Plasma confinement apparatus and nuclear fusion reaction apparatus
Patent Information
- Application Number
- PCT/CN2026/084265
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2025-03-28
- Filing Date
- 2026-03-18
- Publication Date
- 2026-10-01
Smart Images
Figure CN2026084265_01102026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Plasma confinement device and nuclear fusion reactor Technical Field
[0001] Exemplary embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to the field of nuclear fusion technology, and more particularly to a plasma confinement device for use in a nuclear fusion reactor and a corresponding nuclear fusion reactor. Background Technology
[0002] In the field of nuclear fusion, a common device is the tokamak fusion reactor. Tokamak fusion devices confine plasma within a strong magnetic field, causing the hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium to fuse at extremely high temperatures. The enormous energy produced is converted into heat, which heats a medium such as water into high-temperature, high-pressure steam. This steam drives a turbine to power a generator, thus realizing the conversion of nuclear fusion energy into electrical energy, potentially paving the way for a clean and sustainable future power supply.
[0003] However, tokamak fusion reactors have significant shortcomings. In a tokamak fusion device, plasma needs to move within a large-radius toroidal chamber while being magnetically confined. This results in a large and expensive magnetic confinement device, and also complicates the overall structure of the fusion reactor, leading to high costs and a large space requirement. Furthermore, the extreme environment within a tokamak fusion reactor places stringent demands on material properties; existing materials are insufficient to meet the long-term stable operation requirements of fusion reactors, and their confinement effect on plasma is also limited. These deficiencies severely restrict the commercial application of fusion reactors. Summary of the Invention
[0004] In order to overcome at least the problems and / or other potential problems existing in existing nuclear fusion reactors, exemplary embodiments of this disclosure provide a plasma confinement device for a nuclear fusion reactor and a corresponding nuclear fusion reactor.
[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this disclosure relate to a plasma confinement device for use in a nuclear fusion reactor. The plasma confinement device includes: a plasma chamber having a plasma outlet and configured to contain plasma; a first magnetic field generating module disposed outside the plasma chamber and configured to generate a first magnetic field, the first magnetic field including a first local magnetic field, wherein the direction of the magnetic field lines in the first local magnetic field is from a first side of the plasma chamber to a second side of the plasma chamber, the second side being opposite to the first side; and a second magnetic field generating module disposed inside the plasma chamber and configured to generate a second magnetic field, the second magnetic field including a closed annular magnetic field, the closed annular magnetic field including a second local magnetic field and a third local magnetic field, wherein the direction of the magnetic field lines in the second local magnetic field is from the first side of the plasma chamber to the second side of the plasma chamber, and the direction of the magnetic field lines in the third local magnetic field is... From the second side of the plasma chamber to the first side of the plasma chamber; wherein, the first magnetic field generating module and the second magnetic field generating module are configured such that: a boundary surface of a ring-shaped closed magnetic field is formed between the first local magnetic field and the second local magnetic field, the boundary surface of the ring-shaped closed magnetic field is located inside the plasma chamber, and the plasma in the plasma chamber is constrained by the ring-shaped closed magnetic field and the first local magnetic field and does not cross the area enclosed by the boundary surface of the ring-shaped closed magnetic field; and a pair of magnetic zeros are formed near the positions where the first local magnetic field and the third local magnetic field are close to each other, at least one of the pair of magnetic zeros is located near the plasma outlet, so as to allow the plasma to leave the plasma chamber from the vicinity of the position of at least one of the pair of magnetic zeros via the plasma outlet.
[0006] The plasma confinement device according to embodiments of this disclosure can reliably confine plasma within a relatively small space using only the magnetic field topology generated by the mutually cooperating first and second magnetic field generating modules, thereby reducing the cost and size of the plasma confinement device. Furthermore, by providing a corresponding plasma outlet, plasma carrying a large amount of energy can leave the plasma chamber for various functions such as power generation.
[0007] In some embodiments, the first magnetic field generating module and the second magnetic field generating module are configured such that the formed pair of magnetic nulls includes a first magnetic null located on a first side of the plasma chamber and a second magnetic null located on a second side of the plasma chamber; wherein the magnetic field strength at the first magnetic null is zero, and the magnetic field topology near the first magnetic null includes a first magnetic field line sector extending away from the first magnetic null; and the magnetic field strength at the second magnetic null is zero, and the magnetic field topology near the second magnetic null includes a second magnetic field line sector pointing towards the second magnetic null; wherein the first magnetic field line sector and the second magnetic field line sector form the boundary surface of a closed annular magnetic field. Using this method, the plasma can be prevented from crossing the boundary surface of the closed annular magnetic field, ensuring the confinement effect.
[0008] In some embodiments, the magnetic field topology near the first magnetic zero point further includes: a first inner spinal column magnetic field line group and a first outer spinal column magnetic field line group facing the direction of the first magnetic zero point, wherein the first inner spinal column magnetic field line group is closer to the second magnetic field generating module than the first outer spinal column magnetic field line group; and the magnetic field topology near the second magnetic zero point further includes: a second inner spinal column magnetic field line group and a second outer spinal column magnetic field line group away from the direction of the second magnetic zero point, wherein the second inner spinal column magnetic field line group is closer to the second magnetic field generating module than the second outer spinal column magnetic field line group; wherein the first inner spinal column magnetic field line group and the second inner spinal column magnetic field line group form a continuous magnetic field line group.
[0009] In some embodiments, a first lateral spindle-shaped magnetic field line group and / or a second lateral spindle-shaped magnetic field line group pass through the plasma outlet. This method guides the plasma movement, enabling it to exit the plasma chamber more smoothly for purposes such as power generation, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the plasma confinement device.
[0010] In some embodiments, the first magnetic field generating module includes an electromagnet surrounding the outer periphery of the plasma chamber, and the first magnetic field surrounds the plasma chamber in a circumferential direction. This allows the first magnetic field to be generated in a relatively low-cost and relatively reliable manner.
[0011] In some embodiments, the second magnetic field generating module includes a ring electromagnet located inside the plasma chamber, wherein the axis of the ring electromagnet is oriented from a first side of the plasma chamber to a second side of the plasma chamber. This method allows for the generation of a second magnetic field at a relatively low cost and with relatively high reliability.
[0012] In some embodiments, a gap exists between the boundary of the toroidal closed magnetic field and the inner wall of the plasma chamber adjacent to the boundary of the toroidal closed magnetic field. This ensures that the plasma does not come into contact with the inner wall of the plasma chamber, improving safety.
[0013] In some embodiments, the gap between the boundary of the annular closed magnetic field and the inner wall of the plasma chamber adjacent to the boundary of the annular closed magnetic field is between 1 and 100 centimeters. This approach balances the safety of the plasma confinement device with its compactness and cost-effectiveness.
[0014] In some embodiments, the plasma outlet includes a first plasma outlet and a second plasma outlet, wherein the first plasma outlet is located near a first magnetic zero point, and the second plasma outlet is located near a second magnetic zero point. By placing the plasma outlets around a magnetic zero point where the magnetic field is very weak, the guiding effect on the plasma can be ensured.
[0015] In a second aspect, embodiments of this disclosure relate to a nuclear fusion reactor apparatus. This nuclear fusion reactor apparatus includes a plasma confinement device according to a first aspect of this disclosure.
[0016] These and other aspects of this disclosure will become more apparent in the description of the following embodiments(s). Attached Figure Description
[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this disclosure and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings under the design concept of the embodiments of this disclosure.
[0018] In the attached diagram:
[0019] Figure 1 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a plasma confinement device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
[0020] Figure 2 shows a schematic side view of the plasma confinement device in Figure 1;
[0021] Figure 3 shows a three-dimensional perspective view of a ring electromagnet as a second magnetic field generating module and its corresponding magnetic field topology according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0022] Figure 4 shows a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the toroidal electromagnet shown in Figure 3 and its corresponding magnetic field topology; and
[0023] Figure 5 illustrates the magnetic field topology near the magnetic null point according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation
[0024] The principles of this disclosure will now be described with reference to some exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are described for illustrative purposes only and to assist those skilled in the art in understanding and implementing this disclosure, and do not imply any limitation on the scope of this disclosure. The disclosure described herein can be implemented in various ways besides the methods described below.
[0025] In the following description and claims, unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.
[0026] The terms "an embodiment," "embodiment," "example embodiment," etc., used in this disclosure indicate that the described embodiment may include specific features, structures, or characteristics, but not every embodiment must include specific features, structures, or characteristics. Furthermore, these phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Moreover, when a specific feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, those skilled in the art will believe that applying such features, structures, or characteristics (whether explicitly described or not) in conjunction with other embodiments is within the scope of their knowledge.
[0027] It should be understood that although the terms "first" and "second," etc., can be used to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed terms.
[0028] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set up," "have," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.
[0029] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” “having,” “including,” and / or “comprising” as used herein indicate the presence of the said features, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof.
[0030] As mentioned earlier, current tokamak fusion devices suffer from challenges such as difficulty in plasma confinement and the inability of materials to withstand high temperatures, resulting in complex structures and high operating and maintenance costs. Therefore, there is an urgent need for an improved plasma confinement device that can confine and guide plasma in a more cost-effective and reliable manner, thereby more effectively utilizing the energy contained in the plasma.
[0031] To address at least the aforementioned problems, embodiments of this disclosure provide a plasma confinement device 1 for use in a nuclear fusion reactor. The specific structure of the plasma confinement device 1 according to embodiments of this disclosure will now be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5.
[0032] Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a plasma confinement device 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 2 shows a side view of the plasma confinement device 1 in Figure 1.
[0033] As shown in Figure 1, the plasma confinement device 1 includes a plasma chamber 10 capable of containing plasma. The plasma can be formed from gases such as protium, deuterium, or tritium. These gases can be heated to tens of millions of degrees Celsius or even higher, causing the atoms in the gas to be completely ionized, forming a plasma composed of positively charged atomic nuclei (such as protium, deuterium, and tritium nuclei) and negatively charged free electrons. The plasma can be supplied into the plasma chamber 10 via a feeding device (not shown). Within the plasma chamber 10, the high-temperature plasma gives the atomic nuclei sufficient kinetic energy to overcome the Coulomb repulsion between them, bringing them close enough to undergo a nuclear fusion reaction, releasing a large amount of energy. According to embodiments of this disclosure, the plasma confinement device 1 can confine the plasma, keeping it stable within a certain space to allow for continuous nuclear fusion reactions.
[0034] The plasma chamber 10 has plasma outlets. In the embodiment shown in FIG1, the plasma chamber 10 is provided with two first plasma outlets 100-1 and a second plasma outlet 100-2. However, this is merely exemplary. Plasma outlets 100-1 and 100-2 can be connected to other devices in the nuclear fusion reactor. The plasma undergoing the nuclear fusion reaction in the plasma chamber 10 can leave the plasma chamber 10 via either one plasma outlet or both plasma outlets and enter other devices to achieve corresponding functions. For example, in some embodiments, the plasma carrying a large amount of energy leaving the plasma chamber 10 through the plasma outlet can heat a medium such as water to generate steam, thereby driving a generator to produce electricity. Of course, only one utilization of plasma is listed here, and the embodiments of this disclosure do not particularly limit the specific use of plasma, which can be used in other fields besides power generation. In addition, the embodiments of this disclosure do not limit the form of the nuclear fusion reaction, which can be either continuous or pulsed.
[0035] Referring again to FIG1, the plasma confinement device 1 further includes a first magnetic field generating module 11 disposed outside the plasma chamber 10. The first magnetic field generating module 11 may be an electromagnet surrounding the outer periphery of the plasma chamber 10 to generate a first magnetic field surrounding the plasma chamber 10 in a circumferential direction. It should be noted that the specific form of the first magnetic field is not limited to the embodiments of this disclosure. The plasma confinement device 1 may use only a portion of the first magnetic field generated by the first magnetic field generating module 11 to confine the plasma, such as the first local magnetic field MF1 shown in FIG1. The magnetic field lines of the first local magnetic field MF1 are shown in FIG1. The plasma chamber 10 has a first side 101 and a second side 102 opposite to each other. As shown in FIG1, in the first local magnetic field MF1, the direction of the magnetic field lines is from the first side 101 to the second side 102. It should be noted that although FIG1 shows the shape of the magnetic field lines of the first local magnetic field MF1, the shape of the magnetic field lines of the first local magnetic field MF1 is not limited to the shape shown in FIG1, and may be straight or curved. Although FIG1 shows the position and number of electromagnets of the first magnetic field generating module 11, it is merely schematic and not limiting. Depending on the actual application scenario, the number and position of the electromagnets in the first magnetic field generating module 11 can be adjusted. For example, in some embodiments, the electromagnet can be a single electromagnet, as long as it can generate a first local magnetic field MF1 pointing from the first side 101 of the plasma chamber 10 to the second side 102.
[0036] Referring again to Figure 1, the plasma confinement device 1 further includes a second magnetic field generating module 12 disposed inside the plasma chamber 10. The second magnetic field generating module 12 may be a ring electromagnet located inside the plasma chamber 10, used to generate a second magnetic field. As shown in Figure 1, the axial direction of the ring electromagnet is from the first side 101 of the plasma chamber 10 to the second side 102 of the plasma chamber 10.
[0037] Further details of the second magnetic field generating module 12 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 shows a three-dimensional perspective view of an embodiment of the second magnetic field generating module and its corresponding magnetic field topology. Figure 4 shows a three-dimensional cross-sectional view of the second magnetic field generating module shown in Figure 3 and its corresponding magnetic field topology.
[0038] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the second magnetic field generating module 12 can be in the form of a ring electromagnet, which can form multiple magnetic surfaces 120 that expand outwards layer by layer, similar to the surface of a tire. Only two layers of magnetic surfaces 120 are shown in Figures 3 and 4, but this is merely schematic. Referring back to Figure 1, and in conjunction with Figures 3 and 4, the second magnetic field is a closed ring magnetic field, which includes a second local magnetic field MF2 and a third local magnetic field MF3. As shown in Figure 1, in the second local magnetic field MF2, the direction of the magnetic field lines is from the first side 101 of the plasma chamber 10 to the second side 102 of the plasma chamber 10; in the third local magnetic field MF3, the direction of the magnetic field lines is from the second side 102 of the plasma chamber 10 to the first side 101 of the plasma chamber 10.
[0039] The motion of the plasma under the influence of the first and second magnetic fields is described below with reference to Figure 1. The plasma experiences a Lorentz force under the influence of the magnetic field. Specifically, in the direction parallel to the magnetic field lines, the plasma is not subject to the Lorentz force and therefore moves in uniform linear motion; while in the direction perpendicular to the magnetic field lines, the plasma is subject to the Lorentz force and moves in uniform circular motion. Therefore, in summary, the plasma will spiral around the magnetic field lines while simultaneously traveling along them. In the second magnetic field generated by the second magnetic field generating module 12, under the sole influence of the second magnetic field, the plasma will spiral along the closed magnetic field lines of the toroidal magnetic field, and then rotate along the closed magnetic field lines. However, in reality, due to the non-uniformity of the second magnetic field, the plasma will gradually drift outwards while rotating along the closed magnetic field lines, meaning the radius of rotation gradually increases. This indicates that the second magnetic field may not sufficiently constrain the plasma, and may eventually cause the plasma to drift too far outwards and contact the inner wall of the plasma chamber, thereby damaging the inner wall of the plasma chamber.
[0040] In this scenario, since a first magnetic field generating module 11 is also provided outside the plasma chamber 10 to generate the first magnetic field, the magnetic field generated by it will suppress the aforementioned drift motion of the plasma. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the magnetic field lines of the first local magnetic field MF1 generated by the first magnetic field generating module 11 and the second local magnetic field MF2 generated by the second magnetic field generating module 12 are basically in the same direction, both from the first side to the second side of the plasma chamber. Therefore, the magnetic field strengths of the two will not cancel each other out. While the plasma is gradually drifting outward under the influence of the second local magnetic field MF2, it is also affected by the first local magnetic field MF1. Based on a principle similar to the second local magnetic field, the first local magnetic field MF1 will cause the plasma to drift away from the first magnetic field generating module 11 (i.e., towards the center of the plasma chamber). Finally, at a certain position between the first local magnetic field MF1 and the second local magnetic field MF2, the effects of the two local magnetic fields on the plasma drifting in two opposite directions reach equilibrium. At this equilibrium position, the plasma, constrained by the annular closed magnetic field generated by the second magnetic field generating module 12, will no longer continue to drift outward past this equilibrium position. Thus, under the combined effect of the first local magnetic field MF1 generated by the first magnetic field generating module 11 and the second local magnetic field MF2 generated by the second magnetic field generating module 12, the plasma is reliably confined and will not diffuse outwards without restriction.
[0041] As shown in Figure 1, the first local magnetic field MF1 generated by the first magnetic field generating module 11 surrounds the plasma chamber 10 in the circumferential direction, and the second local magnetic field MF2 generated by the second magnetic field generating module 12 also surrounds the annular electromagnet 12 in the circumferential direction. Therefore, at the equilibrium position between the first local magnetic field MF1 and the second local magnetic field MF2, a boundary surface B of a closed annular magnetic field (i.e., the second magnetic field) will be formed. This boundary surface is formed as an annular along the inner wall 105 of the plasma chamber 10. The drift motion of the plasma will be confined within the annular boundary surface B of this closed annular magnetic field, thereby achieving effective confinement of the plasma.
[0042] In the embodiments of this disclosure, since the plasma in the plasma chamber 10 is jointly constrained by the first local magnetic field MF1 generated by the first magnetic field generating module 11 and the annular closed magnetic field generated by the second magnetic field generating module 12, the plasma will not cross the area enclosed by the boundary surface B of the annular closed magnetic field. In the embodiments of this disclosure, by setting the strength of the first magnetic field and the strength of the second magnetic field, the boundary surface B of the annular closed magnetic field can be adjusted to be located inside the plasma chamber 10 and a certain gap G (see FIG. 1) away from the inner wall 105 of the plasma chamber 10 adjacent to the boundary surface B. Thus, the plasma can be effectively confined inside the plasma chamber 10 and will not touch the inner wall 105 of the plasma chamber 10. The existence of the gap G can avoid the possibility of plasma carrying ultra-high energy hitting or even penetrating the inner wall 105 of the plasma chamber 10, thereby avoiding serious accidents and ensuring the safety of the plasma confinement device 1.
[0043] In one embodiment according to this disclosure, the gap G between the boundary surface B of the annular closed magnetic field and the inner wall of the plasma chamber 10 is set between 1 cm and 100 cm. It is understood that if the gap G is too small, due to the complexity and uncertainty of the actual plasma motion, there is still a possibility that the plasma will hit the inner wall 105 of the plasma chamber 10. If the gap G is too large, it will not only make the plasma chamber 10 too large, but also increase the volume of the first magnetic field generating module 11, thereby increasing the cost and space occupied by the plasma confinement device. By setting the gap G between the inner wall 105 of the plasma chamber 10 and the boundary surface B of the annular closed magnetic field within a reasonable range, the safety of the plasma confinement device 1 is ensured, while also taking into account the compactness and economy of the plasma chamber 10 and the plasma confinement device 1 as a whole.
[0044] It is understandable that, during the actual operation of the plasma confinement device 1, due to the complexity of the actual scenario, it is not strictly required that all plasma moves within the area enclosed by the boundary surface B of the toroidal closed magnetic field. Instead, a very small number of plasmas are allowed to cross the boundary surface B of the toroidal closed magnetic field. However, it should be noted that the movement of these very small numbers of plasmas does not affect the overall safety and efficiency of the plasma confinement device 1, but is permissible in actual engineering operation, and such a situation also falls within the protection scope of this disclosure.
[0045] Compared to existing tokamak devices that require a large toroidal space to confine plasma, in the embodiments of this disclosure, by means of a first magnetic field generating module 11 and a second magnetic field generating module 12, plasma can be confined within a compact region surrounded by the boundary surface B of the toroidal closed magnetic field. Therefore, the size of the plasma confinement device 1 of this disclosure can be greatly reduced, and its manufacturing and maintenance costs can also be significantly reduced.
[0046] Referring again to Figure 1, as shown, near the point where the first local magnetic field MF1 and the third local magnetic field MF3 are close to each other, their magnetic field directions are opposite, and their magnetic field strengths will cancel each other out. Therefore, a pair of magnetic zero points N1 and N2 with zero magnetic field strength are formed near the point where the first local magnetic field MF1 and the third local magnetic field MF3 are close to each other. The first magnetic zero point N1 is located on the first side 101 of the plasma chamber 10, and the second magnetic zero point N2 is located on the second side 102 of the plasma chamber 10. As shown, the first plasma outlet 100-1 of the plasma chamber 10 is located near the first magnetic zero point N1, and the second plasma outlet 100-2 of the plasma chamber 10 is located near the second magnetic zero point N2. Because the magnetic field's confinement effect on the plasma is very small near the magnetic zero points N1 and N2, the plasma's gyration radius under the Lorentz force is large, making the plasma's motion more complex and uncertain, resulting in a chaotic trajectory. By placing plasma outlets 100-1 and 100-2 near the first magnetic zero point N1 and the second magnetic zero point N2, respectively, the plasma at these locations can easily escape the confinement of the magnetic field and exit the plasma chamber 10 through plasma outlets 100-1 and 100-2 for heating the medium and generating electricity. As shown above, one or two plasma outlets are feasible, allowing plasma to exit the plasma chamber 10 from the location of at least one of the pair of magnetic zero points via either plasma outlet or via both plasma outlets for heating the medium and generating electricity.
[0047] Figure 5 illustrates the magnetic field topology near a magnetic zero point according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 5, under the combined action of a first magnetic field and a second magnetic field, the magnetic field topology near the first magnetic zero point N1 includes a first magnetic field line sector F1 extending away from the first magnetic zero point N1, and the magnetic field topology near the second magnetic zero point N2 includes a second magnetic field line sector F2 pointing towards the second magnetic zero point N2. As shown in Figure 5, the first magnetic field line sector F1 and the second magnetic field line sector F2 will connect and jointly form the boundary surface B of a closed annular magnetic field located between the first local magnetic field MF1 and the second local magnetic field MF2.
[0048] Referring again to Figure 5, the magnetic field topology near the first magnetic zero point N1 also includes a first inner spinal column magnetic field line group S11 and a first outer spinal column magnetic field line group S12 pointing towards the first magnetic zero point N1. As shown in Figure 5, the first inner spinal column magnetic field line group S11 is located inside the boundary surface B and is closer to the second magnetic field generating module 12 than the first outer spinal column magnetic field line group S12. Similarly, the magnetic field topology near the second magnetic zero point N2 also includes a second inner spinal column magnetic field line group S21 and a second outer spinal column magnetic field line group S22 starting from the second magnetic zero point N2 and moving away from it. As shown in Figure 5, the second inner spinal column magnetic field line group S21 is located inside the boundary surface B and is closer to the second magnetic field generating module 12 than the second outer spinal column magnetic field line group S22. As shown in Figure 5, the first inner spinal column magnetic field line group S11 and the second inner spinal column magnetic field line group S21 form continuous magnetic field lines.
[0049] In some embodiments, one or both of the first outer spinal column magnetic field line group S12 and the second outer spinal column magnetic field line group S22 can pass through plasma outlets 100-1 and 100-2 respectively to achieve better guidance of the plasma. As mentioned above, the magnetic field confinement effect is very small near the magnetic zero points N1 and N2, and the plasma's trajectory near the magnetic zero points N1 and N2 exhibits chaotic characteristics. In this case, the plasma will spiral along the magnetic field lines of the first outer spinal column magnetic field line group S12 and / or the second outer spinal column magnetic field line group S22 under the influence of the magnetic field. By passing the first outer spindle-shaped magnetic field line group S12 through the plasma outlet 100-1 of the plasma chamber 10 and / or passing the second outer spindle-shaped magnetic field line group S22 through the plasma outlet 100-2 of the plasma chamber 10, the plasma will be guided by the first outer spindle-shaped magnetic field line group S12 and / or the second outer spindle-shaped magnetic field line group S22 to leave the plasma chamber 10 via the corresponding plasma outlets 100-1 and / or 100-2, respectively. In this way, by guiding the movement of the plasma, the plasma can leave the plasma chamber 10 more smoothly for power generation, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the plasma confinement device 1.
[0050] In another aspect of this disclosure, a nuclear fusion reactor device is also disclosed. This nuclear fusion reactor device includes the plasma confinement device 1 described above for use in a nuclear fusion reactor. It should be understood that the nuclear fusion reactor device also includes other auxiliary devices for use in conjunction with the plasma confinement device 1, such as heat exchange devices, power generation devices, etc., which will not be elaborated upon here.
[0051] The plasma confinement device 1 according to embodiments of this disclosure can reliably confine plasma within a compact space inside the boundary surface B of a closed magnetic field using only a first magnetic field generating module 11, a second magnetic field generating module 12, and a plasma chamber 10. Furthermore, by utilizing the pair of magnetic null points generated by the first and second magnetic field generating modules 11 and 12, and positioning the plasma outlets 100-1 and 100-2 of the plasma chamber 10 near a pair of magnetic null points, plasma carrying a large amount of energy can leave the plasma chamber 10 for power generation. Compared to existing solutions, the plasma confinement device 1 of embodiments of this disclosure does not require a complex confinement structure or a large footprint, resulting in lower manufacturing and operating costs and higher safety. It is understood that nuclear fusion reactors using the plasma confinement device 1 according to this disclosure will also have a compact structure, lower manufacturing and operating costs, and high safety.
[0052] The above description, in conjunction with Figures 1 to 5, illustrates some schematic embodiments of the plasma confinement device 1 according to the present disclosure. It should be understood that the implementations shown in the figures are merely for illustrative purposes and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can conceive of other feasible embodiments of the plasma confinement device 1 without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. Such embodiments also fall within the scope of the present invention.
[0053] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solution, and beneficial effects of the present invention. It should be understood that the above description is only a specific embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A plasma confinement device (1) for use in a nuclear fusion reactor, comprising: The plasma chamber (10) has plasma outlets (100-1, 100-2) and is configured to contain plasma; A first magnetic field generating module (11) is disposed outside the plasma chamber (10) and configured to generate a first magnetic field, the first magnetic field including a first local magnetic field (MF1), in which the direction of the magnetic field lines is from a first side (101) of the plasma chamber (10) to a second side (102) of the plasma chamber (10), the second side (102) being opposite to the first side (101); A second magnetic field generating module (12) is disposed inside the plasma chamber (10) and configured to generate a second magnetic field. The second magnetic field includes a ring-shaped closed magnetic field, which includes a second local magnetic field (MF2) and a third local magnetic field (MF3). In the second local magnetic field (MF2), the direction of the magnetic field lines is from the first side (101) of the plasma chamber (10) to the second side (102) of the plasma chamber (10). In the third local magnetic field (MF3), the direction of the magnetic field lines is from the second side (102) of the plasma chamber (10) to the first side (101) of the plasma chamber (10). The first magnetic field generating module (11) and the second magnetic field generating module (12) are configured such that: A boundary surface (B) of the annular closed magnetic field is formed between the first local magnetic field (MF1) and the second local magnetic field (MF2). The boundary surface (B) of the annular closed magnetic field is located inside the plasma chamber (10), and the plasma in the plasma chamber (10) is constrained by the annular closed magnetic field and the first local magnetic field (MF1) and does not cross the area enclosed by the boundary surface (B) of the annular closed magnetic field. A pair of magnetic nulls are formed near the positions where the first local magnetic field (MF1) and the third local magnetic field (MF3) are close to each other, and at least one of the pair of magnetic nulls is located near the plasma outlet (100-1, 100-2) to allow the plasma to leave the plasma chamber (10) from the vicinity of the position of at least one of the pair of magnetic nulls via the plasma outlet (100-1, 100-2).
2. The plasma confinement device (1) for a nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 1, wherein, The first magnetic field generating module (11) and the second magnetic field generating module (12) are configured such that the pair of magnetic zeros formed includes a first magnetic zero (N1) located on the first side (101) of the plasma chamber (10) and a second magnetic zero (N2) located on the second side (102) of the plasma chamber (10); wherein, The magnetic field strength at the first magnetic zero point (N1) is zero, and the magnetic field topology near the first magnetic zero point (N1) includes: a first magnetic field line sector (F1) starting from the first magnetic zero point (N1) and moving away from it; and The magnetic field strength at the second magnetic zero point (N2) is zero, and the magnetic field topology near the second magnetic zero point (N2) includes a second magnetic field line sector (F2) pointing towards the second magnetic zero point (N2); The first magnetic field sector (F1) and the second magnetic field sector (F2) form the boundary surface (B) of the annular closed magnetic field.
3. The plasma confinement device (1) for a nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 2, wherein, The magnetic field topology near the first magnetic zero point (N1) further includes: a first inner spinal magnetic field line group (S11) and a first outer spinal magnetic field line group (S12) facing the first magnetic zero point (N1), wherein the first inner spinal magnetic field line group (S11) is closer to the second magnetic field generating module (12) than the first outer spinal magnetic field line group (S12); and The magnetic field topology near the second magnetic zero point (N2) also includes: a second inner spinal magnetic field line group (S21) and a second outer spinal magnetic field line group (S22) in a direction away from the second magnetic zero point (N2), wherein the second inner spinal magnetic field line group (S21) is closer to the second magnetic field generating module (12) than the second outer spinal magnetic field line group (S22). The first inner spinal column magnetic field line group (S11) and the second inner spinal column magnetic field line group (S21) form a continuous magnetic field line group.
4. The plasma confinement device (1) for a nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 3, wherein, The first lateral spinal column magnetic field line group (S12) and / or the second lateral spinal column magnetic field line group (S22) pass through the plasma outlet (100-1, 100-2).
5. The plasma confinement device (1) for a nuclear fusion reactor according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The first magnetic field generating module (11) includes an electromagnet surrounding the outer periphery of the plasma chamber (10), and the first magnetic field surrounds the plasma chamber (10) in the circumferential direction.
6. The plasma confinement device (1) for a nuclear fusion reactor according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The second magnetic field generating module (12) includes a ring electromagnet located inside the plasma chamber (10), wherein the axial direction of the ring electromagnet is from the first side (101) of the plasma chamber (10) to the second side (102) of the plasma chamber (10).
7. The plasma confinement device (1) for a nuclear fusion reactor according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, There is a gap (G) between the boundary surface (B) of the annular closed magnetic field and the inner wall (105) of the plasma chamber (10) adjacent to the boundary surface (B) of the annular closed magnetic field.
8. The plasma confinement device (1) for a nuclear fusion reactor according to claim 7, wherein, The gap (G) between the boundary surface (B) of the annular closed magnetic field and the inner wall (105) of the plasma chamber (10) adjacent to the boundary surface (B) of the annular closed magnetic field is between 1 and 100 cm.
9. The plasma confinement device (1) for a nuclear fusion reactor according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The plasma outlets (100-1, 100-2) include a first plasma outlet (100-1) and a second plasma outlet (100-2), wherein, The first plasma outlet (100-1) is located near the first magnetic zero point (N1), and the second plasma outlet (100-2) is located near the second magnetic zero point (N2).
10. A nuclear fusion reactor device, comprising a plasma confinement device (1) for use in a nuclear fusion reactor according to any one of claims 1-9.