Nuclear fusion reactor incorporating spherical electromagnetic fields to contain and extract energy

Abstract

A nuclear fusion reactor system includes a reactor core containing nuclear fusionable material and a plurality of conducting spheres arranged adjacent each other with at least two of said conducting spheres adjacent the reactor core. The reactor core and the conducting spheres form a electro/magnetic circuit such that fusion of fusionable material in the reactor core establishes an electro/magnetic flow around the electro/magnetic circuit. Preferably, a spherical electromagnetic confinement field is initiated around the reactor core such that fusion of the nuclear fusionable material generates a plasma which interacts with the spherical electromagnetic confinement field in a magnethydrodynamic manner. Preferably, electrical energy is inductively extracted in response to the electro/magnetic flow through a coil arrangement located around at least one of the conducting spheres.

What is claimed:  
     
         1 . A nuclear fusion reactor system comprising: 
 a reactor core containing nuclear fusionable material;    a plurality of conducting spheres arranged adjacent each other with at least two of said conducting spheres adjacent said reactor core;    means operably connected to at least one of said conducting spheres for initiating a spherical electromagnetic confinement field proximate said reactor core; and 
 means for initiating fusion of said fusionable material.  
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein fusion of said fusionable material generates a plasma that interacts with said spherical electromagnetic confinement field in a magnethydrodynamic manner.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said reactor core and said conducting spheres form a magnetic circuit and fusion of said fusionable materials establishes a magnetic flow around said magnetic circuit.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  further comprising: 
 means operably connected to at least one of said conducting spheres for inductively extracting electrical energy in response to said magnetic flow.  
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said reactor core and said conducting spheres form an electrical circuit and fusion of said fusionable materials establishes an electrical flow around said electrical circuit.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  further comprising: 
 means operably connected to at least one of said conducting spheres for inductively extracting electrical energy in response to said electrical flow.  
 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said conducting spheres are of a uniform size.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein each conducting sphere is comprised of a spherical conductive layer having a non-conductive material contained within said spherical conductive layer.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein said conductive layer is comprised of a copper-niobium alloy and said non-conductive material is amorphous carbon.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said conducting sphere and said reactor core are arranged in an oval with said reactor core located in a middle of a straight segment of said oval and said means for initiating said electromagnetic confinement field is located along another straight segment of said oval.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said conducting spheres are positioned in a non- conductive retaining channel, said retaining channel having dimensions that permit thermal expansion of said conducting spheres during operation of the system.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said retaining channel contains a non-conductive liquid coolant.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said retaining channel contains a liquid coolant and said conducting spheres include an insulating layer surrounding at least a portion of each conducting sphere.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 means operably connected to at least one of said conducting spheres for inductively extracting electrical energy.  
 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said means for initiating said electromagnetic confinement field and said means for extracting extracting electrical energy comprise a coil arrangement positioned around at least one of said conducting spheres, said coil arrangement selectively operably coupled to a source of electrical energy for said means for initiating said electromagnetic confinement field and to a power grid for said means for extracting electrical energy.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein said coil arrangement is selected from the set consisting of: at least one hemispheric coil, at least one spheric coil, at least one Rowland ring coil, or any combination thereof.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 14  wherein said source of electrical energy comprises a bank of charged electrical capacitors.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said plurality of conducting spheres comprise at least ten conducting spheres arranged adjacent each other in an oval pattern.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein said oval pattern includes a plurality of reactor cores.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said two of said conducting spheres adjacent said reactor core include a divot region defined in a portion of the conducting sphere adjacent said reactor core.  
     
     
         21 . A nuclear fusion reactor system comprising: 
 a reactor core containing nuclear fusionable material;    a plurality of conducting spheres arranged adjacent each other with at least two of said conducting spheres adjacent said reactor core;    means for initiating fusion of said fusionable material such that said reactor core and said conducting spheres form an electro/magnetic circuit and fusion of said fusionable materials establishes an electro/magnetic flow around said electro/magnetic circuit; and    means operably connected to at least one of said conducting spheres for inductively extracting electrical energy in response to said electro/magnetic flow.    
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 2 ′ wherein said conducting sphere and said reactor core are arranged in an oval with said reactor core located in a middle of a straight segment of said oval and said means for inductively extracting electrical energy is located along another straight segment of said oval.  
     
     
         23 . A method for the production of commercial electricity, comprising the steps of: 
 generating a spherical magnetic confinement field around a fusion fuel source located in a reactor core;    igniting a fusion burn to convert said fusion fuel source to fusion plasma;    transferring energy released from said fusion burn to a proximally located conducting sphere;    converting energy transferred to said conducting sphere into a form capable of transfer and use through an electric power grid.    
     
     
         24 . A nuclear fusion reactor system comprising: 
 a reactor core containing nuclear fusionable material;    means for creating a spherical electromagnetic confinement field proximate said reactor core; and    means for initiating fusion of said fusionable material that generates a plasma which interacts with said spherical electromagnetic confinement field in a magnethydrodynamic manner.    
     
     
         25 . A method for confining a fusion plasma burn inside a reactor core, comprising the steps of: 
 inducing a strong spherical electromagnetic field in at least one reactor core; and    initiating a fusion burn in the reactor core that generates a plasma which interacts with the spherical electromagnetic field in a magnethydrodynamic manner.    
     
     
         26 . A nuclear fusion reactor system comprising: 
 a reactor core containing nuclear fusionable material;    means for creating a spherical electromagnetic confinement field proximate said reactor core; and    means for initiating fusion of said fusionable material such that said spherical electromagnetic confinement field creates a magnethydrodynamic effect within said reactor core.    
     
     
         27 . A method for confining a fusion plasma burn inside a reactor core, comprising the steps of: 
 inducing a strong spherical electromagnetic field in at least one reactor core; and    initiating a fusion burn in the reactor core such that said spherical electromagnetic confinement field creates a magnethydrodynamic effect within said reactor core.