagnetic wave generators operable to inject a beam of electromagnetic waves into the enclosure.

Heating plasma for fusion power using electromagnetic waves

In one embodiment, a fusion reactor includes two internal magnetic coils suspended within an enclosure, a center magnetic coil coaxial with the two internal magnetic coils and located proximate to a midpoint of the enclosure, a plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils coaxial with the internal magnetic coils, and two mirror magnetic coil coaxial with the internal magnetic coils. The encapsulating magnetic coils preserve the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability of the fusion reactor by maintaining a magnetic wall that prevents plasma within the enclosure from expanding.

A fusion reactor includes an enclosure having a first end, a second end, and a midpoint substantially equidistant between the first and second ends of the enclosure. The fusion reactor includes two internal magnetic coils suspended within the enclosure and positioned on opposite sides of the midpoint of the enclosure, one or more encapsulating magnetic coils positioned on each side of the midpoint of the enclosure, two mirror magnetic coils positioned on opposite sides of the midpoint of the enclosure, and one or more cooling lines within each of the internal magnetic coils. The cooling lines carry a coolant and are operable to remove heat from the internal magnetic coils. The one or more encapsulating magnetic coils and the two mirror magnetic coils are coaxial with the internal magnetic coils. The magnetic coils are operable, when supplied with electric currents, to form magnetic fields for confining plasma within the enclosure.

Active cooling of structures immersed in plasma

In one embodiment, a fusion reactor includes two internal magnetic coils suspended within an enclosure, a center magnetic coil coaxial with the two internal magnetic coils and located proximate to a midpoint of the enclosure, a plurality of encapsulating magnetic coils coaxial with the internal magnetic coils, and two mirror magnetic coil coaxial with the internal magnetic coils. The fusion reactor is configured to vary electrical currents supplied to the magnetic coils to heat the plasma confined within the magnetic wall.

Growing community of inventors

Palmdale, CA, United States of America

Thomas John McGuire