Patent Grant
11823803
The teachings provided herein are generally directed to systems and methods for obtaining nuclear fusion energy using a high energy charged particle convergence at a target cathode to increase the amount of fusion energy produced in a single fusion cycle.
Most will agree that our world needs better sources of energy, source that are more efficient and would reduce the threat to the environment created by our current energy sources. In fact, most will agree that an uncompromising new energy architecture/paradigm is required to allow continued societal development and to avoid habitat and species loss. Current energy usage rewards a small minority of the population to the disadvantage of the majority and environmental quality. The combustion of carbon based fuels (coal, oil, natural gas) is still used primarily worldwide and still produces deleterious environmental effects in the form of elevated CO2 concentrations that is polluting our world and causing at least atmospheric warming and ocean chemistry changes. Ultimately, a future should be planned that addresses these issues as opposed to continued reliance on a strict capitalistic theory that will inevitably fail to meet the range of societal and environmental needs. An inexhaustible energy source will provide a basis for an economic structure that can be controlled without short-term tradeoffs that can be politically instituted.
Many consider the possibility of the nuclear fusion power plant to be the best answer to the problem. One reason is that nuclear fusion is theoretically more efficient, requiring only about one millionth of the mass of fuel needed to produce the same amount of energy as a coal operating power plant. Another reason is that the fuel sources for nuclear fusion would be virtually unlimited, as these fuels are readily available. Another reason that nuclear fusion is desirable is that it doesn't suffer from diseconomies of scale—water and wind energy, for example, suffer from diseconomies as the optimal locations are used up and only less optimal locations remain, in addition to the fact that wind and water sources can vary, whereas fusion reactant sources remain reliable, as they are continuous, consistent, and abundant. Finally, it is believed that the nuclear fusion would offer a much safer process. For at least these reasons, the goal of producing fusion power to produce electricity has been pursued for decades and has been met with many problems that have not been solved; for example, there is still no controlled fusion process that can produce a sustained series of fusion reactions.
Given the above, it should be appreciated that those of skill will appreciate a controlled fusion process that can produce a sustained series of fusion reactions. Namely, a process that (i) uses a substantially higher reactant density of the deuterium and tritium gases by converging cationic reactants into the higher reaction density at a target cathode rather than relying on random collisions, the converging producing a substantially higher rate of fusion and energy production; (ii) uses a substantially lower input of energy to initiate the fusion; (iii) can be cycled at a substantially higher cycle frequency; (iv) has a practical heat exchange method; (v) is substantially less costly to manufacture, operate, and maintain; and, (vi) has a substantially improved reaction efficiency as a result of not mixing reactants with products.
The teachings provided herein are generally directed to systems and methods for obtaining nuclear fusion energy using a high energy charged particle convergence at a target cathode to increase the amount of fusion energy produced in a single fusion cycle. Namely, the teachings provide a controlled fusion process that can produce a sustained series of fusion reactions: a process that (i) uses a substantially higher reactant density of the deuterium and tritium gases by converging cationic reactants into the higher reaction density at a target cathode rather than relying on random collisions, the converging producing a substantially higher rate of fusion and energy production; (ii) uses a substantially lower input of energy to initiate the fusion; (iii) can be cycled at a substantially higher cycle frequency; (iv) has a practical heat exchange method; (v) is substantially less costly to manufacture, operate, and maintain; and, (vi) has a substantially improved reaction efficiency as a result of not mixing reactants with products.
For example, the teachings include a method of producing an at least substantially continuous electrical energy from a cyclized nuclear fusion reaction, comprising evacuating a reaction chamber to a pressure that is lower than about 10−3 torr; inducing a pulse of (i) a first reactant into the evacuated reaction chamber through a first reactant port and a pulse of (ii) a second reactant into the evacuated reaction chamber through a second reactant port; and, converging the first reactant with the second reactant at a target cathode for colliding and fusing the first reactant with the second reactant to create a heat energy. The converging can include, for example, creating an electrical field in the reaction chamber by applying a voltage across an anode surface positioned in the interior of the reaction chamber and a cathode surface positioned in the interior of the reaction chamber, the electric field ionizing the first reactant to generate a cationic first reactant and ionizing the second reactant to generate a cationic second reactant. In addition, the converging can include establishing a negative charge on the target cathode for attracting and converging the cationic first reactant and the cationic second reactant at the target cathode for colliding and fusing the cationic first reactant with the cationic second reactant to create the heat energy.
The method can include transferring the heat energy to a steam vessel to drive a turbine to create an electrical energy. The method can be cyclic by replacing the target cathode with a replacement target cathode to complete a first cycle of the nuclear fusion method; and, repeating the evacuating, inducing, applying, converging, transferring, and replacing for n additional cycles of the nuclear fusion method, wherein n is an integer that produces an at least substantially continuous electrical energy from the nuclear fusion reaction.
One of skill will appreciate that the first reactant and second reactant can be any reactant useful in producing a fusion reaction using the methods and systems taught herein. For example, the first reactant and second reactant can each be independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium, tritium, and helium-3, boron-11, lithium-6, and a proton, in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the first reactant and the second reactant are independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium, tritium, and helium. In some embodiments, the first reactant is deuterium and the second reactant is tritium. In some embodiments, the first reactant is deuterium and the second reactant is deuterium. In some embodiments, the first reactant is tritium and the second reactant is tritium. In some embodiments, the first reactant is deuterium and the second reactant is helium-3. In some embodiments, the first reactant is helium-3 and the second reactant is helium-3. In some embodiments, the first reactant is a proton and the second reactant is boron-11. And, in some embodiments, the first reactant is a proton and the second reactant is lithium-6.
One of skill will appreciate that the pressure in the reaction chamber can be varied to any pressure that one of skill will find useful in the methods and systems provided herein. For example, the pressure in the evacuated reaction chamber can range from about 10−4 torr to about 10−9 torr in some embodiments, and from about 10−6 torr to about 10−9 torr in some embodiments.
The teachings are also directed to a system that can be used in practicing the methods taught herein. For example, the teachings include a system for producing an at least substantially continuous electrical energy from a cyclized nuclear fusion reaction. In some embodiments, the system comprises a reaction vessel having a reaction chamber configured for evacuation of the chamber to a pressure that is lower than about 10−3 torr; a vacuum port adapted for an operable connection to a vacuum source for evacuating the reaction chamber to a pressure that is lower than about 10−3 torr; a first injector in operable communication with a first reactant port in the evacuated reaction chamber for inducing a pulse of a first reactant into the evacuated reaction chamber through the first reactant port; a second injector in operable communication with a second reactant port in the evacuated reaction chamber for inducing a pulse of a second reactant into the evacuated reaction chamber through the second reactant port; an anode surface and a cathode surface for operably connecting to a voltage source, the anode surface and the cathode surface positioned in the interior of the reaction chamber to create an electric field in the evacuated reaction chamber upon application of a voltage, the electric field ionizing the first reactant to generate a cationic first reactant and ionizing the second reactant to generate a cationic second reactant; a target cathode positioned in the reaction chamber at a first distance from the first injector and a second distance from the second injector, the target cathode configured to function as a negatively charged electrode for attracting and converging the cationic first reactant and the cationic second reactant at the target cathode for colliding and fusing the cationic first reactant with the cationic second reactant to create a heat energy; a steam chamber in operable contact with the reaction chamber, the steam chamber configured for receiving the heat energy from the fusion reaction in the reaction chamber.
One of skill will also appreciate that the first reactant port and the second reactant port can include a configured nozzle, designed for a particular embodiment. For example, nozzle flow design can be varied to change the shape and speed of the first reactant from the first reactant port and the shape and speed of the second reactant from the second reactant port. In some embodiments, the pulse of the first reactant or the pulse of the second reactant is applied as a convergent flow on the target electrode. In some embodiments, the pulse of the first reactant or the pulse of the second reactant is applied as a divergent flow on the target electrode. And, in some embodiments, the pulse of the first reactant or the pulse of the second reactant is applied as a fan pattern on the target electrode.
It should also be appreciated that the nozzle design can be independently selected for each of the first injector and the second injector. For example, the first injector can be configured for injecting deuterium and the second injector can be configured for injecting tritium. The first injector can be configured for injecting deuterium and the second injector can be configured for injecting deuterium. The first injector can be configured for injecting tritium and the second injector can be configured for injecting tritium.
Likewise, one of skill will appreciate that the reaction chamber can be configured to operate at any pressure that one of skill will find useful in the methods and systems provided herein. For example, the reaction chamber can be configured to operate in the pressure range from about 10−4 torr to about 10−9 torr in some embodiments, and from about 10−6 torr to about 10−9 torr in some embodiments.
One of skill will appreciate that the positioning of the first reactant port, the second reactant port, and the target cathode can be adjusted to vary the first distance between the first reactant port and the target cathode and the second distance between the second reactant port and the target electrode. In some embodiments, the first distance and the second distance are at least substantially the same. In some embodiments, the first distance and the second distance are varied to calibrate and synchronize the collision between the cationic first reactant and the cationic second reactant. Likewise, one of skill will also appreciate that the negative charge on the target cathode can be varied to calibrate and synchronize the collision between the cationic first reactant and the cationic second reactant. Moreover, one of skill can vary the first distance, the second distance, and the charge on the target cathode to calibrate and synchronize the collision between the cationic first reactant and the cationic second reactant.
One of skill will appreciate that the size of the target cathode can be varied for any of a variety of operational considerations. In some embodiments, for example, the target electrode can have an area ranging from about from about 1.00×10−10 m2 to about 1.00×10−6 m2.
One of skill will appreciate that the target cathode can be constructed of a variety of different materials. For example, the target cathode can be any conducting material. In some embodiments, the target cathode can comprise a metal. In some embodiments, for example, the target cathode can be comprised of aluminum, an aluminum alloy, or copper. In some embodiments, the target cathode can be comprised of a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, antimony, barium, bismuth, boron, carbon (e.g., amorphous, diamond, graphene, graphite), cadmium, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, iridium, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, platinum, potassium, rhenium, silver, sodium, steel, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, zinc, and alloys thereof. The target cathode can comprise a semiconductor or conductive polymer, in some embodiments.
In some embodiments, one or more shields can be used to protect the first reactant port and the second reactant port from the heat and/or products of the fusion reaction. As such, in some embodiments, the systems can further comprise a shield between the first injector and the target electrode, between the second injector and the target electrode, or a combination thereof.
Systems and methods are provided herein for obtaining nuclear fusion energy using a high energy charged particle convergence at a target cathode to increase the amount of fusion energy produced in a single fusion cycle.
Namely, a controlled fusion process is provided that can produce a sustained series of fusion reactions: a process that (i) uses a substantially higher reactant density of the deuterium and tritium gases by converging cationic reactants into the higher reaction density at a target cathode rather than relying on random collisions, the converging producing a substantially higher rate of fusion and energy production; (ii) uses a substantially lower input of energy to initiate the fusion; (iii) can be cycled at a substantially higher cycle frequency; (iv) has a practical heat exchange method; (v) is substantially less costly to manufacture, operate, and maintain; and, (vi) has a substantially improved reaction efficiency as a result of not mixing reactants with products.
The small size and negative charge of the target focuses the convergence of the reactants. It should be appreciated that the surface area of the target cathode can be varied as a process variable in order to adjust, for example the reaction density, rate of reaction, and/or energy produced by the fusion reaction. One of skill will appreciate that any area that works with the principles of the teachings provided herein can be used. In some embodiments, the surface area of the target can be defined as the front and back surface only, disregarding the surface on the edge of the target. In some embodiments, the target cathode can have any configuration that serves to attract the first reactant and the second reactant in a convergent manner to at least one point of collision.
In some embodiments, there is more than one point of collision and, in some embodiments, there are many points, areas, or planes of collision such as more than 3, more than 5, more than 10, more than 20, more than 50, more than 100, and so on. The number of points of collision can be a variable selected to increase the operation efficiency of the system. For example, in some embodiments, the target cathode can be in the form of a scaffolding, cage, or mesh structure each carrying a negative charge on areas that represent a variety of planes for collision, as opposed to a planar structure with, perhaps, two primary planar surfaces carrying a negative charge, such as the target cathode disc shown in
In some embodiments, the area of the target can be on the surface of a disc, a sphere, an ellipsoid, cube, polyhedron, and the like, as well as the same or similar shapes but manufactured using screen or mesh materials to provide several conductive surfaces in the form of a scaffolding, cage, or basket, for example, that can be approached from about any angle of impingement that may occur from a reactant. In some embodiments, the surface area can range from about 1.3648×10−10 m2 to about 1.3648×10−6 m2, from about 1.3648×10−9 m2 to about 1.3648×10−7 m2, from about 1.00×10−10 m2 to about 1.00×10−6 m2, about 1.3648×10−8 m2, about 1.00×10−8 m2, about 10−11 m2, 10−10 m2, 10−9 m2, 10−8 m2, 10−7 m2, 10−6 m2, 10−5 m2, or any range therein.
One of skill will appreciate that the voltage between an anode surface and a cathode surface in the systems and methods can be varied and are selected to be large enough to (i) create a sufficient electric field to ionize the reactants, (ii) overcome the like-charge repulsion to enable the first reactant and the second reactant to collide sufficiently for fusion, and (iii) drive the convergence of the reactants to create the high reactant density at the target cathode and measured as the average density over the entire surface area of the target cathode. As such, in some embodiments, where the voltage is between the target cathode and an anode surface and is sufficiently large enough to create the convergence of the reactants towards the target cathode and the force of collision required for the fusion between the first reactant and the second reactant. Likewise, the voltage between the target cathode and the anode surface can also be used in the creation of the electric field, in some embodiments, to ionize the first reactant and the second reactant into cationic first reactant and cationic second reactant, respectively. In some embodiments, the voltage can range from about 10 kV to about 30 MV, from about 15 kV to about 30 MV, from about 20 kV to about 30 MV, from about 30 kV to about 30 MV, from about 15 kV to about 25 MV, from about 15 kV to about 20 MV, from about 10 kV to about 10 MV, from about 15 kV to about 10 MV, from about 15 kV to about 5 MV, from about 40 kV to about 5 MV, from about 50 kV to about 5 MV, from about 100 kV to about 5 MV, from about 250 kV to about 5 MV, from about 500 kV to about 5 MV, from about 500 kV to about 2 MV, from about 1 MV to about 5 MV, from about 1 MV to about 3 MV, from about 1 MV to about 2 MV, or any range of voltages therein in increments of 1 kV. In some embodiments, the voltage can be about 10 kV, about 11 kV, about 12 kV, about 13 kV, about 14 kV, about 15 kV, about 20 kV, about 25 kV, about 30 kV, about 35 kV, about 40 kV, about 45 kV, about 50 kV, about 60 kV, about 70 kV, about 80 kV, about 90 kV, about 100 kV, about 200 kV, about 300 kV, about 400 kV, about 500 kV, about 600 kV, about 700 kV, about 800 kV, about 900 kV, about 1 MV, about 2 MV, about 3 MV, about 4 MV, about 5 MV, about 10 MV, about 15 MV, about 20 MV, about 25 MV, about 30 MV, or any voltage therein, or range of voltages therein, in increments of 1 kV. In some embodiments, the voltage is greater than about 15 kV, greater than about 20 kV, greater than about 25 kV, greater than about 30 kV, greater than about 35 kV, greater than about 40 kV, greater than about 45 kV, greater than about 50 kV, or greater than any kV between 15 kV and 50 kV in increments of 1 kV. The kV can be constant, or it can be varied, in the operation of a system or method taught herein. Variable frequency electric fields can also be used. In some embodiments, a variable frequency field can be used, for example, to increase the ionization efficiency of the ionization step to create the cationic reactants.
Given the teachings of the systems and methods provided herein, it should also be appreciated that the design is adapted to provide a substantially higher reactant density than currently provided by the state-of-the-art. And, one of skill will appreciate that, as the reactant density increases, the energy output of the system will substantially increase per cycle over the current state-of-the-art processes, and the total energy output of the system will likewise substantially increase over the current state-of-the-art processes.
The substantially higher performance of the systems and methods taught herein over the current state-of-the-art processes can be established in any manner considered acceptable to one skilled in the art. In some embodiments, for example, the reactant density can represent mass/volume and can range from about 1.5×103 g/cm3 to about 1.5×1010 g/cm3 normalized as an average reactant density over the entire surface of the target electrode. In some embodiments, the reactant density can range from about 1.5×105 g/cm3 to about 1.5×1010 g/cm3 normalized as an average reactant density over the entire surface of the target electrode. In some embodiments, the reactant density can range from about 1.5×108 g/cm3 to about 1.5×1010 g/cm3 normalized as an average reactant density over the entire surface of the target electrode. In some embodiments, the reactant density can range from about 1.5466×1010 g/cm3 normalized as an average reactant density over the entire surface of the target electrode. This is a very significant, surprising and unexpected increase in reactant density over the current state-of-the-art, as the LIFE system (See
In some embodiments, the substantially higher reactant density of the instant systems and methods as compared to the current state-of-the-art processes can be represented by using a measure of the monolayer of nuclei that converge on the surface of the target cathode. In some embodiments, for example, the monolayer reactant density can range from about 103 nuclei/m2 to about 1029 nuclei/m2 normalized as an average monolayer reactant density over the entire surface of the target electrode. In some embodiments, for example, the monolayer reactant density can range from about 104 nuclei/m2 to about 1029 nuclei/m2 normalized as an average monolayer reactant density over the entire surface of the target electrode. In some embodiments, for example, the monolayer reactant density can range from about 105 nuclei/m2 to about 1028 nuclei/m2 normalized as an average monolayer reactant density over the entire surface of the target electrode, or any range therein. In some embodiments, for example, the monolayer reactant density can be about 103 nuclei/m2, 104 nuclei/m2, 105 nuclei/m2, 106 nuclei/m2, 107 nuclei/m2, 108 nuclei/m2, 109 nuclei/m2, 1010 nuclei/m2, 1011 nuclei/m2, 1012 nuclei/m2, 1013 nuclei/m2, 1014 nuclei/m2, 1015 nuclei/m2, 1016 nuclei/m2, 1017 nuclei/m2, 1018 nuclei/m2, 1019 nuclei/m2, 1020 nuclei/m2, 1021 nuclei/m2, 1022 nuclei/m2, 1023 nuclei/m2, 1024 nuclei/m2, 1025 nuclei/m2, 1026 nuclei/m2, 1027 nuclei/m2, 1028 nuclei/m2, 1029 nuclei/m2, or any range within these values, each monolayer reactant density normalized as an average monolayer reactant density over the entire surface of the target electrode. In some embodiments, for example, the monolayer reactant density be about 5.2×1028 nuclei/m2 normalized as an average monolayer reactant density over the entire surface of the target electrode.
One of skill will appreciate that the reactor should be made of a material that takes into consideration the high temperatures and pressures present from the nuclear fusion reaction. Any material that meets this criteria can be used. For example, the reaction chamber can be made of steel. Moreover, the stresses in the system can be reduced by operating under steady state conditions where possible to avoid inducing unnecessary thermal stresses in the materials. It should also be appreciated that most any component of the systems and methods taught herein can be subject to his criteria, and in particular those materials that form a part of the reaction chamber.
Methods of using such systems are also provided herein. The methods can comprise, for example, evacuating the reaction chamber 305 to a pressure that is lower than about 10−3 torr; inducing a pulse of (i) the first reactant 329 into the evacuated reaction chamber 305 through a first reactant port 325 and a pulse of (ii) a second reactant 348 into the evacuated reaction chamber 305 through the second reactant port 345; and, converging the first reactant 329 with the second reactant 349 at the target cathode 365 for colliding and fusing 355 the first reactant 329 with the second reactant 349 to create the heat energy 375. The converging can include, for example, creating an electrical field in the reaction chamber by applying a voltage (not shown) across the anode surface 360 positioned in the interior of the reaction chamber 305 and the cathode surface 365 positioned in the interior of the reaction chamber 305, the electric field ionizing the first reactant 329 to generate the cationic first reactant 330 and ionizing the second reactant 349 to generate the cationic second reactant 350. In addition, the converging can include establishing a negative charge on the target cathode 365 for attracting and converging the cationic first reactant 330 and the cationic second reactant 350 at the target cathode 365 for colliding and fusing 355 the cationic first reactant 330 with the cationic second reactant 350 to create the heat energy 375. The methods will generally include transferring the heat energy 375 to a steam vessel 380 to drive a turbine (not shown) to create an electrical energy.
One of skill will appreciate that there are several variations possible in the implementation of these process steps in series. Table 1 is illustrative of some of the variations.
4He is
4He is
4He is
4He is
One of skill will appreciate that the primary steps of the methods taught herein will often include (i) inducing a pulse of the first reactant, (ii) inducing a pulse of the second reactant; (iii) ionizing the first reactant and the second reactant; (iv) converging the first reactant and the second reactant on the target cathode; and (v) collecting heat energy from the fusion reaction. Processes of cycling the fusion reaction include the step of evacuating the 4He from the reaction chamber. The possible variations around these primary steps are, of course, numerous in many embodiments, and understood as mere process variations by those of skill.
The method can be cyclic by replacing the target cathode with a replacement target cathode to complete a first cycle of the nuclear fusion method; and, repeating the evacuating, inducing, applying, converging, transferring, and replacing for n additional cycles of the nuclear fusion method, wherein n is an integer that produces an at least substantially continuous electrical energy from the nuclear fusion reaction. One of skill will appreciate that the number of cycles that can be run is a process variable that can depend on materials used to construct the reaction vessel and, thus the operational constraints of the reaction vessel, operational constraints of peripheral components, the preventative maintenance schedule set for the equipment, and the like. As such, assuming at least the fusion rate of the LIFE system which is 1,382,400 fusions/day (16 fusions/second) and a shutdown for repairs no more than once per quarter, n can be about 124,416,000 cycles for a single reactor. In some embodiments, n can range from about 10 to about 10,000,000,000 cycles for a single reactor. In some embodiments, n can range from about 100 to about 1,000,000,000 cycles for a single reactor. In some embodiments, n can range from about 1000 to about 100,000,000 cycles for a single reactor. In some embodiments, n can range from about 10,000 to about 10,000,000 cycles for a single reactor. In some embodiments, n can be about 10, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 1010, 1011, or 1012 cycles, or any range of cycles therein, for a single reactor.
The practice of the method includes selecting the first reactant and the second reactant. One of skill will appreciate that the first reactant and second reactant can be any reactant useful in producing a fusion reaction using the methods and systems taught herein. For example, the first reactant and second reactant can each be independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium, tritium, and helium-3, boron-11, lithium-6, and a proton, in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the first reactant and the second reactant are independently selected from the group consisting of deuterium, tritium, and helium. In some embodiments, the first reactant is deuterium and the second reactant is tritium. In some embodiments, the first reactant is deuterium and the second reactant is deuterium. In some embodiments, the first reactant is tritium and the second reactant is tritium. In some embodiments, the first reactant is deuterium and the second reactant is helium-3. In some embodiments, the first reactant is helium-3 and the second reactant is helium-3. In some embodiments, the first reactant is a proton and the second reactant is boron-11. And, in some embodiments, the first reactant is a proton and the second reactant is lithium-6.
One of skill will appreciate that the pressure in the reaction chamber can be varied to any pressure that one of skill will find useful in the methods and systems provided herein. For example, the pressure in the evacuated reaction chamber can range from about 10−4 torr to about 10−9 torr in some embodiments, and from about 10−6 torr to about 10−9 torr in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the pressure in the evacuated reaction chamber can be about 10−3 torr, about 10−4 torr, about 10−5 torr, about 10−6 torr, about 10−7 torr, about 10−8 torr, about 10−9 torr, or any range therein. It should be appreciated that the high vacuum conditions existing in the reaction chamber permit the use of high purity reactants that result in an optimized fusion reaction. The term “purity” can be referred to as the absence of the reaction product helium-4 from the prior reaction remaining in the trajectory of the reactants entering the reaction chamber. The purity is obtained by evacuating the reaction chamber between fusion cycles. Likewise, the kinetic energy of the reactants traveling to the target cathode for collision is also optimized by the high vacuum condition, because the reactants are likewise allowed to accelerate while remaining unimpeded by the helium-4 product remaining in the reaction chamber from the prior cycle. Moreover, one of skill will understand that any appropriate vacuum system can be used. For example, such a system can be composed of conventional components. In some embodiments, turbomolecular or diffusion high vacuum pumps backed by rotary vane pumps may be used for the evacuation of the reaction chamber. A Roots-type blower pump may also be used, in some embodiments, to assist in the evacuation of the reaction chamber. In some embodiments, an appropriate vacuum system operation for transient conditions may include (i) a pumpdown with a venting to atmospheric pressure to eliminate a back-diffusion of vacuum pump lubricants to assure a contamination-free reaction chamber condition. In some embodiments the vacuum pump system can include three vacuum pumps in series, a high vacuum pump such as a turbomolecular or diffusion pump, backed by a Roots-type pump, backed by a rotary vane or piston-type pump.
One of skill will appreciate that the positioning of the first reactant port and the second reactant port, relative to the placement of the target cathode, can be varied. For example, the distance from a reactant port to the target can be selected by considering various system parameters, such as duty cycle, duty cycle number, duty cycle frequency, and the like; power applied to the system, power applied for a voltage, power applied for the electric field, power applied for the converging, power output measured, power output desired, and the like; maintenance, number and frequency of maintenance cycles used, number and frequency of maintenance cycles desired, and the like; performance, performance measured, performance of power output, performance desired, and any performance specification in general. Analogous to a combustion engine, the timing of the relative release of the first reactant and second reactant can be adjust to “tune” the fusion “engine”. The relative amount of each injection, relative timing of each injection, relative pressure of injection, relative frequency of injection, the design of each injector, such as injection nozzle, and the like, are examples of parameters that can be varied and manipulated, along with the first distance and second distance, to optimize the energy output, and other performance parameters. Such tuning of the “fusion engine” (i.e. any system taught herein), for example, can be used to optimize system performance measured in terms of energy output, economy of operation, life of the fusion engine, frequency of maintenance required, profit from the operation, or any combination thereof, in some embodiments.
In some embodiments, the positioning of each of the system components can be adjusted to vary the first distance between the first reactant port and the target cathode and the second distance between the second reactant port and the target electrode. In some embodiments, the first distance and the second distance are at least substantially the same. In some embodiments, the first distance and the second distance are varied to calibrate and synchronize the collision between the cationic first reactant and the cationic second reactant. In some embodiments, the first distance and the second distance can be independently selected to range from about 0.001 meter to about 30 meters, from about 0.01 meter to about 20 meters, from about 0.001 meter to about 10 meters, from about 0.1 meter to about 15 meters, from about 0.1 meter to about 12 meters, or any range therein in increments of 0.1 meter. In some embodiments the first distance and second distance can be independently selected to be about 0.001 meter, about 0.01 meter, about 0.1 meter, about 0.5 meter, about 1.0 meter, about 2.0 meters, about 3.0 meters, about 4.0 meters, about 5.0 meters, about 6.0 meters, about 7.0 meters, about 8.0 meters, about 9.0 meters, about 10.0 meters, about 11.0 meters, about 12.0 meters, about 13.0 meters, about 14.0 meters, about 15.0 meters, about 16.0 meters, about 17.0 meters, about 18.0 meters, about 19.0 meters, about 20.0 meters, or any distance therein in increments of 0.1 meter.
One of skill will also appreciate that the first reactant port and the second reactant port can include a configured nozzle, designed for a particular embodiment. For example, nozzle flow design can be varied to change the shape and speed of the first reactant from the first reactant port and the shape and speed of the second reactant from the second reactant port. In some embodiments, the pulse of the first reactant or the pulse of the second reactant is applied as a convergent flow on the target electrode. In some embodiments, the pulse of the first reactant or the pulse of the second reactant is applied as a divergent flow on the target electrode. And, in some embodiments, the pulse of the first reactant or the pulse of the second reactant is applied as a fan pattern on the target electrode.
The reactant injectors can be designed for the injection of a particular reactant, to vary the amount, speed, configuration, or direction of injection, and the like. Any parameter associated with an injector can be varied, including pressure of injection, amount of reactant feed to the injector, the dwell time of the injection, and the like. This adjustment of amount injected and dwell time of injection might be considered somewhat analogous to the fuel injection system and cam design of a combustion engine. For at least these reason, one of skill will appreciate that the nozzle design can be independently selected for each of the first injector and the second injector. For example, the first injector can be configured for injecting deuterium and the second injector can be configured for injecting tritium. Likewise, the first injector can be configured for injecting deuterium and the second injector can be configured for injecting deuterium. Moreover, the first injector can be configured for injecting tritium and the second injector can be configured for injecting tritium.
In some embodiments, the opening and closing of the valve that feeds an injector can be referred to as a valve actuation cycle that includes opening the valve to a fully open position, maintaining the open position for a brief interval of time resulting in the steps of the first reactant and the second reactant entering the reaction chamber, the first reactant and the second reactant ionizing, the first reactant and the second reactant accelerating to the target cathode, the first reactant and the second reactant fusing to create fusion energy, and then the valve closing and staying closed until the start of the next cycle. The dwell time of a reactant feed through an injector, for example, the first injector or the second injector, is a variable that controls the time it takes to open the valve, how long the valve stays open, and the time it takes to close the valve. As such, the dwell time can be adjusted to control how much reactant enters the reactant chamber. In some embodiments, the dwell time to open a valve to feed an injector can range from about 0.01 millisecond to about 100 milliseconds, from about 0.1 millisecond to about 10 milliseconds, from about 1.0 millisecond to about 10 milliseconds, from about 0.1 millisecond to about 5 milliseconds, from about 0.01 millisecond to about 1.0 millisecond, or any range therein in increments of 0.01 millisecond. In some embodiments, the dwell time to maintain the open valve to feed an injector can range from about 0.01 millisecond to about 100 milliseconds, from about 0.1 millisecond to about 10 milliseconds, from about 1.0 millisecond to about 10 milliseconds, from about 0.1 millisecond to about 5 milliseconds, from about 0.01 millisecond to about 1.0 millisecond, or any range therein in increments of 0.01 millisecond. In some embodiments, the dwell time to close a valve that feeds an injector can range from about 0.01 millisecond to about 100 milliseconds, from about 0.1 millisecond to about 10 milliseconds, from about 1.0 millisecond to about 10 milliseconds, from about 0.1 millisecond to about 5 milliseconds, from about 0.01 millisecond to about 1.0 millisecond, or any range therein in increments of 0.01 millisecond. In some embodiments the dwell time can refer to a “total dwell time”, which is the sum of the time to open, time remaining open, and time to close the valve. As such, in some embodiments, the total dwell time can also refer to a range of about 0.03 milliseconds to about 300 milliseconds, from about 0.01 millisecond to about 100 milliseconds, from about 0.1 millisecond to about 10 milliseconds, from about 1.0 millisecond to about 10 milliseconds, from about 0.1 millisecond to about 5 milliseconds, from about 0.01 millisecond to about 1.0 millisecond, or any range therein in increments of 0.01 millisecond.
Likewise, one of skill will also appreciate that the negative charge on the target cathode can likewise be varied, increasing the electron density on the cathode apart from the voltage, to have further calibration and synchronization control over the collision between the cationic first reactant and the cationic second reactant at the target cathode. Moreover, one of skill can vary the first distance, the second distance, as well as the charge on the target cathode to calibrate and synchronize the collision between the cationic first reactant and the cationic second reactant. One of skill will appreciate that this calibration and synchronization of collisions might be considered somewhat analogous to the timing the fuel input, ignition, and position of the piston in the combustion chamber to optimize the performance of a combustion engine.
One of skill will appreciate that the target cathode can be constructed of a variety of different materials. For example, the target cathode can be any conducting material. In some embodiments, the target cathode can comprise a metal. In some embodiments, for example, the target cathode can be comprised of aluminum or an aluminum alloy. In some embodiments, the target cathode can be comprised of a metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, antimony, barium, bismuth, boron, carbon (e.g., amorphous, diamond, graphene, graphite), cadmium, calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, iridium, iron, lead, magnesium, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, platinum, potassium, rhenium, silver, sodium, steel, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, zinc, and alloys thereof. The target cathode can comprise a semiconductor or conductive polymer, in some embodiments. In some embodiments, the target can comprise water or a conductive plasma.
In some embodiments, one or more shields can be used to protect the first reactant port and the second reactant port from the heat and/or products of the fusion reaction. As such, in some embodiments, the systems can further comprise a shield between the first injector and the target electrode, between the second injector and the target electrode, or a combination thereof.
A single reactor node can have a single target cathode, in some embodiments. However, in some embodiments, a single reactor node can have more than one target cathode. In some embodiments, for example, a single reactor node might have 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more target cathodes. In some embodiments, a single reactor node can have one or more cage or mesh type target cathodes, a configuration that may be implemented for at least the reasons taught herein. In some embodiments, a reactor vessel can have more than one reactor node. In some embodiments, the reactor vessel can have a single reaction chamber with more than a single node, for example, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more reactor nodes. In some embodiments a reactor vessel can have a single reaction chamber or more than one reaction chamber. In some embodiments, for example, the reactor vessel might have 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more reaction chambers. Each reaction chamber in each reactor vessel can have multiple reactor nodes.
The cassette loading chamber 891 is configured to receive the target cassette 1100 through a door 891D. The cassette loading chamber 891 is also configured to be evacuated to intermediate vacuum levels (significantly below atmospheric but above 10−3 torr). After evacuation, the cassette loading chamber 891 then feeds target trays 1105 into the first buffer chamber 892 which is configured to provide additional outgassing of the target tray 1105 and it's replacement target cathodes 1167. The target tray 1105 moves from the first buffer chamber 892 into the target transfer chamber 893. The target tray 1105 is then indexed in x-y directions in the target transfer chamber 893 to align each of the 16 target cathodes 1167 with the actuator 898 which moves the respective replacement target cathode in the z-direction through the target transfer actuator housing 897 to transfer the respective replacement target cathode 1167 into the reactor chamber. In some embodiments, for example, the respective replacement target cathode 1167 is moved into the reactor chamber, and any remains of the spent target cathode can be retrieved. The target tray 1105 is then progressed into the second buffer chamber 894 and then the cassette unload chamber 895 which can function to accept an unloaded target cassette frame 1101 at atmospheric pressure, evacuate to intermediate vacuum levels, receive target trays 1105 into the target cassette frame 1101, potentially having remainders of spent targets from the second buffer chamber 894 for removal from the system. This target replacement process can be repeated for each cycle at each of the 5 nodes. It should be appreciated that the mechanism of target cathode transfer can be any mechanism, there can be any number of nodes, and that this mechanism is merely an example of the cyclic process of replacing spent target cathodes in the reaction chamber for a sustained series of fusion reactions.
Without intending to be limited to any theory or mechanism of action, the following examples are provided to further illustrate the teachings presented herein. It should be appreciated that there are several variations contemplated within the skill in the art, and that the examples are not intended to be construed as providing limitations to the claims.
The equation describing the energy balance for a representative 2 gigawatt (GW) power plant is as follows and assumes a 100% utilization of reactants:
17.6 MeV2H(single molecule)+3H(single molecule)=2.8198×10−18 megajoule(ref:1)
2 GWatt=(2.8198×10−18 megajoule)*(x/sec)[2H(single molecule)+3H(single molecule)]
(x/sec)[2H(single molecule)+3H(single molecule)]=7.0926×1020/sec
(x/sec)[2.0141u2H+3.0160u3H]=7.0926×1020/sec
(x/sec)[3.3234×10−24 gram 2H+5.0082×10−24 gram 3H]=(2.3572 milligram 2H+3.5522 milligram 3H)/sec=[2.3572 milligram 2H(22.4 liter/2.0141 gram 2H/+3.5522 milligram 3H(22.4 liter/3.0160 gram 3H)]/sec=(0.02622 liter 2H+0.02638 liter 3H)/sec
Accordingly, for a 2 GW power plant, the fuel flow rate should be approximately =1572.9 sccm2H+1582.9 sccm3H !!
Where:
One of skill will appreciate that the location of the injectors for the two reactants is determined by their transport time to target. This interval is determined by their mass(resisting acceleration) and their ionization(producing force causing acceleration. The governing equation of rectilinear motion is:
s=½a t2
Where:
The distance for the 2 reactants to the target can be the same, for example, due to the complimentary inverse relationship of mass to ionization—⅔ ratio for mass and 3/2 ratio for force due to relative ionization.
One of skill will appreciate that the size of the target cathode should be related to the reactant flow for the reactor, the number of reaction nodes, the output of the reactor, and the size of the reactant nuclei. A configuration that offers a basis for establishing the physical reaction is a monolayer of reactant nuclei covering the faces of the electrode being impacted, recognizing that reactions adjacent to the target are anticipated either from same-side same-direction reactant collision or opposite-side opposite-direction reactant collision. This high density nuclear condition is unique to the teachings provided herein, and it produces a high reaction efficiency, as well as overcomes the inherent limitations in other unsatisfactory development paths at other facilities/programs.
The true sizes of the atomic and nuclear species under discussion are dependent upon Bose Einstein Condensate behavior of the ionized bosons dependent on local momentum distribution (“temperature”), energy density conditions, and energy state.
Referring to the calculated fuel flow rate:
(x/sec)[2H(single molecule)+3H(single molecule)]=7.0926×1020/sec
And, using the area of the reactants, and assuming a one reaction per second reactor frequency, gives:
7.09261020[(2H(single molecule)+3H(single molecule)]×(2)×(9.6211×10−30 m2)=1.3648×10−8 m2
So for a 2 sided disc shaped target, the radius is ideally:
r=√[(1.3648×10−8/2π)]=4.6606×10−5 m, or for a square target
I=√(1.3648×10−8)=1.1682×10−4m
Where:
The diameter of the nucleus is in the range of 1.75 fm (1.75×10−15 m) for hydrogen (the diameter of a single proton) to about 15 fm for the heaviest atoms, such as uranium. These dimensions are much smaller than the diameter of the atom itself (nucleus+electron cloud), by a factor of about 23,000 (uranium) to about 145,000 (hydrogen).
Moreover, it should be appreciated that, under the conditions in the reactor chamber during fusion, the target will/may evaporate after each reaction and replacement will/may be needed.
The reaction chamber should be sized appropriately for the desired energy transfer, meaning that the exothermicity of the higher reaction efficiencies should be translated into the heat transfer surface area needed to maintain an efficient steady state process.
Heat transfer through the high vacuum reaction chamber to the steam vessel is required to drive conventional turbines to generate electrical power. As such, it is the heat transfer through the chamber, maintenance and fabrication, and the reaction process that govern optimum chamber dimensions.
Using conventional light water reactor general parameters as a reference, for example, a 2 GW Nuclear Fusion Power Plant Reactor would have 4 chamber modules each having a nominal 54 m2 surface area. Heat transfer levels into the chamber wall from the reaction will not be excessive resulting in chamber failure. A high vacuum reaction chamber failure mode could manifest as a leak—where the heat transfer medium, steam, or atmospheric air enters the chamber and prevents the high vacuum conditions required for the process.
This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 16/943,837, filed Jul. 30, 2020, which is a continuation U.S. application Ser. No. 15/601,980, filed May 22, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,770,186, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 14/720,894, filed May 25, 2015, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/002,922, filed May 26, 2014, each of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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| 20230124551 A1 | Apr 2023 | US |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
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| Parent | 16943837 | Jul 2020 | US |
| Child | 17967030 | US |
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| Parent | 15601980 | May 2017 | US |
| Child | 16943837 | US | |
| Parent | 14720894 | May 2015 | US |
| Child | 15601980 | US |
