The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 31, 2024
Filed:
May. 17, 2023
Zap Energy, Inc., Seattle, WA (US);
Peter H. Stoltz, Denver, CO (US);
Eric T. Meier, Seattle, WA (US);
Uri Shumlak, Seattle, WA (US);
Brian A. Nelson, Edmonds, WA (US);
Zap Energy, Inc., Everett, WA (US);
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for increasing energy output from Z-pinch and other plasma confinement systems. In one example, a system may include memory storing instructions that, if executed by one or more processors, cause the system to adjust one or more parameters to generate a magnetic field which is sufficiently strong to axially compress a fuel gas to induce thermonuclear fusion and increase a fusion energy gain factor greater than a fusion energy gain factor limit attainable by the thermonuclear fusion. In certain examples, adjusting the one or more parameters may include adjusting a duty cycle of a discharge current applied to the fuel gas based, at least in part, on an amount of thermal collisions between fusion byproducts and the fuel gas. In certain examples, by adjusting the duty cycle, the magnetic field may be adjusted to induce or increase the thermal collisions.