Rotating Core Liquid Liner Compression for Lower-Force Plasma Implosion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing plasma compression systems face challenges in efficiently compressing plasma to achieve fusion conditions due to high structural forces and energy requirements, particularly in large-scale applications.
Innovation Solution
A plasma compression system utilizing an annular rotating core with compression drivers and implosion drivers, where a rotating core circulates a liquid medium to form a liquid liner, and compression drivers use pressurized gas or fluid to create a pressure pulse that collapses the liner, reducing shear forces and energy consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a rotating cylindrical liquid metal liner is driven radially by free-pistons in a LINUS system, then plasma compression to fusion conditions is achieved, but very large centripetal structural forces are created due to rotational mass
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the compression function into two independent parts: (1) a rotating core that circulates liquid medium to form a liquid liner, and (2) compression drivers fixedly mounted to the vessel wall that generate pressure pulses. This segmentation eliminates the need to rotate the entire compression mechanism, reducing centripetal forces while maintaining plasma compression capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a compressible fluid as an intermediary between the compression drivers and the liquid medium. The compression drivers generate pressure pulses that travel through the compressible fluid to implode the liquid liner, decoupling the rotation system from the compression mechanism and reducing structural forces.
2Loss of energy
If compression drivers are fixedly mounted to the outer surface of the vessel wall with an annular gap filled with compressible fluid, then shear forces and energy consumption are reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses compressible fluid (gas or liquid) in the annular gap between the rotating core and vessel wall to transmit pressure pulses from compression drivers to the liquid medium. This pneumatic/hydraulic approach reduces direct mechanical contact and shear forces, lowering energy consumption despite increased system complexity.
3Temperature
If the fluid in the annular gap is a liquid, then efficient heat transfer is achieved, but large shear forces require additional energy to overcome torque
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the fluid in the annular gap from liquid to gas. This parameter change eliminates the high shear forces and torque associated with liquid rotation, reducing energy consumption for rotation while maintaining adequate heat transfer through the compression process.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively compresses plasma with lower power requirements, enabling efficient plasma implosion and fusion conditions while minimizing structural stress on the vessel, suitable for commercial-scale operations.
Implementation Method 1
The cylindrical cavity is formed by rotating a liquid metal cavity liner such that centrifugal force moves the liquid metal against the walls of the rotating cylinder, forming a liquid liner
Implementation Method 2
compression drivers use pressurized gas or fluid to create a pressure pulse that collapses the liner
Implementation Method 3
Other approaches to achieving fusion conditions involve using strong magnetic fields to compress the plasma, during which adiabatic heating bring the plasma to fusion conditions
Data Source
AI summary
A plasma compression system comprises a plasma containment vessel, an annular rotating core inside the vessel, and a plurality of compression drivers fixedly mounted to an outer surface of the vessel wall. The annular rotating core contains a liquid medium and is rotatable to circulate the liquid medium and form a liquid liner with a cavity. The rotating core comprises an outer surface spaced from an inner surface of the vessel wall to define an annular gap, and a plurality of implosion drivers each comprising a pusher bore with a pusher piston slideable therein. Each pusher bore extends through the rotating core. The plurality of compression drivers compresses a compression fluid in the annular gap and creates a pressure pulse, such that when the rotating core rotates and the liquid medium fills the pusher bores, the pusher pistons are operable to push the liquid medium inwards to collapse the liquid liner and compress a plasma in the cavity.