Methods and systems for increasing energy output in Z-pinch plasma confinement systems

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 a 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 that is sufficiently strong to axially compress a fuel gas to induce thermonuclear fusion, and increasing a fusion energy gain factor to be greater than a fusion energy gain factor limit that can be reached by the thermonuclear fusion. In some 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 impact between fusion byproducts and the fuel gas. In some examples, by adjusting the duty cycle, the magnetic field may be adjusted to induce or increase the thermal impact.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 344,534, filed on May 20, 2022, and entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INCREASING ENERGY OUTPUT IN Z-PINCH PLASMA CONFINEMENT SYSTEM.” The entire contents of the above-identified application are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

[0003] STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

[0004] This invention was made at least in part with government support under Grant Nos. DE-AR001010 and DE-AR001260 awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy. The government has certain rights in this invention. Technical Field

[0005] Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein relate to methods and systems for plasma confinement to initiate thermonuclear fusion reactions, and more particularly to methods and systems for increasing energy output by adjusting one or more operating parameters of a Z-pinch plasma confinement system. Background Art

[0006] It is widely believed that the "holy grail" of utilizing cheap, efficient, and renewable energy lies in the production-scale generation of self-sustaining, capturable fusion power, or "fusion ignition." For a given fusion device, approaching fusion ignition can be viewed as an optimization problem. For example, this problem can actually be reduced to the optimization of one or more operating parameters that maximize the fusion energy gain factor, Q, which can be defined as:

[0007] Q=P f / P in

[0008] Where P f is the power released by the fusion reaction in the fusion device, and P in is the heating power input to a fusion device under a set of standard operating conditions. However, even for one of ordinary skill in the art, it may require extensive and excessive experimentation to determine which operating parameters to adjust and to what extent to achieve fusion ignition. Moreover, the difficulty of successfully configuring a fusion device capable of performing such adjustments and exploiting the resulting energy output may further hinder the exploration of operating parameter adjustments at or above the expected physical limits. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Various embodiments and techniques will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0010] Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a plasma confinement system according to at least one embodiment;

[0011] Figure 2 A block diagram is shown of a method for operating a plasma confinement system according to at least one embodiment, for example, by initiating and driving a shear ion velocity flow therein to stabilize a Z-cuff scaling circuit;

[0012] Figures 3A to 3F According to at least one embodiment, Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view of the process of initiating and driving shear ion velocity flow to stabilize Z-hoop scaling in a plasma confinement system of;

[0013] Figure 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a plasma confinement system according to at least one embodiment;

[0014] Figure 5 A block diagram illustrating a method for operating a plasma confinement system according to at least one embodiment is shown;

[0015] Figure 6 shows a predictive graph of an exemplary duty cycle for a discharge current during operation of a plasma confinement system according to at least one embodiment;

[0016] Figure 7 A diagram showing exemplary trajectories of alpha particles confined within a magnetic field generated by a plasma confinement system according to at least one embodiment;

[0017] Figure 8 a composite graph showing an expected fusion energy gain factor produced by a plasma arc confined within a plasma confinement system and the plasma temperature, plasma density, and pinch radius of the confined plasma arc as a function of Z-pinch scaling electrical current according to at least one embodiment; and

[0018] Fig. 9 Graphs showing thermal energy recovery and plasma density as a function of Z-hoop scaling electrical current are shown in accordance with at least one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] The technology described and suggested herein includes a system including a non-transitory memory for storing executable instructions that, if executed by one or more processors, cause the system to adjust one or more operating parameters to generate a magnetic field that is strong enough to axially compress a fuel gas to induce thermonuclear fusion and increase the fusion energy gain factor to a value greater than a fusion energy gain factor limit achievable by thermonuclear fusion. The one or more operating parameters may be one or more operating parameters of a plasma confinement system in which the magnetic field may be generated.

[0020] In at least one embodiment, a plasma confinement system may include a plasma confinement chamber and a controller including executable instructions stored in a non-transitory memory that, if executed by one or more processors of the controller, cause the controller to determine a threshold amount of thermal collisions of alpha particles with a fuel gas and adjust a duty cycle of a discharge current applied to the fuel gas contained within the plasma confinement chamber to achieve the threshold amount of thermal collisions of alpha particles with the fuel gas.

[0021] In at least one embodiment, a method may include adjusting a magnetic field from a first intensity value applied to axially compress a fuel gas within a plasma confinement chamber to a second intensity value that causes greater thermal collisions between alpha particles and the fuel gas than the magnetic field at the first intensity value. The plasma confinement chamber may be configured within a plasma confinement system.

[0022] These and other aspects, advantages and alternatives will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reading the following detailed description and, where appropriate, referring to the accompanying drawings. Further, it should be understood that the description and drawings provided herein are intended to illustrate the present invention by way of example only, and therefore, many variations are possible.

[0023] For example, the following description relates to various embodiments of systems and methods for confining plasma within a fusion device at a sufficient temperature and sufficient density for a sufficient time to induce thermonuclear fusion. In some embodiments, the output from thermonuclear fusion can be used to generate / store energy. However, other use cases for the disclosed embodiments or their variations are contemplated, such as propulsion (e.g., for space vehicles, aircraft, ships, and submersibles, etc.), research, etc. In extreme environments (e.g., a reduced-weight environment on a space vehicle), certain modifications may be made, for example, to maintain performance.

[0024] In example embodiments, plasma confinement may be achieved via a Z-pinch configuration, in which an electric current (also referred to as a "Z-pinch current" or "pinch current") is discharged through a plasma to generate a magnetic field that compresses or "pinches" the plasma along an axis (e.g., along a linear path through an assembly region of a plasma confinement chamber). In such embodiments, the fusion energy gain factor, Q, of the Z-pinch configuration may be expected to "plateau" at a predetermined value. For example, given a set of conditions (e.g., pinch current amplitude, pulse duration, duty cycle, etc.), Q may reach an upper limit, beyond which further optimization of various operating parameters may be expected to yield diminishing returns. Thus, certain configurations (such as the Z-pinch configuration described above) may not be configured to utilize more power than dictated by an expected upper limit for Q. For example, there may be little or no motivation to construct or operate a Z-pinch plasma confinement system so as to obtain a higher than expected power output given an assumed upper limit for Q.

[0025] However, the embodiments described herein are based, at least in part, on an unexpected scheme of Z-pinch plasma confinement operation. In at least one embodiment, for example, a Z-pinch plasma confinement system can be configured to adjust (e.g., increase) the magnetic field applied to compress the plasma to induce or increase fusion byproducts (e.g., alpha particles ( 4 He)) and fuel gas substances (such as substances containing deuterium and / or tritium (e.g., D2, T2, etc.), 3 He, 6 Li, 11 The technical effect of such collisions is that the kinetic energy of the fusion byproducts can be converted into thermal energy, which can increase the fusion yield and energy output of the Z-pinch plasma confinement system and thus can increase Q overall.

[0026] Adjusting the magnetic field to increase this thermal collision can be achieved in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, thermal collision can be increased by increasing the amplitude of the Z-hoop scaling current and / or increasing the applied voltage that drives the Z-hoop scaling current. Therefore, the duty cycle of the Z-hoop scaling current can be adjusted based on the corresponding adjustment of the absolute amplitude of the Z-hoop scaling current and / or the applied voltage. In additional or alternative embodiments, the duty cycle can be adjusted to maintain energy output while increasing thermal collision. For example, the pulse duration of the Z-hoop scaling current can be reduced, while the amplitude of the Z-hoop scaling current increases concomitantly. Therefore, for the same energy output, a shorter duty cycle can be obtained by adjusting a set of operating parameters (e.g., the amplitude and pulse duration of the Z-hoop scaling current) to obtain a larger portion of the energy output from the thermal collision. Advantageously, the efficiency of the energy output can be increased with a higher repetition rate or longer period between current pulses (e.g., to "wash away" or otherwise remove excess particles). More generally, an operator of a Z-pinch plasma confinement system can tune the duty cycle to adjust the efficiency of energy output based on energy storage capabilities, energy generation requirements, etc.

[0027] In addition to the above description and the following references Figures 1 to 9 In additional, alternative, or otherwise modified embodiments of the detailed description, one or more components of the plasma confinement system may be added, removed, replaced, modified, or interchanged to adapt the plasma confinement system to a given use case. As an example, plasma may be injected directly into a plasma confinement chamber of a plasma confinement system, for example, in addition to or in lieu of in-chamber conversion of a fuel gas species to plasma. Further, while various embodiments described herein are discussed with reference to Z-pinch plasma confinement, various embodiments may be applicable, with or without modification, to other types of thermonuclear fusion energy systems and plasma confinement systems that compress, react, or otherwise use plasma.

[0028] Reference now Figure 1 , shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a plasma confinement system 300, such as may be included in a thermonuclear fusion energy system, device, reactor, or other such apparatus or system. The plasma confinement system 300 may generate a plasma arc within an assembly region 326 of a plasma confinement chamber 340, the plasma arc being confined, compressed, and maintained by an axisymmetric magnetic field. The axisymmetric magnetic field may be stabilized by a shear ion velocity flow driven by a discharge between a pair of electrodes connected to the plasma confinement chamber 340. Figures 2 to 3F Further operational details of the plasma confinement system 300 are discussed. One or more aspects of the plasma confinement system 300 may be readily transferred to other plasma confinement configurations, such as those described below with reference to Figure 4The plasma confinement system 900 is described in detail.

[0029] In at least one embodiment, one or more operating parameters of a plasma confinement system (e.g., plasma confinement system 300) may be adjusted to account for fusion byproducts (e.g., 4 He) and the fuel gas (e.g., D2, T2, etc.) thermal collision. Figure 5 Exemplary methods for operating a plasma confinement system to induce or increase such thermal collisions are discussed in detail.Such adjustments may include adjustments to the duty cycle of a discharge current applied to the fuel gas; Figure 6 An exemplary duty cycle is provided in .

[0030] Certain plasma confinement configurations (such as a Z-pinch plasma confinement configuration) can retain a relatively high fraction of fusion byproducts during the plasma arc generation phase (regardless of the initial velocity of a given fusion byproduct, such as Figure 7 As shown). Therefore, when sufficient Z-hoop scaling current is provided, a thermal heating state can be entered, in which fusion byproducts collide with fuel gas particles and convert the kinetic energy of the collision into thermal energy. As shown. Figure 8 As shown, this additional heat energy can concomitantly increase the fusion energy gain factor. Fig. 9 As shown, greater thermal energy can be achieved with a corresponding increase in Z-hoop scaling current and plasma density within the plasma confinement chamber.

[0031] exist Figure 1 A set of Cartesian coordinate axes 152 are shown in FIG. 1 for contextualizing the positions of the various components of the plasma confinement system 300 and for use in describing the positions of the various components of the plasma confinement system 300. Figure 1 and 3A Specifically, an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis are provided which are perpendicular to each other, wherein the x-axis and the y-axis define Figure 1 The plane of the schematic cross-sectional view shown in , and the z-axis is perpendicular to it. In some embodiments, the direction of gravity can be Figure 1 The direction of gravity may be parallel to and coincide with any direction in the plane of the schematic cross-sectional view of . For example, the direction of gravity may be parallel to and coincide with the positive direction of the x-axis. In additional or alternative embodiments, the direction of gravity may be in a plane defined by the y-axis and the z-axis (e.g., parallel to and coincide with the negative direction of the y-axis).

[0032] In an example embodiment, the plasma confinement system 300 may include an inner electrode 302 and an outer electrode 304 that substantially surrounds the inner electrode 302 (when the term “substantially” is used herein, it means that the listed characteristics, parameters, or values ​​need not be achieved exactly, but may not exclude deviations or changes in the amount of the effect that the characteristics are intended to provide, including, for example, tolerances, measurement errors, measurement precision limitations, and other factors known to those skilled in the art). For example, the inner electrode 302 may be at least partially circumferentially surrounded by the outer electrode 304, such that one end (e.g., the first end 318) of the inner electrode 302 may be partially or completely surrounded by the outer electrode 304. In some embodiments, the inner electrode 302 can have a length ranging from 25 cm to 1 m or more (e.g., parallel to the y-axis and between the first end 318 and the opposing second end 320) and a radius ranging from 2 cm to 1 m (e.g., parallel to the x-axis), and the outer electrode 304 can have a length ranging from 50 cm to 6 m (e.g., parallel to the y-axis and between the first end 322 and the opposing second end 324), a radius ranging from 6 cm to 2 m or more (e.g., parallel to the x-axis), and an annular thickness ranging from 6 mm to 12 mm (e.g., along the x-axis).

[0033] In certain embodiments, and as Figure 1 As shown, the plasma confinement system 300 can further include an intermediate electrode 303 facing the inner electrode 302. In other embodiments, and as described below with reference to Figure 4 In detail, the middle electrode 303 may substantially surround the inner electrode 302, and the outer electrode 304 may substantially surround the middle electrode 303. For example, the inner electrode 302 may be at least partially circumferentially surrounded by the middle electrode 303, and the middle electrode 303 may be at least partially circumferentially surrounded by the outer electrode 304, so that one end (e.g., the first end 318) of the inner electrode 302 may be partially or completely surrounded by the middle electrode 303, and one end of the middle electrode 303 may be partially or completely surrounded by the outer electrode 304.

[0034] In some embodiments, the plasma confinement chamber 340 may be a physical structure that includes a volume defined by one or more electrodes, insulators, and internal components of the plasma confinement system 300. Thus, in some embodiments, the plasma confinement chamber 340 may include one or more electrodes, insulators, and internal components of the plasma confinement system 300 that define the volume of the plasma confinement chamber 340.

[0035] In an example embodiment, the outer electrode 304 may define a radially outer boundary of the plasma confinement chamber 340. In one example, the radially outer boundary may be cylindrical and formed as a circular cross-section propagating along the x-axis, the circular cross-section being parallel to a plane formed by the y-axis and the z-axis. The plasma confinement chamber 340 may be divided (e.g., without any physical division) into an acceleration region 310 between the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304 and an assembly region 326 between the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302 and the middle electrode 303. Alternatively, in an embodiment where the middle electrode 303 at least partially surrounds the inner electrode 302, the acceleration region 310 may be between the inner electrode 302 and the middle electrode 303, and the assembly region 326 may be between the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302 and the opposite end of the outer electrode 304. In either case, the plasma confinement system 300 can include a plurality of electrodes (e.g., an inner electrode 302, an intermediate electrode 303, and an outer electrode 304), each of the plurality of electrodes being coaxially arranged relative to the assembly region 326 (e.g., parallel to the x-axis) and positioned to be exposed to the assembly region 326 (e.g., each given electrode of the plurality of electrodes can be connected to the volume of the assembly region 326 without any intermediate components or volumes, such that current can be directly transferred from the confined plasma to the given electrode). More specifically, the outer electrode 304 can be positioned to define at least a portion of the outer boundary of the assembly region 326, the inner electrode 302 can be positioned at one end of the assembly region 326 (e.g., coincident with the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302), and the intermediate electrode 303 (when included) can be positioned at the same end of the assembly region 326 relative to the inner electrode 302 or at an opposite end of the assembly region 326 relative to the inner electrode 302. The plasma confinement system 300 can be configured to maintain a Z-pinch plasma (e.g., a plasma arc) within the assembly region 326, as described below. In some embodiments, the acceleration region 310 can have a length ranging from 25 cm to 1.5 m (e.g., parallel to the y-axis and between the second end 324 of the outer electrode 304 and the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302) and an annular thickness ranging from 2 cm to 10 cm, and the assembly region 326 can have a length ranging from 25 cm to 3 m (e.g., parallel to the y-axis and between the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302 and the first end 322 of the outer electrode 304).

[0036] The plasma confinement system 300 may include one or more first valves 306 configured to direct gas from within the inner electrode 302 to the acceleration region 310 and one or more second valves 312 configured to direct gas from outside the outer electrode 304 to the acceleration region 310. The gas may be a fuel gas that can be used to form a plasma arc when the gas is released into the plasma confinement chamber 340 and a discharge current is applied. As used herein, "fuel gas" may refer to any substance used to form a plasma arc. Thus, the fuel gas may include a neutral gas species such as dihydrogen [e.g., hydrogen (H2), deuterium (D2), and / or tritium (T2)], 3 He, 6 Li, 11 B, etc., and / or pre-ionized gas species (e.g., such as introduced via a "direct plasma injection" or "plasma injection" configuration).

[0037] The plasma confinement system 300 may include a first power supply 314 configured to apply a voltage (e.g., ranging from 2 kV to 50 kV in some examples, or ranging from 1 kV to 40 kV in other examples) between the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304. In some embodiments, the plasma confinement system 300 may further include a second power supply 315 configured to apply a voltage (e.g., ranging from 2 kV to 50 kV in some examples, or ranging from 1 kV to 40 kV in other examples) between the inner electrode 302 and the middle electrode 303. In some embodiments, the plasma confinement system 300 may operate with only one of the first power supply 314 and the second power supply 315. In other embodiments, the plasma confinement system 300 may operate with at least both the first power supply 314 and the second power supply 315. In some embodiments, one or both of the first power source 314 and the second power source 315 may include a switched pulse direct current (switched pulse-DC) power source (including an energy source (e.g., a capacitor bank), a switch (e.g., a spark gap, an ignition tube, or a semiconductor switch), and a pulse shaping network (including, for example, an inductor, a resistor, a diode, etc.). In some embodiments, one or both of the first power source 314 and the second power source 315 may be voltage controlled. In other embodiments, one or both of the first power source 314 and the second power source 315 may be current controlled. In some embodiments, other suitable types of power sources may be used as one or both of the first power source 314 and the second power source 315, including DC and alternating current (AC) power sources (e.g., a DC grid, a voltage source converter, a unipolar generator, etc.).

[0038] The inner electrode 302 may include an electrically conductive (e.g., stainless steel) housing having a modified cylindrical body 316 (e.g., a substantially cylindrical body having a tapered, rounded base at a first end 318). Specifically, the inner electrode 302 may include a first end 318 (e.g., a tapered, rounded base) and an opposing second end 320 (e.g., a substantially flat, rounded base). For example, the inner electrode 302 may include a nose cone 344 positioned at the first end 318, the nose cone 344 being exposed to the assembly region 326 so as to intersect an axis of a confined plasma arc coaxial with each of the plurality of electrodes (e.g., parallel to the x-axis). The inner electrode 302 may further include one or more conduits or channels 342 for routing a gas (e.g., a fuel gas) from the one or more first valves 306 to the acceleration region 310, such as during operation of the plasma confinement system 300, to produce thermonuclear fusion.

[0039] The outer electrode 304 may include a conductive (e.g., stainless steel) housing having a substantially cylindrical body 328. Specifically, the outer electrode 304 may include a first end 322 (e.g., a substantially flat, circular base) and an opposing second end 324 (e.g., a substantially flat, circular base). The outer electrode 304 may surround a majority (e.g., a majority) of the inner electrode 302. In an example embodiment, the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304 may be concentric and have radial symmetry with respect to the x-axis. The first end 318 of the inner electrode 302 may be between the first end 322 of the outer electrode 304 and the second end 324 of the outer electrode 304. The outer electrode 304 may further include one or more conduits or channels ( Figure 1 310 ), for example, during operation of the plasma confinement system 300, gas (eg, fuel gas) is routed from one or more second valves 312 to the acceleration region 310 to produce thermonuclear fusion.

[0040] The middle electrode 303 may include a conductive material (e.g., stainless steel). In some embodiments, the middle electrode 303 may be substantially disk-shaped. In other embodiments, the middle electrode may have a substantially cylindrical body that is concentric with each of the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304 and radially symmetric with respect to the x-axis.

[0041] The one or more first valves 306 may take the form of a so-called "purge valve" (e.g., operable to provide a fuel gas for forming a plasma or to increase the density of the generated plasma arc via a gas purge) or a plasma injector. In additional or alternative embodiments, the one or more first valves 306 may include at least one electrically actuated valve, such as a solenoid-driven valve. However, the one or more first valves 306 are not limited to such a configuration and may include any type of valve configured to direct a gas (e.g., H2, D2, and / or T2) from within the inner electrode 302 to the acceleration region 310.

[0042] In some embodiments, the one or more first valves 306 may include at least one gas purge valve (e.g., to provide neutral gas to the acceleration region 310) and / or at least one plasma injector (e.g., to provide pre-ionized gas to the acceleration region 310) installed along the inner electrode 302 in one or more regular arrays (e.g., regularly distributed around the central axis of the acceleration region 310). Figure 1 As shown, the one or more first valves 306 may be positioned (e.g., axially positioned) between the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302 and the second end 320 of the inner electrode 302. Alternatively, the one or more first valves 306 may be located (e.g., directly adjacent to) the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302 or the second end 320 of the inner electrode 302. Figure 1 In the embodiment, each of the one or more first valves 306 is disposed within the inner electrode 302 (e.g., positioned on the interior and interior surface of the inner electrode), but other examples are possible (e.g., positioned on the exterior and exterior surface of the inner electrode 302). The one or more first valves 306 can be electrically actuated, in that the one or more first valves 306 can be operated by providing a control voltage to the one or more first valves 306, as described below.

[0043] In an example embodiment, the acceleration region 310 may have a substantially annular cross-section defined by the shapes of the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304. Specifically, the inner electrode 302 may define a radially inner boundary of the acceleration region 310, and the outer electrode 304 may define a radially outer boundary of the acceleration region 310. In one example, each of the radially inner boundary and the radially outer boundary may be cylindrical and formed as a circular cross-section propagating along the x-axis, the circular cross-section being parallel to a plane formed by the y-axis and the z-axis. In other embodiments, the substantially annular cross-section of the acceleration region 310 may be defined by the shapes of the inner electrode 302 and the middle electrode 303 (e.g., the inner electrode 302 may define a radially inner boundary, and the middle electrode 303 may define a radially outer boundary).

[0044] In the same manner as the one or more first valves 306, the one or more second valves 312 may take the form of a "purge valve" or plasma injector. In additional or alternative embodiments, the one or more second valves 312 may include at least one electrically actuated valve, such as a solenoid-driven valve. However, the one or more second valves 312 are not limited to such a configuration and may include any type of valve configured to direct gas (e.g., H2, D2, and / or T2) from outside the outer electrode 304 (or the middle electrode 303) to the acceleration region 310.

[0045] In some embodiments, the one or more second valves 312 may include at least one gas purge valve (e.g., to provide neutral gas to the acceleration region 310) and / or at least one plasma injector (e.g., to provide pre-ionized gas to the acceleration region 310) mounted along the outer electrode 304 in one or more regular arrays (e.g., regularly distributed around the acceleration region 310). Figure 1 As shown, the one or more second valves 312 can be positioned (e.g., axially positioned) between the first end 322 of the outer electrode 304 and the second end 324 of the outer electrode 304. Alternatively, the one or more second valves 312 can be located (e.g., directly adjacent to) the first end 322 of the outer electrode 304 or the second end 324 of the outer electrode 304. Figure 1 In the embodiment, each of the one or more second valves 312 is arranged around the outer electrode 304 (e.g., positioned on the outside and outer surface of the outer electrode), but other examples are possible (e.g., positioned within the plasma confinement chamber 340, such as on the inner surface of the outer electrode 304 or on the inner surface of the middle electrode 303). Figure 1 In the embodiment, each of the one or more first valves 306 is axially aligned with each of the one or more second valves 312, but other examples are possible. The one or more second valves 312 can be electrically actuated, in that the one or more second valves 312 can be operated by providing a control voltage to the one or more second valves 312, as described below.

[0046] In some embodiments, the purge valves and / or plasma injectors included in the one or more first valves 306 and / or the one or more second valves 312 can be electronically triggered to independently deliver a "purge" of fill neutral and / or preionized gas for a duration of up to hundreds of μs (e.g., up to 1 ms). The amount of fill gas (also referred to herein as "fuel gas") delivered (e.g., in a "purge") can also be controlled by adjusting the fill gas pressure supplied to the purge valves and / or plasma injectors (e.g., supplied to individual or all gas purge valves and / or plasma injectors or a subset thereof). In addition, different purge valves and / or plasma injectors (or different combinations of multiple purge valves and / or plasma injectors) can be supplied with different fill gas mixtures having, for example, different fill gas element ratios and / or different isotope ratios (e.g., adjustable D2 / T2 molecular ratios). In some embodiments, the purge valves and / or plasma injectors can be uniform (e.g., all of the same type / size with substantially the same operating settings). In other embodiments, different purge valves and / or plasma injectors may be used at different locations. In additional or alternative embodiments, the purge valves and / or plasma injectors may control the flow of gas into the acceleration region 310 via a manifold that includes a plurality of ports that provide access to the acceleration region 310. In such embodiments, the ports of the manifold may be consistent or may vary in configuration (e.g., to deliver different amounts of gas to different locations in the acceleration region 310 when respective purge valves or plasma injectors are opened).

[0047] Similar to the neutral gas injection via the gas purge valve, the (pre) ionized gas or plasma can be injected using a combination or manifold of plasma injectors fluidly coupled to different locations of respective plasma generators or guns, which generate plasma before injection into the acceleration region 310. In some embodiments, the plasma can be derived from a gas injection cleaner plasma gun and / or a plasma thruster (e.g., a Hall effect thruster or a magnetohydrodynamic thruster), or if the plasma is magnetized, from a high power helical plasma source, a radio frequency plasma source, a plasma torch, and / or a laser-based plasma source. Plasma formed from a gas mixture can also be generated and injected in a manner similar to neutral gas injection. Plasma injection can provide finer control over the final axial plasma distribution and its shear flow distribution, which in turn can allow for higher fidelity control over plasma stability and lifetime. Since plasma particles are charged particles, they can be accelerated by the electric field generated by the variable electrical bias (or voltage) on the injection electrode, so additional control of plasma injection can be provided. Thus, the velocity of the injected plasma can be finely controlled to allow for fine tuning and optimization of the breakdown of any neutral gas present (e.g., in the acceleration region 310). Additionally, the injected plasma can travel at a faster velocity than the injected neutral gas, which can travel in a nearly static manner (relative to the injected plasma) during the Z-hoop scaling electrical pulse. Thus, relative to neutral gas injection, plasma injection can provide pre-ionized fuel "on demand" (e.g., more immediately), for example, to replenish fuel gas during the Z-hoop scaling electrical pulse.

[0048] In some embodiments, the preionized gas may be produced as an unmagnetized plasma, e.g., to avoid interaction between the magnetic field of the preionized gas and the magnetic field of the acceleration region 310. In other embodiments, the preionized gas may be produced as a magnetized plasma, e.g., to align the magnetic field of the preionized gas to be parallel to the magnetic field of the acceleration region 310 and / or may be adjusted to provide a desired magnetic flux distribution at the injection point of the preionized gas.

[0049] In some embodiments, the plasma to be injected into the acceleration region 310 can be generated by pre-ionizing the neutral gas with a spark plug or via inductive ionization. More generally, the blow valve and / or plasma injector can include one or more electrode plasma injectors and / or one or more electrodeless plasma injectors. In the example where one or more electrode plasma injectors are included, the plasma to be injected into the acceleration region 310 can be generated at least in part by electrode discharge. In the additional or alternative example where one or more electrodeless plasma injectors are included, the plasma to be injected into the acceleration region 310 can be generated at least in part by an inductive discharge generated by an external coil window (e.g., a radio frequency antenna operating at 400kHz, 13.56MHz, 2.45GHz and / or other frequencies allowed for use within a given local jurisdiction, such as within the frequency range allowed by the Federal Communications Commission). In some embodiments, the neutral gas used for pre-ionization can be limited by the configuration of the neutral gas reservoir (e.g., gas source 330) and / or the conductivity of the neutral gas to the selected plasma injector configuration.

[0050] In some embodiments, the axial distribution of the injected plasma can be ensured via an axisymmetric plasma injector configuration. In at least one embodiment, eight plasma injectors can be positioned at eight equally spaced ports of the manifold, respectively. The eight ports can each be configured to be at an inclined angle (e.g., between 5° and 90° relative to the central axis of the acceleration region 310) relative to the shell of the acceleration region 310 (e.g., the surrounding outer electrode 304). In one example, the angle of inclination relative to the central axis of the acceleration region 310 can be 45°. In some embodiments, the eight ports can be configured at a single axial position along the central axis of the acceleration region 310 (i.e., the eight ports can be equally spaced around the circumference or other periphery of the acceleration region 310 at an axial position). In other embodiments, the ports may include multiple groups of eight ports, wherein each group of eight ports is equally spaced around different axial positions along the central axis of the acceleration region 310. In an example embodiment, the eight port groups may be configured as staggered pairs, wherein a first group of eight ports may be positioned at a first axial position, and a second group of eight ports may be positioned at a different second axial position and rotated relative to the first group such that each port of the second group is positioned between a pair of ports of the first group relative to the circumference of the acceleration region 310. Specifically, in such an embodiment, each port of the first group of eight ports may be spaced every 45° around the circumference of the acceleration region 310, and each port of the second group of eight ports may be spaced every 45° around the circumference of the acceleration region 310, offset (rotated) by 22.5° from the first group of ports such that a port in the first and second groups is disposed every 22.5° around the circumference of the acceleration region 310. In additional or alternative embodiments, the plasma injection may be performed azimuthally, for example, along a chord perpendicular to the central axis of the acceleration region 310, so as to generate azimuthal flow within the acceleration region 310. In some embodiments, additional purge valves and / or plasma injectors may be included to allow for injection of more fuel gas (e.g., for longer lasting hoop scaling) and control of the axial pressure distribution of the fuel gas in the acceleration region 310 (e.g., for additional enhancement of shear ion velocity flow duration). In additional or alternative embodiments, the valves may be configured differently (e.g., azimuthally asymmetrically distributed and / or with different angular distributions), with other variations, to achieve substantially equivalent distributions by compensating for the effects of variations.

[0051] In some embodiments, injecting the acceleration region 310 with a preionized gas can produce a plasma having a plasma temperature in the range of 1 to 10 eV. The plasma temperature can be reduced (e.g., by reducing the amount of energy input into the process gas used to produce the preionized gas) in order to increase the resistivity of the preionized gas and the resulting plasma. Specifically, increasing the resistivity can reduce the tendency of the preionized gas to oppose changes in magnetic flux, and thereby reduce the tendency to oppose motion within the magnetic field present in the acceleration region 310.

[0052] As described above, because the injection velocity of the preionized gas can be significantly greater than the injection velocity of the neutral gas, the velocity of the plasma in the acceleration region 310 can be as high as 50×10 3 m / s. In some embodiments, the injection of preionized gas can provide flexibility in the amount of injected particles. Specifically, in an example embodiment, a certain amount of preionized gas particles can be injected in 1 / 50 of the time used to inject the same amount of neutral gas particles. For example, for injecting 10 Torr-L of neutral gas particles (where 1 Torr-L is equivalent to 2.5×10 19 In some embodiments, the injection rate (or mass flow rate) of the pre-ionized gas can be varied according to the power supply current and voltage (i.e., the waveform of the injection pulse). As an example, increasing the power supply voltage (e.g., to between 100V and 500V) can concomitantly increase the injection speed. As another example, increasing the power supply current (e.g., to between 1A and 500A) can concomitantly increase the injection rate. In some embodiments, the power supply voltage can be increased to between 750V and 5kV.

[0053] As described above, the gas blowing valves and / or plasma injectors can be activated individually or in groups. The initial gas load inside the acceleration region 310 with the desired axial and azimuthal profile can be achieved by timing individual valves and / or valve groups. Such valves (or groups thereof) can be timed in a manner that the arrival of neutral and / or pre-ionized gas and / or its mixture is aligned with the desired initial distribution. The power supply (e.g., power supplies 314 and 315 or a separate dedicated power supply) can be timed to achieve ionization at the desired axial position and utilize the initial gas load to generate and maintain shear flow. In some embodiments, the power supply can include a capacitor bank and a switch. In other embodiments, other suitable types of power supplies can be used, including flywheel power supplies.

[0054] Various combinations of (neutral gas) purge valves and plasma injectors can be activated to achieve desired power output levels. In addition, plasma can be injected into the acceleration region 310 significantly faster (e.g., about 100x) than the blown neutral gas. The combination of accelerated plasma injection and the different injection speeds allowed by the neutral gas injection provides an even larger parameter space for optimization. In addition, the plasma injector can be used to inject mass and precisely control the location of neutral gas ionization.

[0055] In an example embodiment, the first power source 314 and the second power source 315 may take the form of respective capacitor banks, each of which is capable of storing up to 10MJ (e.g., 0.1 to 10MJ). In one such embodiment, the first power source 314 and the second power source 315 may take the form of respective capacitor banks capable of storing up to 100-200kJ and 3-4MJ, respectively.

[0056] The plasma confinement system 300 may include a gas source 330 (eg, a pressurized tank) and one or more first regulators 332, each configured to control the flow of gas from the gas source 330 through the one or more first valves 306. For clarity, Figure 1 Respective connections (eg, pipes) between the one or more first regulators 332 and the one or more first valves 306 are omitted.

[0057] Similarly, the plasma confinement system 300 may include one or more second regulators 334 that are each configured to control the flow of gas from the gas source 330 through the one or more second valves 312. Figure 1 Respective couplings (eg, pipes) between the one or more second regulators 334 and the one or more second valves 312 are omitted.

[0058] In some embodiments, the plasma confinement system 300 may include a first insulator 336 (e.g., having an annular cross-section) between the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304 to maintain electrical isolation between the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304. In other embodiments, such as when the inner electrode 302 is at least partially surrounded by the middle electrode 303, the first insulator 336 may be positioned between the inner electrode 302 and the middle electrode 303 to maintain electrical isolation between the inner electrode 302 and the middle electrode 303. In example embodiments, the first insulator 336 may be formed of an electrically insulating material such as glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic material. In some embodiments, one or more valves (e.g., a gas purge valve and / or a plasma injector) may extend through the first insulator 336 or be provided in place of the first insulator to inject a neutral gas and / or a pre-ionized gas at an end of the acceleration region 310 opposite the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302.

[0059] Similarly, the plasma confinement system 300 may include a second insulator 337 (e.g., having a circular cross-section) between the middle electrode 303 and the outer electrode 304 to maintain electrical isolation between the middle electrode 303 and the outer electrode 304. In example embodiments, the second insulator 337 may be formed of an electrically insulating material such as glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic material.

[0060] The plasma confinement system 300 may include a vacuum chamber 338 that at least partially surrounds the inner electrode 302, the middle electrode 303, and / or the outer electrode 304. Figure 1 In the example embodiment depicted in FIG. 1 , the vacuum chamber 338 completely surrounds each of the inner electrode 302, the middle electrode 303, and the outer electrode 304 (and thereby the plasma confinement chamber 340). In an example embodiment, the vacuum chamber 338 may be formed as a stainless steel pressure vessel. In some embodiments, the pressure inside the vacuum chamber 338 may be 10 -9 Torr to 20 Torr (e.g., 10 -9 Support up to 10 -3 within the range of .

[0061] The plasma confinement system 300 may include a controller or other computing device 348, which may include non-transitory memory on which executable instructions may be stored. The executable instructions may be executed by one or more processors of the controller 348 to perform various functions of the plasma confinement system 300. Thus, the executable instructions may include various routines for operating, maintaining, and testing the plasma confinement system 300. The controller 348 may further include a user interface at which an operator of the plasma confinement system 300 may enter commands or otherwise modify the operation of the plasma confinement system 300. The user interface may include various components for facilitating operator use of the plasma confinement system 300 and for receiving operator input (e.g., a request to generate a plasma arc for thermonuclear fusion, etc.), such as one or more displays, input devices (e.g., a keyboard, a touch screen, a computer mouse, depressible buttons, mechanical switches, other mechanical actuators, etc.), lights, etc. The controller 348 may be communicatively coupled to various components of the plasma confinement system 300 (e.g., valves, power supplies, etc.) to command their actuation and use (for clarity, the user interface may be described in detail in the following sections). Figure 1 Wired and / or wireless communication paths between the controller 348 and various components are omitted).

[0062] Reference now Figures 2 to 3F , showing a plasma confinement system (such as that referenced above Figure 1 Detailed description of the plasma confinement system 300) operating aspects. Specifically, in Figure 2 In FIG. 1 , a block diagram of a method 200 for operating a plasma confinement system is shown, and in FIG. Figures 3A to 3F In the figure, they are shown respectively Figure 1 Schematic cross-sectional view of a portion 350 of a plasma confinement system 300 and its function. Figure 1 and Figures 3A to 3F At least some aspects of the method 200 are shown as follows. In an example embodiment, operation of a plasma confinement system (eg, plasma confinement system 300) may include initiating and driving a shear ion velocity flow therein for stabilizing a Z-hoop scaling circuit.

[0063] In some embodiments, method 200 or portions thereof may be implemented as executable instructions stored in a non-transitory memory of a computing device, such as a controller communicatively coupled to a plasma confinement system. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, additional or alternative sequences of steps may be implemented as executable instructions on such a computing device, wherein individual steps discussed with reference to method 200 may be added, removed, replaced, modified, or interchanged.

[0064] At block 902, method 200 may include directing a gas from within an inner electrode to an acceleration region of a plasma confinement chamber via one or more first valves. In an example embodiment, the acceleration region may be located between the inner electrode and an outer electrode substantially surrounding the inner electrode. In other embodiments, the acceleration region may be located between the inner electrode and an intermediate electrode substantially surrounding the inner electrode, the outer electrode substantially surrounding the intermediate electrode.

[0065] For example, and if Figure 3A and 3B As shown, one or more first valves 306 can direct gas 912 from within the inner electrode 302 to the acceleration region 310 between the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304 that substantially surrounds the inner electrode 302. Specifically, Figure 3A An initial amount of gas 912 entering the acceleration region 310 is shown, and Figure 3B An additional amount of gas 912 is shown entering the acceleration region 310. Figure 3A As shown, the acceleration region 310 may be included in a plasma confinement chamber 340 along with the assembly region 326 .

[0066] In some embodiments, directing gas 912 via one or more first valves 306 may include (e.g., via a power source, such as FIG. 3A to FIG. 3F The first valve voltage is provided to the one or more first valves 306 (e.g., to control terminals of the one or more first valves 306) by a capacitor bank (not shown in the figure), and then (e.g., via a DC power supply) a second valve voltage is provided to the one or more first valves 306. In an example embodiment, the first valve voltage may be greater than the second valve voltage, and the second valve voltage may be provided immediately (e.g., substantially immediately) after the first valve voltage is provided.

[0067] At block 904 , method 200 may include directing gas from outside the outer electrode to the acceleration region via one or more second valves.

[0068] For example, and if Figure 3A and 3B As shown, one or more second valves 312 may direct a portion of gas 912 into acceleration region 310 .

[0069] In some embodiments, directing gas 912 via one or more second valves 312 may include providing a third valve voltage (e.g., to control terminals of one or more second valves 312) to one or more second valves 312 (e.g., via a power source such as a capacitor bank, not shown), followed by providing (e.g., via a DC power source) a fourth valve voltage to one or more second valves 312. In example embodiments, the third valve voltage may be greater than the fourth valve voltage, and the fourth valve voltage may be provided immediately (e.g., substantially immediately) after providing the third valve voltage.

[0070] After operation of the one or more first valves 306 and the one or more second valves 312, the pressure of the gas, for example, directly adjacent to (at the time of release) or within the gas chamber of each of the one or more first valves 306 and the one or more second valves 312 (such as within the gas chamber, when present) can be as high as 5800 Torr, such as within a range of 1000 to 5800 Torr (e.g., 5450 to 5550 Torr), before a voltage is applied between the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304 via the first power source 314. Accordingly, after operation of the one or more first valves 306 and the one or more second valves 312, the pressure of the gas within the acceleration region 310 can be as high as 5800 Torr, such as within a range of 1000 to 5800 Torr (e.g., 5450 to 5550 Torr), before a voltage is applied between the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304 via the first power source 314. In an example embodiment, the gas pressure within the acceleration region 310 may decrease with increasing distance from the gas insertion point and with the passage of time after the gas is no longer introduced into the acceleration region 310 .

[0071] At block 906 , method 200 may include applying a voltage between the inner electrode and the outer electrode via a first power source to convert at least a portion of the directed gas into a plasma having a substantially annular cross-section that flows axially within the acceleration region toward a first end of the inner electrode and a first end of the outer electrode.

[0072] For example, and if Figure 3C and 3D As shown, the first power supply 314 can apply a voltage between the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304 to convert at least a portion of the gas 912 into a plasma 916 having a substantially annular cross-section. The voltage applied by the first power supply 314 between the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304 can cause the radial electric field within the acceleration region 310 to be as high as 500 kV / m (e.g., in the range of 30 kV / m to 500 kV / m). Due to the magnetic field generated by the current passing through the plasma 916, the plasma 916 can flow axially within the acceleration region 310 toward the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302 and the first end 322 of the outer electrode 304 (e.g., Figure 3C and 3D ).

[0073] At block 908, the method 200 may include applying a voltage between the inner electrode and the middle electrode via a second power supply to establish a plasma arc (e.g., a Z-pinch plasma) flowing between the middle electrode and the first end of the inner electrode. In an example embodiment, the middle electrode may be positioned at the first end of the outer electrode. In other embodiments, and as described above, the middle electrode may substantially surround the inner electrode, and the outer electrode may substantially surround the middle electrode.

[0074] For example, and if Figure 3E and 3F As shown, the second power supply (for example, as shown in the above reference Figure 1 The second power supply 315 is described in detail; for clarity, Figures 3A to 3F The plasma arc 918 may be formed between the inner electrode 302 and the middle electrode 303 to confine the plasma 916 and establish a plasma arc 918 (also referred to herein as a Z-pinch plasma 918) flowing between the middle electrode 303 and the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302. As shown, when the plasma 916 moves beyond the acceleration region 310, the plasma arc 918 may be established. Specifically, the plasma arc 918 may flow into the assembly region 326 between the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302 and the middle electrode 303. In some embodiments, for example, when the inner electrode 302 is used as a cathode and the middle electrode 303 is used as an anode, each of the discharge current forming the plasma arc 918 and the shear axial (ion velocity) flow of the stable discharge current may flow from the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302 to the middle electrode 303. In other embodiments, for example, when the inner electrode 302 is used as an anode and the middle electrode 303 is used as a cathode, the discharge current can flow from the middle electrode 303 to the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302, and the shear axial flow can flow from the first end 318 of the inner electrode 302 to the middle electrode 303. In some embodiments, to enhance the shear flow distribution generated by the neutral gas injection, the use of a plasma injector, plasma gun, or ion source to inject pre-ionized gas can be combined. Therefore, in such embodiments, the plasma injection can occur quickly and on the same scale as blocks 902 and 904, and can be used to control the formation / initiation and dynamics of the plasma arc 918.

[0075] In an example embodiment, the plasma arc 918 can exhibit shear axial flow and have a radius of up to 5 mm (e.g., between 0.05 and 5 mm), an ion temperature of up to 100,000 eV (e.g., between 900 and 30,000 eV (e.g., 900 to 2,000 eV)), an electron temperature greater than 500 eV, a V-value greater than 1×10 23 ions / m 3 ion number density, and / or greater than 1×10 23 electrons / m 3The range may be stable for at least 1 μs (such as between 5 and 10 μs or up to 1 ms). It should be noted that such ranges are exemplary and may be modified based on the operating mode of plasma confinement system 300 or based on modifications to the size, function, configuration, etc. of plasma confinement system 300. For example, if the size of plasma confinement system 300 is increased, such ranges may be scaled proportionally (e.g., linearly, exponentially, etc.).

[0076] It should be noted that blocks 906 and 908 may be implemented by other means of controlling (a) the voltage between the inner electrode 302 and the outer electrode 304 and (b) the voltage between the inner electrode 302 and the middle electrode 303, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, the power supply may provide a voltage between the middle electrode 303 and the outer electrode 304 instead of between the inner electrode 302 and the middle electrode 303.

[0077] Reference now Figure 4 , shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a plasma confinement system 900, such as may be included in a thermonuclear fusion energy system, device, reactor, or other such apparatus or system. The plasma confinement system 900 may generate a plasma arc within an assembly region 630 of a plasma confinement chamber 610, the plasma arc being confined, compressed, and maintained by an axisymmetric magnetic field. The axisymmetric magnetic field may be stabilized by a shear ion velocity flow driven by a discharge between a pair of electrodes connected to the plasma confinement chamber 610.

[0078] Plasma confinement system 900 may be assembled and configured similarly to plasma confinement system 300, and may operate in a substantially similar manner in practice. Figure 1 The plasma confinement system 300 depicted is similar to the Figure 4 The main differences between the depicted plasma confinement systems 900 include the intermediate electrode 303 (in Figure 1 The relative positioning and spatial configuration of the intermediate electrode 920 (in Figure 4 The relative positioning and spatial configuration of the above referenced Figures 1 to 3F The descriptions provided can additionally be applied to Figure 4 In some embodiments, additional subsystems and / or functions may also be included in the plasma confinement system 900 that are not referenced above. Figures 1 to 3F Describes in detail and can additionally be applied to Figures 1 to 3F The embodiments described in .

[0079] exist Figure 4A set of Cartesian coordinate axes 452 are shown in FIG. 4 for contextualizing the positions of various components of the plasma confinement system 900. Specifically, an x-axis, a y-axis, and a z-axis are provided that are perpendicular to each other, wherein the x-axis and the y-axis define Figure 4 The plane of the schematic cross-sectional view shown in , and the z-axis is perpendicular to it. In some embodiments, the direction of gravity can be Figure 4 The direction of gravity may be parallel to and coincide with any direction in the plane of the schematic cross-sectional view of . For example, the direction of gravity may be parallel to and coincide with the positive direction of the x-axis. In additional or alternative embodiments, the direction of gravity may be in a plane defined by the y-axis and the z-axis (e.g., parallel to and coincide with the negative direction of the y-axis).

[0080] In an example embodiment, the plasma confinement system 900 may include an outer electrode 650 that is physically and functionally separated from an outer vacuum boundary 910 that forms a vacuum vessel 640 together with a portion of an inner electrode 660 as a low pressure vessel including the plasma confinement chamber 610. The intermediate electrode 920 may be positioned to have a radius between the radius of the inner electrode 660 and the radius of the outer electrode 650. Specifically, the intermediate electrode 920 may substantially surround the inner electrode 660, and the outer electrode 650 may substantially surround the intermediate electrode 920. For example, the inner electrode 660 may include one end 665 at least partially surrounded by the intermediate electrode 920, and the intermediate electrode 920 may include one end 965 at least partially surrounded by the outer electrode 650.

[0081] The plasma confinement system 900 may incorporate at least two functionally independent power supplies, for example, primarily arranged and controlled to drive a Z-pinch (discharge) current 950 (I 箍缩 ) and at least one additional power source 940 that is primarily arranged and controlled to drive the residual current 867. In some embodiments, the at least one main power source 930 may be a power supply device(s) separate from the at least one additional power source 940. In other embodiments, the at least one main power source 930 and the at least one additional power source 940 may be components of the same power supply device.

[0082] For example, in at least one embodiment, a single power supply device can have multiple outputs that individually provide an amount of power to enable respective functions to be performed (e.g., driving the Z-pinch current 950, driving the residual current 867, etc.). Such an arrangement can be based on at least two power supplies (e.g., one main power supply 930 and one additional power supply 940), and can allow additional control of the Z-pinch current 950 and its shear flow stability. In principle, the at least two power supplies can be scaled, charged, and controlled so that the Z-pinch current 950 and its stability can be maintained for a considerable period of time before any of the at least two power supplies is prematurely exhausted or depleted of stored energy.

[0083] In certain embodiments, the plasma confinement system 900 may incorporate a "tapered electrode" configuration characterized by widening the gap between the inner electrode 660 and the middle electrode 920 by tapering the end 965 of the middle electrode 920 outwardly along the x-axis to increase the volume of at least a portion of the acceleration region 620, e.g., in the direction of the (unsupported) ends 665 and 965. In one example, the taper may be between 0 and 15 degrees from the central axis of the plasma confinement system 900 (e.g., parallel to the x-axis). This arrangement may facilitate momentum transfer from the plasma heated by the residual current 867 to the neutral gas, e.g., along the positive direction of the x-axis, thereby generating and maintaining shear flow stability. The momentum transfer may be described and modeled using methods applicable to the design / optimization of a "de Laval nozzle" known in the field of jet propulsion.

[0084] Although the technology described herein is discussed in conjunction with thermonuclear fusion and, for example, utilizing the energy produced thereby, the technology described herein can be used for other purposes, such as heat generation (e.g., for manufacturing utilizing relatively high temperatures) and propulsion. For example, Figure 1 The plasma confinement system 300 or Figure 4 The plasma confinement system 900 of can be modified by at least removing the vacuum chamber 338 or the outer vacuum boundary 910, respectively, and introducing an opening in one end of the outer electrode 650 to allow fusion products to escape (e.g., parallel to the x-axis). In some embodiments, the magnetic nozzle ( Figure 4 ) can be positioned downstream of the outer electrode 650, for example to the right of the outer electrode 650 relative to the x-axis, to collimate the plasma to reduce any exhaust plume divergence.

[0085] The plasma confinement system 900 may include a controller or other computing device 948, which may include non-transitory memory on which executable instructions may be stored. The executable instructions may be executed by one or more processors of the controller 948 to perform various functions of the plasma confinement system 900. Thus, the executable instructions may include various routines for operating, maintaining, and testing the plasma confinement system 900. The controller 948 may further include a user interface at which an operator of the plasma confinement system 900 may enter commands or otherwise modify the operation of the plasma confinement system 900. The user interface may include various components for facilitating operator use of the plasma confinement system 900 and for receiving operator input (e.g., a request to generate a plasma arc for thermonuclear fusion, etc.), such as one or more displays, input devices (e.g., a keyboard, a touch screen, a computer mouse, a depressible button, a mechanical switch or other mechanical actuator, etc.), lights, etc. The controller 948 may be communicatively coupled to various components of the plasma confinement system 900 (e.g., valves, power supplies, etc.) to command their actuation and use (for clarity, the user interface may be described in detail in the following manner). Figure 4 Wired and / or wireless communication paths between the controller 948 and various components are omitted).

[0086] Reference now Figure 5 , showing a method for operating a plasma confinement system (such as that described above with reference to FIG. 1 ) by adjusting one or more operating parameters to account for collisions between fusion byproducts and fuel gas. Figures 1 to 4 In an example embodiment, the fusion byproducts may include 4 He, and the fuel gas may contain deuterium and / or tritium containing substances (such as D2 and / or T2), 3 He, 6 Li, 11 B, etc. In such embodiments, and in certain other embodiments described herein, the additional thermal energy resulting from the collisions may be referred to as "alpha energy," "alpha particle energy," or "alpha particle heating." When alpha particle heating is induced or increased by adjustments to one or more operating parameters, the alpha particle heating may increase the energy output of the plasma confinement system and thereby increase the fusion energy gain factor.

[0087] In some embodiments, method 500 or a portion thereof may be implemented as executable instructions stored in a non-transitory memory of a computing device, such as a controller communicatively coupled to a plasma confinement system. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, additional or alternative sequences of steps may be implemented as executable instructions on such a computing device, wherein individual steps discussed with reference to method 500 may be added, removed, replaced, modified, or interchanged.

[0088] At block 502, method 500 may include generating a request to initialize a plasma confinement system, according to which an initialization phase of the plasma confinement system may be initiated. In an example embodiment, the request may be generated in response to receiving a user input, such as from an operator of the plasma confinement system. For example, initialization of the plasma confinement system may be triggered or otherwise initiated via operator interaction with a user interface (e.g., a push button switch, a toggle switch or other mechanical actuator, a keyboard, a touch screen, a cursor input, etc.).

[0089] At block 504, method 500 may include, for example, initiating a plasma arc generation phase of the plasma confinement system after the initialization phase. Specifically, in example embodiments, the plasma arc generation phase may be initiated by at least energizing the plasma confinement system (e.g., one or more power supplies may power various components utilized during the plasma arc generation phase) and providing a fuel gas for forming a plasma to the plasma confinement chamber by increasing one or more valve openings.

[0090] At box 506, method 500 may include generating a plasma arc in a plasma confinement chamber, for example, during a plasma arc generation phase, by adjusting a duty cycle of a discharge current applied to the fuel gas to induce thermonuclear fusion and alpha particle heating. Specifically, by adjusting the duty cycle, a magnetic field applied to compress the fuel gas within the plasma confinement chamber may be adjusted to induce or increase thermal collisions (e.g., at or above a threshold amount, such as an amount commanded by an operator of the plasma confinement system). In an example embodiment, the duty cycle (and thereby the magnetic field applied) may be adjusted to increase alpha particle heating relative to energy generated via thermonuclear fusion and thereby increase the efficiency of energy output of the plasma confinement system. As an example, the amplitude of the discharge current may be increased while reducing the pulse duration of the discharge current so as to maintain energy output but increase the proportion of the energy output attributable to alpha particle heating (see, e.g., Figure 6 As another example, the amplitude of the discharge current may be increased while maintaining or increasing the pulse duration of the discharge current in order to increase the energy output and thereby increase the fusion energy gain factor (see, e.g., Figure 6 601 to 602 in FIG. 603, as described in more detail below). In some embodiments, and as described below with reference to Figure 8 As discussed in detail, by adjusting the duty cycle to capture thermal energy from increased thermal collisions (e.g., alpha particle heating) between fusion byproducts and fuel gas, the fusion energy gain factor can be increased to at least 10 2In addition, as the magnetic field strength increases from a first strength value to a second strength value (e.g., by increasing the amplitude of the discharge current), compression of the generated plasma arc may cause a concomitant increase in the plasma density. Fig. 9 As discussed in detail, greater heat energy from increased thermal collisions (e.g., alpha particle heating) between fusion byproducts and fuel gas can be generated by increased plasma density. Thus, when the magnetic field is adjusted from a first intensity value (e.g., applied to axially compress the fuel gas to generate a plasma arc) to a second intensity value, greater thermal collisions between fusion byproducts and fuel gas can be induced compared to when the magnetic field is at the first intensity value.

[0091] To enter an operating state in which alpha particle heating occurs, the duty cycle can be adjusted by adjusting one or more of the amplitude of the discharge current, the applied voltage causing the discharge current, and the pulse duration of the discharge current. Specifically, at dashed box 508, adjusting the duty cycle can include adjusting (e.g., increasing) or maintaining the amplitude of the discharge current greater than 1.5MA. For example, the amplitude of the discharge current can be adjusted (e.g., increased) or maintained between 1.5MA and 2.0MA. Additionally or alternatively, at dashed box 510, adjusting the duty cycle can include adjusting (e.g., increasing) or maintaining the applied voltage greater than 15kV. For example, the applied voltage can be adjusted (e.g., increased) or maintained between 15kV and 75kV. Additionally or alternatively, at dashed box 512, adjusting the duty cycle can include adjusting (e.g., reducing) or maintaining the pulse duration of the discharge current less than 300μs. For example, the pulse duration of the discharge current may be adjusted to (eg, reduced to) or maintained between 15 μs and 300 μs.

[0092] It should be noted that the dashed lines of dashed boxes 508, 510, and 512 indicate that in certain embodiments, the corresponding method steps (or portions of such method steps) may be optional in method 500. For example, in certain embodiments, the pulse duration of the discharge current may be maintained above 300 μs throughout the operation of the plasma confinement system.

[0093] At block 514, method 500 may include determining whether to stop plasma arc generation, for example, based on a request generated at the plasma confinement system. If there is no instruction to stop plasma arc generation, method 500 may return to block 506 to continue generating a plasma arc in the plasma confinement chamber.

[0094] If it is indicated to stop the plasma arc generation, the method 500 may proceed to block 516, where the method 500 may include stopping the plasma arc generation (e.g., ending the plasma arc generation phase). Specifically, the discharge current may stop being applied to the plasma, and one or more valve openings may be reduced or completely closed to reduce or stop the supply of fuel gas to the plasma confinement chamber, such that the plasma arc may become unsustainable and stop.

[0095] In at least one embodiment, the plasma confinement system can be a Z-pinch plasma confinement system. In a Z-pinch plasma confinement, an applied magnetic field can compress the fuel gas along an axis (e.g., a linear axis represented by z, hence a "Z"-pinch) in order to confine, stabilize, and maintain a plasma arc. In additional or alternative embodiments, the magnetic field can be stabilized throughout the plasma arc generation phase (and therefore throughout the adjustment of the magnetic field to initiate or increase, for example, thermal collisions between fusion byproducts and the fuel gas) by a shear ion velocity flow driven by a discharge current (also referred to herein as a "Z-pinch scaling electrical current" when discussed in the context of a Z-pinch plasma confinement). Due to the relatively high stability and strength of the magnetic field, and as described below with reference to Figure 7 As discussed in detail, alpha particles can be retained by the magnetic field with little or no dependence on the initial velocity of the alpha particles. Thus, more alpha particles can be retained for subsequent thermal collisions in the Z-pinch plasma confinement configuration (particularly when the discharge current is relatively high, e.g., greater than 1.5 mA) relative to certain other plasma confinement configurations.

[0096] Reference now Figure 6 , shows that in a plasma confinement system (such as the one referenced above Figures 1 to 4 Graphs 601, 602, and 603 of exemplary duty cycles for discharge current I during operation of any plasma confinement system described in detail. In each of graphs 601, 602, and 603, the abscissa indicates time t (in arbitrary units) and the ordinate indicates current I (in arbitrary units). Each of the exemplary duty cycles may be at a magnitude I ref and pulse duration t ref Current pulses and the fusion energy gain factor Q of the plasma confinement system ref Specifically, I ref and t ref The amplitude and pulse duration of the exemplary duty cycle depicted in graph 601 are characterized respectively, and Q ref Characterizing the fusion energy gain factor resulting from applying the exemplary duty cycle depicted in graph 601 .

[0097] A comparison between the exemplary duty cycle depicted in graph 601 and the exemplary duty cycles depicted in graphs 602 and 603, respectively, indicates the flexibility that can be gained by accessing the scheme for alpha particle heating. As an example of such flexibility, and as indicated by comparing the exemplary duty cycles of graphs 601 and 602, the amplitude of the current pulse can be increased to exceed I ref , in order to cause or increase alpha particle heating and thereby increase Q ref As another example of this flexibility, and as indicated by comparing the exemplary duty cycles of graphs 601 and 603, the amplitude of the current pulses can be increased to exceed I ref , and the pulse duration of the current pulse can be reduced to t ref In order to maintain Q ref While each of the exemplary duty cycles of graphs 601 and 603 may result in the same fusion energy gain factor (Q ref ), but the exemplary duty cycle of graph 603 may obtain greater thermal energy from increased thermal collisions between fusion byproducts and fuel gas (e.g., alpha particle heating) and may therefore be more efficient in terms of energy output (e.g., a greater proportion of the energy output of the plasma confinement system may be attributable to alpha particle heating when the exemplary duty cycle of graph 603 is requested relative to when the exemplary duty cycle of graph 601 is requested). That is, the exemplary duty cycle depicted in graph 603 may allow a plasma confinement system to utilize alpha particle heating to increase operating efficiency, which may not be able to utilize alpha particle heating for greater than Q. ref The energy output of a fusion energy gain factor (e.g., a fusion energy gain factor produced by the exemplary duty cycle of graph 602).

[0098] Therefore, when adjusting the duty cycle, Q ref Q may change (or not change) in response to how the area under the time curve of the duty cycle changes (or does not change). As an example, if the area under the time curve of the duty cycle increases, then Q ref can increase (see, e.g., graphs 601 and 602). As another example, if the area under the time curve of the duty cycle decreases, then Q ref As another example, if the area under the time curve of the duty cycle is maintained, Q can be maintained ref (See, eg, graphs 601 and 603).

[0099] Reference now Figure 7, graphs 701, 702, and 703 are shown of exemplary trajectories of alpha particles axially confined (e.g., along the z-axis) within a magnetic field generated by a plasma confinement system. Specifically, the plasma confinement system corresponding to graphs 701, 702, and 703 is a Z-pinch plasma confinement system, such as described above with reference to Figures 1 to 4 Any of the plasma confinement systems described in detail. In each of the graphs 701, 702, and 703, the abscissa indicates distance (in arbitrary units) along the z-axis, and the ordinate indicates distance (in arbitrary units) along the y-axis, each of the y and z axes being perpendicular to each other and scaled by a scaling factor a. As indicated by comparing the initial velocities 711, 712, and 713 of the exemplary trajectories depicted in the graphs 701, 702, and 703, respectively, in a Z-pinch plasma confinement system, alpha particles can be axially confined by a sufficiently strong magnetic field (e.g., induced by a sufficiently strong discharge current) substantially independent of the direction of the initial velocity and / or the magnitude of the initial velocity (e.g., the magnitude of the initial velocity component along a given axis). Therefore, a greater proportion of thermal energy generated by collisions of alpha particles with the fuel gas can be expected for the Z-pinch plasma confinement configuration than for certain other plasma confinement configurations.

[0100] Reference now Figure 8 , shows the change in pinch current caused by being confined in a plasma confinement system (such as the one referenced above) Figures 1 to 4 The expected fusion energy gain factor Q generated by the plasma arc in any plasma confinement system described in detail fus (curve 802) and Q fus,heat Composite graph 800 of the plasma temperature (curve 801) and plasma temperature (curve 803), plasma density (curve 804; also referred to herein as "number density" or "ion number density") and the pinch radius of the confined plasma arc (curve 805). In composite graph 800, the abscissa indicates the pinch current (in kA) and the left ordinate indicates the fusion energy gain factor Q fus and Q fus,heat (unitless quantity), and from left to right, the first right ordinate indicates the plasma temperature (in keV), the second right ordinate indicates the plasma density (in 10 20 cm -3 In the depicted example, the fusion energy gain factor Q is determined without considering the alpha particle heating in the plasma confinement system. fus , and the fusion energy gain factor Q is determined by taking into account alpha particle heating fus,heat As shown in the composite graph 800, the fusion energy gain factor Q fusAn upper limit 806 of about 20 to 30 is reached (for example, which can be achieved by thermonuclear fusion alone). In addition, based on the fusion energy gain factor Q fus , there may be little or no motivation to increase the pinch current above 1500 kA, because in such a pinch current regime the fusion energy gain factor Q fus There is little expected increase (i.e., the fusion energy gain factor Q fus can be considered to be "saturated" at about 1200 kA to 1500 kA, where the upper limit 806 may be approached). However, if the fusion energy gain factor Q is expected fus,heat , then there may be an incentive to access higher pinch current regimes (e.g., greater than 1500 kA) because the fusion energy gain factor Q fus,heat Can reach at least 10 2 And even up to 10 3 (or higher), depending on how high the amplitude of the commanded pinch current is. More specifically, adjusting the pinch current above 1500 kA can account for alpha particle heating by correspondingly adjusting the applied magnetic field that confines the plasma arc to induce sufficient thermal collisions between fusion byproducts (e.g., alpha particles) and the fuel gas so that at least 10 2 The fusion energy gain factor.

[0101] Reference now Fig. 9 , shows the change in the pinch current in a plasma confinement system (e.g., referenced above). Figures 1 to 4 Graph 850 of the fraction of thermal energy recovered and the plasma density produced during operation of any plasma confinement system described in detail. In graph 850, the abscissa indicates the pinch current (I, in MA), and the ordinate indicates the fraction of thermal energy recovered by the plasma confinement system that is produced via alpha particle heating. Legend 855 indicates the plasma density of each plasma, the results of which are plotted at a relatively low pinch current of 0.3 MA. Specifically, curve 811 indicates the plasma density of a plasma having a 4.25×10 23 m -3 The fraction of alpha energy recovered by the plasma at a plasma density of 2.1×10 24 m -3 The fraction of alpha energy recovered by the plasma at the plasma density is shown in curve 813 for a plasma with a plasma density of 4.25×10 24 m -3 The fraction of α energy recovered by the plasma at a plasma density of 8.5×10 24 m -3The fraction of alpha energy recovered by the plasma at the plasma density of . For each of curves 811, 812, 813, and 814, the plasma density can be increased according to adiabatic scaling. For example, at a pinch current of 0.3 MA (e.g., curve 814), the plasma density has a value of 8.5×10 24 m -3 The plasma density of the plasma can be increased to 3.9×10 at a pinch current of 0.5 mA (e.g., at point 851). 25 m -3 or greater, and increases to 3.1×10 26 m -3 or greater, and increases to 1.1×10 27 m -3 or greater, and increases to 2.5×10 27 m -3 or greater. In some embodiments, alpha particle heating can help recover a greater fraction of the alpha energy than would otherwise be expected, especially at higher plasma densities. For example, at a pinch current of 0.3 MA (e.g., curve 814), with 8.5×10 24 m -3 A plasma with a plasma density of can have an energy recovery of approximately 10% (e.g., within 8%-12%) for a current of 0.3MA to 1.0MA (e.g., at points 851 and 852), but the energy recovery can increase to approximately 20% (e.g., within 18%-22%) at 1.5MA (e.g., at point 853) and can increase to 30% or greater at a pinch current of 2.0MA (e.g., at point 854).

[0102] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be described according to the following terms:

[0103] 1. A system comprising a non-transitory memory for storing executable instructions which, if executed by one or more processors, cause the system to:

[0104] One or more operating parameters are adjusted to produce a magnetic field that is strong enough to:

[0105] axially compressing the fuel gas to induce thermonuclear fusion; and

[0106] The fusion energy gain factor is increased to a value greater than the fusion energy gain factor limit achievable by the thermonuclear fusion.

[0107] 2. A system according to clause 1, wherein the one or more operating parameters include one or more of the following: the amplitude of the discharge current applied to the fuel gas, the applied voltage driving the discharge current, or the pulse duration of the discharge current.

[0108] 3. The system of clause 2, wherein the executable instructions that, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to adjust the one or more operating parameters include instructions that, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to:

[0109] One or more of the following is performed: adjusting the amplitude of the discharge current to be greater than 1.5 MA, adjusting the applied voltage driving the discharge current to be greater than 15 kV, or adjusting the pulse duration of the discharge current to be less than 300 μs.

[0110] 4. A system according to any of clauses 1 to 3, wherein the executable instructions that if executed by the one or more processors cause the system to adjust the one or more operating parameters include instructions that if executed by the one or more processors cause the system to:

[0111] A duty ratio of the discharge current applied to the fuel gas is adjusted.

[0112] 5. A system according to any one of clauses 1 to 4, wherein the magnetic field increases the fusion energy gain factor to greater than the fusion energy gain factor limit by inducing thermal collisions between byproducts of the thermonuclear fusion and the fuel gas.

[0113] 6. The system of any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein the fusion energy gain factor is greater than 100 and the fusion energy gain factor limit is less than 100.

[0114] 7. The system of any one of clauses 1 to 6, wherein the fuel gas comprises one or both of a neutral gas or an ionized gas.

[0115] 8. The system of any one of clauses 1 to 7, further comprising a Z-pinch plasma confinement system in which the magnetic field is generated.

[0116] 9. A plasma confinement system comprising:

[0117] a plasma confinement chamber; and

[0118] A controller comprising executable instructions stored in a non-transitory memory, the executable instructions, if executed by one or more processors of the controller, causing the controller to:

[0119] determining a threshold amount of thermal collisions of alpha particles with the fuel gas; and

[0120] A duty cycle of a discharge current applied to the fuel gas contained within the plasma confinement chamber is adjusted to achieve the threshold amount of thermal collisions of the alpha particles with the fuel gas.

[0121] 10. The plasma confinement system of clause 9, wherein the executable instructions, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to adjust the duty cycle by:

[0122] One or more of the following is performed: the amplitude of the discharge current is increased to greater than 1.5 MA, the applied voltage driving the discharge current is increased to greater than 15 kV, or the pulse duration of the discharge current is reduced to less than 300 μs.

[0123] 11. The plasma confinement system of any of clauses 9 or 10, wherein the executable instructions, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to adjust the duty cycle by:

[0124] One or more of the following is performed: the amplitude of the discharge current is adjusted to between 1.5 MA and 2.0 MA or the applied voltage driving the discharge current is adjusted to between 15 kV and 75 kV.

[0125] 12. The plasma confinement system of any one of clauses 9 to 11, wherein the executable instructions, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to adjust the duty cycle by:

[0126] The pulse duration of the discharge current is adjusted to between 50 μs and 300 μs.

[0127] 13. The plasma confinement system of any one of clauses 9 to 12, wherein the executable instructions, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to adjust the duty cycle by:

[0128] Increase the area under the time curve of the duty cycle.

[0129] 14. The plasma confinement system of any one of clauses 9 to 12, wherein the executable instructions, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to adjust the duty cycle by:

[0130] The area under the time curve over which the duty cycle is maintained.

[0131] 15. The plasma confinement system of any one of clauses 9 to 14, wherein the plasma confinement system is a Z-pinch plasma confinement system.

[0132] 16. A method comprising:

[0133] A magnetic field is adjusted from a first intensity value applied to axially compress a fuel gas within a plasma confinement chamber to a second intensity value that causes greater thermal collisions between alpha particles and the fuel gas than the magnetic field at the first intensity value.

[0134] 17. The method of clause 16, wherein the magnetic field is adjusted by:

[0135] One or more of the following is performed: the amplitude of the discharge current is increased to between 1.5 MA and 2.0 MA, the applied voltage driving the discharge current is increased to between 15 kV and 75 kV, or the pulse duration of the discharge current is reduced to between 50 μs and 300 μs.

[0136] 18. The method of any of clauses 16 or 17, wherein the plasma confinement chamber is configured within a Z-pinch plasma confinement system.

[0137] 19. A method according to any of clauses 16 to 18, wherein the magnetic field is stabilized throughout the adjusting by a shear ion velocity flow driven by the discharge current.

[0138] 20. A method according to any one of clauses 16 to 19, wherein the magnetic field is adjusted to induce sufficient thermal collisions between the alpha particles and the fuel gas to achieve at least 10 2 The fusion energy gain factor.

[0139] The specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

[0140] Other variations are within the spirit of the present disclosure. Therefore, while the disclosed technology is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and have been described in detail above. However, it should be understood that there is no intention to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, it is intended to cover all modifications, alternative constructions and equivalents that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0141] Unless otherwise specified herein or explicitly contradicted by the context, the use of the terms "a / an" and "the" and similar references in the context of describing the disclosed embodiments (especially in the context of the following claims) should be interpreted as covering both the singular and the plural. Similarly, the use of the term "or" should be interpreted as meaning "and / or", unless explicitly or contradicted by the context. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "include", "have", "include" and "contain" should be interpreted as open terms (i.e., meaning "including but not limited to"). The term "connected" should be interpreted as partially or completely contained in, attached to or joined together when it is unmodified and refers to a physical connection, even if something intervenes. Unless otherwise indicated herein, the recitation of the range of values ​​in this article is intended only to serve as a shorthand method of individually referring to each individual value belonging to the range, and each individual value is incorporated into this specification as if it is individually recited in this article. Unless otherwise specified or contradicted by the context, the use of the term "set" (e.g., "a group of items") or "subset" should be interpreted as a non-empty set including one or more members. Furthermore, unless otherwise indicated or contradicted by the context, the term "subset" of a corresponding set does not necessarily mean a true subset of the corresponding set, but a subset and a corresponding set may be equal. Unless explicitly stated otherwise or clear from the context, use of the phrase "based on" means "based at least in part on" and is not limited to "based only on."

[0142] Unless otherwise specifically stated or clearly contradicted by context, phrases such as "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B and C" (i.e., the same phrase with or without the Oxford comma) are understood in context as generally used to present items, terms, etc., which may be any non-empty subset of the set of A or B or C, A and B and C, or any set containing at least one A, at least one B, or at least one C that is not contradicted by context or otherwise excluded. For example, in the illustrative example of a set with three members, the conjunction phrases "at least one of A, B, and C" and "at least one of A, B, and C" refer to any of the following sets: {A}, {B}, {C}, {A,B}, {A,C}, {B,C}, {A,B,C}, and, if not expressly or contradicted by context, to any set having {A}, {B}, and / or {C} as a subset (e.g., a set with multiple "A"s). Thus, such conjunction language is generally not intended to imply that certain embodiments require that at least one of A, at least one of B, and at least one of C each be present. Similarly, phrases such as "at least one of A, B, or C" and "at least one of A, B, or C" refer identically to "at least one of A, B, and C" and "at least one of A, B, or C" and refer to any one of the following set: {A}, {B}, {C}, {A,B}, {A,C}, {B,C}, {A,B,C}, unless explicitly stated or clearly apparent from context to have a different meaning. In addition, the term "plurality" indicates a plural state (e.g., "plurality items" indicates a plurality of items) unless otherwise indicated or contradicted by context. The number of plural items is at least two, but may be more when explicitly or by context so indicates.

[0143] Unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by the context, the operations of the processes described herein may be performed in any suitable order. In one embodiment, processes such as those described herein (or variations and / or combinations thereof) are performed under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions and implemented by hardware or a combination thereof as code (e.g., executable instructions, one or more computer programs, or one or more applications) that is executed together on one or more processors. In one embodiment, the code is stored on a computer-readable storage medium, for example, in the form of a computer program including multiple instructions that can be executed by one or more processors. In one embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that excludes transient signals (e.g., propagated transient electrical transmissions or electromagnetic transmissions) but includes non-transitory data storage circuits (e.g., buffers, caches, and queues) within a transceiver of a transient signal. In one embodiment, the code (e.g., executable code or source code) is stored on a set of one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, which have executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors of a computer system (i.e., as a result of being executed), cause the computer system to perform the operations described herein. In one embodiment, the set of non-transitory computer-readable storage media includes a plurality of non-transitory computer-readable storage media, and one or more of the individual non-transitory storage media in the plurality of non-transitory computer-readable storage media lack all code, while the plurality of non-transitory computer-readable storage media collectively store all code. In one embodiment, the executable instructions are executed so that different instructions are executed by different processors—for example, in one embodiment, the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions, and the main CPU executes some of the instructions, while the graphics processor unit executes other instructions. In another embodiment, different components of the computer system have separate processors, and different processors execute different subsets of instructions.

[0144] Thus, in one embodiment, the computer system is configured to implement one or more services that individually or collectively perform the operations of the processes described herein, and such a computer system is configured with applicable hardware and / or software capable of performing the operations. In addition, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the computer system is a single device, and in another embodiment, the computer system is a distributed computer system including multiple devices that operate in different ways, such that the distributed computer system performs the operations described herein, and such that a single device cannot perform all operations.

[0145] Unless otherwise specified, the use of any and all examples or exemplary language (e.g., "such as") provided herein is intended only to better illustrate embodiments of the invention and does not limit the scope of the invention. No language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

[0146] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described herein, including the best modes known to the inventors for implementing the present invention. After reading the foregoing description, it may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the variations of those embodiments may become apparent. The inventors expect that the technicians will adopt these variations when appropriate, and the inventors intend that the embodiments of the present disclosure be practiced in a manner different from the manner specifically described herein. Therefore, where permitted by applicable law, the scope of the present disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents to the subject matter recited in the appended claims. In addition, unless otherwise specified herein or otherwise clearly contradictory to the content, the scope of the present disclosure covers any combination of the above-mentioned elements under all possible variations thereof.

[0147] All references, including publications, patent applications, and patents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicated to be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entirety herein.

Claims

1. A system comprising a non-transitory memory for storing executable instructions which, if executed by one or more processors, cause the system to: One or more operating parameters are adjusted to produce a magnetic field that is strong enough to: axially compressing the fuel gas to induce thermonuclear fusion; and The fusion energy gain factor is increased to a value greater than the fusion energy gain factor limit achievable by the thermonuclear fusion.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more operating parameters include one or more of: an amplitude of a discharge current applied to the fuel gas, an applied voltage driving the discharge current, or a pulse duration of the discharge current.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the executable instructions that, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to adjust the one or more operating parameters include instructions that, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to: One or more of the following is performed: adjusting the amplitude of the discharge current to be greater than 1.5 MA, adjusting the applied voltage driving the discharge current to be greater than 15 kV, or adjusting the pulse duration of the discharge current to be less than 300 μs.

4. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the executable instructions that, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to adjust the one or more operating parameters comprise instructions that, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to: A duty ratio of the discharge current applied to the fuel gas is adjusted.

5. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the magnetic field increases the fusion energy gain factor to greater than the fusion energy gain factor limit by inducing thermal collisions between byproducts of the thermonuclear fusion and the fuel gas.

6. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the fusion energy gain factor is greater than 100 and the fusion energy gain factor limit is less than 100.

7. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fuel gas comprises one or both of a neutral gas or an ionized gas.

8. The system of any preceding claim, further comprising a Z-pinch plasma confinement system in which the magnetic field is generated.

9. A plasma confinement system comprising: a plasma confinement chamber; as well as A controller comprising executable instructions stored in a non-transitory memory, the executable instructions, if executed by one or more processors of the controller, causing the controller to: determining a threshold amount of thermal collisions of alpha particles with the fuel gas; and A duty cycle of a discharge current applied to the fuel gas contained within the plasma confinement chamber is adjusted to achieve the threshold amount of thermal collisions of the alpha particles with the fuel gas.

10. The plasma confinement system of claim 9, wherein the executable instructions, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to adjust the duty cycle by: One or more of the following is performed: the amplitude of the discharge current is increased to greater than 1.5 MA, the applied voltage driving the discharge current is increased to greater than 15 kV, or the pulse duration of the discharge current is reduced to less than 300 μs.

11. The plasma confinement system of any one of claims 9 or 10, wherein the executable instructions, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to adjust the duty cycle by: One or more of the following is performed: the amplitude of the discharge current is adjusted to between 1.5 MA and 2.0 MA or the applied voltage driving the discharge current is adjusted to between 15 kV and 75 kV.

12. The plasma confinement system of any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the executable instructions, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to adjust the duty cycle by: The pulse duration of the discharge current is adjusted to between 50 μs and 300 μs.

13. The plasma confinement system of any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the executable instructions, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to adjust the duty cycle by: Increase the area under the time curve of the duty cycle.

14. The plasma confinement system of any one of claims 9 to 12, wherein the executable instructions, if executed by the one or more processors, cause the controller to adjust the duty cycle by: The area under the time curve over which the duty cycle is maintained.

15. The plasma confinement system of any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the plasma confinement system is a Z-pinch plasma confinement system.

16. A method comprising: A magnetic field is adjusted from a first intensity value applied to axially compress a fuel gas within a plasma confinement chamber to a second intensity value that causes greater thermal collisions between alpha particles and the fuel gas than the magnetic field at the first intensity value.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the magnetic field is adjusted by: One or more of the following is performed: the amplitude of the discharge current is increased to between 1.5 MA and 2.0 MA, the applied voltage driving the discharge current is increased to between 15 kV and 75 kV, or the pulse duration of the discharge current is reduced to between 50 μs and 300 μs.

18. The method of any one of claims 16 or 17, wherein the plasma confinement chamber is configured within a Z-pinch plasma confinement system.

19. A method according to any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein the magnetic field is stabilized throughout the adjustment by a shear ion velocity flow driven by the discharge current.

20. The method according to any one of claims 16 to 19, wherein the magnetic field is adjusted to induce sufficient thermal collisions between the alpha particles and the fuel gas to achieve at least 10 2 The fusion energy gain factor.

Images