Download Cyclic Reactor_Patent Application_1

Author: Ioseb Chikvashvili
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Tbilisi, Georgia
Phone:
+ (995 32) ???????????????
+ (995 97) ???????????????
Invention
Cyclic Fusion Reactor Using Coaxial Passing Through Each Other Self-focusing
Colliding Beams
Abstract
In the simplest embodiment the proposed Cyclic Fusion Reactor includes: betatron type
device (circular store of externally injected particles – induction accelerator, e.g. FFAG,
Stellatron, induction synchrotron, etc.), pulse high-current relativistic electron injector,
pulse high-current slower ion injector, pulse high-current faster ion injector and reaction
products extractor.
All 3 (three) types of injectors produce the beams of particles with a such parity of kinetic
energies and corresponding momentums (depending on using particles’ mass-to-charge
ratio) and have relative to betatron type device a such spatial arrangement that allow
particles to move on a common equilibrium betatron orbit in such a manner that faster ion
beam passes through the moving at the same direction slower ion beam with sufficient for
nuclear fusion collision energy and the relativistic electron beam moves oppositely to
ions thus allowing to combined beam the self-focusing (pinch-effect) capability thanks to
the only partial compensation of reacting particles’ positive space charge and also to the
magnetic attraction of all 3 (three) unidirectional currents. Circular accelerating electric
field of betatron type device compensates occurring together with fusion the: alignment
of velocities of reacting particles and also energy losses of electrons via braking radiation
(Bremsstrahlung). Reaction products extractor allows the extraction of only charge
particles – fusion products while uncharged fusion products – neutrons escape the
reaction zone independently.
Claims
1. A device for generating fusion reactions, the device comprising:
1. betatron type device
2. at least 1 (one) pulse high-current relativistic electron injector
3. at least 1 (one) pulse high-current slower ion injector
4. at least 1 (one) pulse high-current faster ion injector
5. at least 1 (one) reaction products extractor
2. The device of claim 1, wherein betatron type device (circular particles store –
induction accelerator, e.g. FFAG, stellatron, induction synchrotron, etc.)
configured to store and accelerate 3 (three) different particles beams at the certain
common equilibrium orbit.
 It is offered to inject two beams of particles of reacting components and
to direct them along the same orbit and at the same direction but with
different arranged (coherent) motion velocities.
So, one faster ion beam should transit through another slower ion beam and
their relative speed (velocity) should be sufficient for providing for reacting
nuclei enough collision energy required for fusion (enough energy for
Coulomb barrier overcoming).
 For achievement of sufficient intensity of nuclear fusion the focusing of
reacting beams is necessary. For this purpose it is offered to direct the
relativistic electrons beam along the same orbit but towards (oppositely)
to reacting particles beams.
This relativistic electron beam should compensate the positive space charge
only partially and at the same time thanks to the magnetic attraction of
combined three beams (three unidirectional currents) will compress the whole
system in radial direction (pinch-effect). In fact pinch-effect will be provided
thanks to the circumstance that in frame of reference connected with ions
combined beam will charged negatively and for frame of reference connected
with electrons – positively.
 Except of target fusion events at the expense of elastic collisions (multiple
scatterings) basically of ions (ion-ion Coulomb scattering) in a combined
beam inevitably the following phenomena will be observed: acceleration of
slower ions with decelerating of faster ions (alignment of arrange velocities of
reacting nuclei reducing the collision energy between them) and also the
growth of temperature (“thermalization”).
Nature of thermalization:
After each scattering event automatically thanks to the very strong poloidal
self-magnetic field the scattered nucleus will return back to the axis
transferring only the part of radial momentum acquiring as result of scattering
mostly to the electron gas. Then the thermal energy acquired by the electron
gas via collective electron-ion interaction partly will be transferred to the ion
gas (both ion fractions) thus increasing also ion temperature in combined
beam and partly will be dissipated at the expense of braking radiation
(Bremsstrahlung). So, a certain thermal equilibrium will occur.

And an externally applied to the combined beam induction longitudinal
(circular) electric field created by the betatron type device thanks to its
varying (time-dependent) magnetic field will compensate the alignment of
velocities of nuclei beams and also will compensate the energy losses (radiant
losses) of focusing electrons.
The compensation of the alignment of velocities will be possible in case if in
faster moving ion beams the ions having higher rate of acceleration will be
used.
For example: in Deuterium+Tritium reaction case in faster moving ion beam
Deuterium nuclei should be used and in case of aneutronic D+He3 reaction –
He3 nuclei.
The following conditions should be satisfied for betatron type device 1:
 At the injection moment all three types of operated particles should have the
charge-momentum ratio allowing them to be catch and then accelerated at a
single common equilibrium betatron orbit.
For example: in case of deuterium-tritium reaction there needed that all three
types of particles will have an equal momentums, and in case of aneutronic
Deuterium+He3 reaction the momentum of He3 particle should be 2 times
more than Deuterium’s and electron’s momentums.
 Collision energy in center-of-mass frame of two different types of nuclei
should be sufficient for overcoming of Coulomb barrier and executing fusion
at high enough cross-section.
Samples
Deuterium+Tritium Reaction
 Deuterium – 300 keV
 Tritium – 200 keV
 Center-of-mass collision energy – 20.2 keV
 Reaction cross section – 0.4 barn
 Ions’ relative velocity – 1.8*106 m/s
 Electron – 33 MeV
 Relativistic factor of electrons – 65.6
Deuterium+Tritium Reaction
 Deuterium – 960 keV
 Tritium – 640 keV
 Center-of-mass collision energy – 64 keV
 Reaction cross section – 5 barn
 Ions’ relative velocity – 3.2*106 m/s
 Electron – 60 MeV
 Relativistic factor of electrons – 118.4
Deuterium+He3 Reaction
 Deuterium – 1.71 MeV
 He3 – 4.58 MeV
 Center-of-mass collision energy – 115.7 keV
 Reaction cross section – ~0.2 barn
 Ions’ relative velocity – 4.3*106 m/s
 Electron – 80 MeV
 Relativistic factor of electrons – 157.6
3. The device of claim 2, wherein pulse high-current relativistic electron injector.
Injects focusing relativistic electron to the equilibrium orbit of betatron type
device 1.
There are several types of pulse charged particles accelerators that may be used.
But it would be preferable to use the linear induction accelerators due to their
ability to produce very high currents (up to tens thousand amperes) and at the
same time high current densities as well. Also due to their high pulse repeatability
(up to 10 Hz)
4. The device of claim 3, wherein pulse high-current slower ion injector. Injects
slower moving ions to the equilibrium orbit of betatron type device 1.
5. The device of claim 4, wherein pulse high-current faster ion injector. Injects
faster moving ions to equilibrium orbit of betatron type device 1.
6. The device of claim 5, wherein reaction products extractor. Configured to
extract the charged particles remaining as a reaction’s products from betatron
type device 1 thus freeing the space for a new production cycle. (In case e.g.
deuterium-tritium reaction neutrons will escape the reaction zone from themselves
while alpha-particles will remain in reaction zone and should to be extracted)
There is a set of various possible variants (options) of reaction products
extractor’s design. Therefore it would be expedient that the detailed design of
reaction products extractor will be the subject of the separate patent application.
Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of plasma physics, and, in particular, to
methods and apparatus for confining plasma. Plasma confinement is particularly of
interest for the purpose of enabling a nuclear fusion reaction.
Background of the Invention
Fusion is the process by which two light nuclei combine to form a heavier one. The
fusion process releases a tremendous amount of energy in the form of fast moving
particles. Because atomic nuclei are positively charged – due to the protons contained
therein – there is a repulsive electrostatic, or Coulomb, force between them. For two
nuclei to fuse, this repulsive barrier must be overcome, which occurs when two nuclei are
brought close enough together where the short-range nuclear forces become strong
enough to overcome the Coulomb force and fuse the nuclei. The energy necessary for the
nuclei to overcome the Coulomb barrier is provided by kinetic energies, which must be
rather high.
For example, if the required kinetic energy would be provided by heating of plasma, the
fusion rate can be appreciable if the temperature is at least of the order of 104eV –
corresponding roughly to 100 million degrees Kelvin. The rate of a fusion reaction is a
function of the temperature, and it is characterized by a quantity called reactivity. The
reactivity of a D-T reaction, for example, has a broad peak between 30keV and 100keV.
Also, unlike the methods using high-thermal plasma in which kinetic energy is provided
to nuclei by heating, some other methods use coherent motion kinetic energy of particles
for overcoming the Coulomb barrier.
For example, Dr. Norman Rostoker’s approach of colliding beams.
For execution of controlled fusion for commercial purposes the fusion device should
provide the following:
 to provide enough kinetic energy to reacting nuclei
 to provide enough confinement time (duration) allowing to fuse for enough
quantity of nuclei (fusion energy yield should exceed the energy expenses)
The proposed fusion device unlike to all other approaches uses the coherent motion of
two different types of nuclei beams moving in orthogonal magnetic field, directed at the
common equilibrium orbit and moving in the same direction passing through each other
with different velocities. So, nuclei from fast moving beam should catch up and collide
the nuclei from slower moving beam.
And this is possible if both types of reacting nuclei will have the same gyroradiuses.
(1)
where:



p – coherent momentum of particle
q – charge of particle
B – magnetic induction
For note: The formula doesn't consider self-magnetic field of a beam but surely applicable in considered case.
Also the second requirement is that the velocities’ difference between nuclei of different
beams should be high enough for providing to faster moving nuclei enough for fusion
collision energy in center-of-mass frame.
For example, if we use D-T reaction we can direct at the same orbit 300keV Deuterium
and 200keV Tritium beams. As in this case both types of equally charged nuclei will also
have the same momentums and subsequently will have the same gyroradiuses.
Center-of-mass collision energy in this case will be equal to ~20.2keV providing fusion
cross section of about 0.4 barn.
For note: D-T reaction has a peak equal to 5 barn at ~64keV center-of-mass energy
On base of today’s level of technology it is possible to create pulse ions beams with
mentioned above energies providing currents of tens thousands Amperes. Such
accelerators are used for example in beam driven inertial confinement experiments.
Pulse repeatability of modern linear induction particles accelerators (induction linacs)
has an order of magnitude 10Hz.
But the technically feasible current density of beams produced by those accelerators
does not exceed 10-20 A/cm2 (For particle’s energies of hundreds keV the mentioned
current density corresponds to 1016-1017m-3 number density)
So, without focusing the very low fusion power density is possible to achieve. All the
more without focusing the non-neutralized positive space charge together with inevitably
occurring ion-ion scattering events will expand beams in radial direction.
And for focusing it is offered to direct at the same equilibrium orbit but oppositely to
ions’ direction the relativistic electron beam with the energy corresponding to the same
gyroradius.
As it is well-known in relativistic beams the repulsive forces between particles are
reduced by 1/γ2.
And relativistic electrons should compensate the positive space charge of reacting nuclei
only partially while the magnetic attraction of three unidirectional currents will compress
combined beam in radial direction.
In fact for the frame of reference connected with ions combined beam will be charged
negatively and for electron’s frame of reference – positively. So, reacting nuclei in their
frame of reference will be in negative potential well and electrons in their frame – in
positive potential well.
And thanks to mentioned above the required for focusing electron current should be
much lower than for ions.
For example: In the considering here parameters: 300keV for Deuterium and 200keV
Tritium we need about 33MeV (high-relativistic – γ=~65.6) electron beam for providing
to electrons the possibility of moving at the same orbit.
For the frame of reference connected with Deuterium beam this corresponds to electron’s
relativistic factor equal to 66.7 and for Tritium – 66.3)
And for effective pinch the required current of electron beam should be more than only
~1/52.6 of current of Tritium beam and ~1/80 of Deuterium.
And from these reasonings we can accept the ratio between electron and Tritium and
Deuterium currents equal to 1/50 and 1/75 correspondently.
The raw estimation of required energy that should to be put into the beams specified
on a single fusion event (initial energy consumption of a single fusion event)
In case if only 80% of nuclei will react initially we should spend per one fusion event:
(300keV+1/75*33MeV+200keV+1/50*33MeV)/0.8=2MeV
Except of target fusion events in a combined beam at the expense of elastic collisions
(multiple scatterings) basically of ions (ion-ion Coulomb scattering) inevitably the
following phenomena will be observed: acceleration of slower ions with decelerating of
faster ions (alignment of arrange velocities of reacting nuclei reducing the collision
energy between them) and also the growth of temperature (“thermalization”).
Nature of “thermalization”:
After each scattering event thanks to the very strong poloidal self-magnetic field the
scattered nucleus automatically will return back to the axis transferring only the part of
that radial momentum acquiring as result of scattering mostly to the electrons gas. Then
the thermal energy acquired by the electron gas via collective electron-ion interaction
partly will be transferred to the ion gas (both ion fractions) thus increasing also ion
temperature in combined beam and partly will be dissipated at the expense of braking
radiation (Bremsstrahlung). So, a certain thermal equilibrium will occur.
The alignment of arrange velocities will decrease the fusion cross section simultaneously
increasing the scattering cross section.
But if we will use an externally applied induced longitudinal (circular) electric field
created by varying (time-dependent) magnetic field we can easily compensate the
alignment of velocities as faster moving ions in proposed reactions (Deuterium for D-T
nuclei pair and He3 for D-He3 pair) at the same time have also a higher rate of
acceleration in the same electric field.
And logically we went to the design of betatron type device producing the varying
(time-dependent) magnetic field for holding the externally injected particles on a
common equilibrium orbit and simultaneously creating the circular electric field for their
acceleration.
And modern betatrons: (Fixed-Field Alternating Gradient accelerator (FFAG), betatron
with additional Stellarator windings (Stellatron), induction synchrotron (IS), etc.) can
provide currents of thousand Amperes orders of magnitude with high repeatability.
Note: mentioned currents are provided in case of non-neutralized space charge, but
proposed Method provides the ability of neutralization. So, no space charge current
limitation!
The creation and further maintenance process of inducing an accelerating electric field
(its loading with the proposed beams) will connect with additional energy expenses.
The raw estimation of energy consumptions during namely fusion process (pinch,
accelerating particles for compensation of alignment of ions’ velocities and also for
compensation of electron radiation losses) specified on a single fusion event –
0.7MeV.
So, the raw estimation of total energy consumption specified per a single fusion
event
2MeV+0.7MeV=2.7MeV
And taking into consideration the efficiency of beams generation and also the efficiency
of their further maintenance – ~35%, we will have the total energy consumption specified
per a single fusion event equal to:
~7.72MeV
From the other side from each fusion event we will have:
 one 14.1MeV neutron
 about 0.5MeV of X-ray radiation
 1.25*4.8MeV=6MeV thermal energy via (n+Li6) reaction (where “1.25” is a
Tritium breeding coefficient)
So, from each event total energy of 20.6MeV should be converted into the electricity via
thermal cycle (efficiency ~40%).
And the energy gained from a single fusion event by thermal cycle:
8.24MeV
8.24Mev of yield vs. 7.72MeV of expences
Or in the other words considering the real efficiency of using in Reactor energy
conversion cycles even only the thermal cycle can provide breakeven!
For example, Lawson criterion written for TOKAMAK and other experiments using the
magnetically confined thermal plasma does not consider efficiency of energy conversion
and by this reason seems as too optimistic. Nevertheless even that optimistic criterion in
mentioned experiments was not satisfied till now.
Besides the energy gained by thermal cycle the proposed Reactor can gain also the
energy of charged particles as well:
 He4 – 3.5MeV
 electron – some part from initial 33MeV
 some part of energy initially pumped into ions acceleration 0.5MeV
And that energy can be gained via Direct Energy Conversion process with higher than in
thermal cycle efficiency – not less than 50%.
Conclusions
The invention provides the opportunity to produce net power by the way of executing
controlled nuclear fusion reaction using present day technologies and materials (or a
reasonable extrapolation of those).