Systems and methods are disclosed herein relating to fusion reactors for fusing particles via multiple periodic collisions. A fusion reactor may include a first evacuated region, such as a chamber, with a plurality of charged particles therein. A uniform magnetic field may be applied to the region to radially confine moving charged particles within the region by inducing circular trajectories. Upper and lower electrodes may be positioned on ends of the region to axially confine charged particles within the region. An energizing beam may be pulsed at a cyclotron frequency corresponding to the mass and charge of the particles to cause oscillating periodic collisions of the particles along the beam path as the particles travel in the circular trajectories with increased velocity after each pulse of the energizing beam.

Systems and methods are disclosed herein relating to fusion reactors for fusing particles via multiple periodic collisions. A fusion reactor may include a first evacuated region, such as a chamber, with a plurality of charged particles therein. A uniform magnetic field may be applied to the region to radially confine moving charged particles within the region by inducing circular trajectories. Upper and lower electrodes may be positioned on ends of the region to axially confine charged particles within the region. An energizing beam may be pulsed at a cyclotron frequency corresponding to the mass and charge of the particles to cause oscillating periodic collisions of the particles along the beam path as the particles travel in the circular trajectories with increased velocity after each pulse of the energizing beam.

Examples of a system for generating and confining a compact toroid are disclosed. The system comprises a plasma generator for generating magnetized plasma, a flux conserver for receiving the compact toroid, a power source for providing current pulse and a controller for actively controlling a current profile of the pulse to keep plasma's q-profile within pre-determined range. Examples of methods of controlling a magnetic lifetime of a magnetized plasma by controlling a current profile of the current pulse are disclosed.

A nuclear fusion reactor includes a geodesic-shaped reaction chamber having at least j planar faces, where j equals 2, 6, 8, 12 or 20 and j conical plasma injectors (CPIs) for creating circular rings of neutral plasma. Each CPI includes a conical inner cathode electrode disposed coaxially within a hollow conical outer anode electrode, the space between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode forming a converging conical plasma channel for creating circular rings of neutral plasma, the converging conical plasma channel accelerating the plasma fuel into a converging plasma ring that comes to a focus at the center of the reaction chamber. The angle between axes of adjacent CPIs defines a CPI face angle, the angle defined by the converging conical plasma channel at its apex defining a CPI convergence angle, wherein the CPI convergence angle is approximately half the CPI face angle.

A nuclear fusion reactor includes a geodesic-shaped reaction chamber having at least j planar faces, where j equals 2, 6, 8, 12 or 20 and j conical plasma injectors (CPIs) for creating circular rings of neutral plasma. Each CPI includes a conical inner cathode electrode disposed coaxially within a hollow conical outer anode electrode, the space between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode forming a converging conical plasma channel for creating circular rings of neutral plasma, the converging conical plasma channel accelerating the plasma fuel into a converging plasma ring that comes to a focus at the center of the reaction chamber. The angle between axes of adjacent CPIs defines a CPI face angle, the angle defined by the converging conical plasma channel at its apex defining a CPI convergence angle, wherein the CPI convergence angle is approximately half the CPI face angle.

Methods and systems are provided for plasma confinement utilizing various electrode and valve configurations. In one example, a device includes a first electrode positioned to define an outer boundary of an acceleration volume, a second electrode arranged coaxially with respect to the first electrode and positioned to define an inner boundary of the acceleration volume, at least one power supply to drive an electric current along a Z-pinch plasma column between the first second electrodes, and a set of valves to provide gas to the acceleration volume to fuel the Z-pinch plasma column, wherein an electron flow of the electric current is in a first direction from the second electrode to the first electrode. In additional or alternative examples, a shaping part is conductively connected to the second electrode to, in a presence of the gas, cause a gas breakdown of the gas to generate a sheared flow velocity profile.

Methods and systems are provided for plasma confinement utilizing various electrode and valve configurations. In one example, a device includes a first electrode positioned to define an outer boundary of an acceleration volume, a second electrode arranged coaxially with respect to the first electrode and positioned to define an inner boundary of the acceleration volume, at least one power supply to drive an electric current along a Z-pinch plasma column between the first second electrodes, and a set of valves to provide gas to the acceleration volume to fuel the Z-pinch plasma column, wherein an electron flow of the electric current is in a first direction from the second electrode to the first electrode. In additional or alternative examples, a shaping part is conductively connected to the second electrode to, in a presence of the gas, cause a gas breakdown of the gas to generate a sheared flow velocity profile.

A toroidal field coil comprising a central column, a plurality of return limbs, a quench protection system, and a cooling system. The central column comprises IITS material. Each return limb comprises a quenchable section, two IITS sections, and a quenching 5 system. The quenchable section comprises superconducting material, and is configured to contribute towards a magnetic field of the toroidal field coil. The IITS sections comprise IITS material. The IITS sections electrically connect the quenchable section to the central column and are in series with the central column and the quenchable section. The quenching system is associated with the quenchable section 10 and configured to quench the quenchable section. The quench protection system is configured to detect quenches in the toroidal field coil and, in response to detection of a quench, cause the quenching system to quench the superconducting material in one or more of the quenchable sections in order to dump energy from the toroidal field coil into the one or more quenchable sections. The cooling system is configured to cool each 15 quenchable section to a temperature at which the superconducting material is superconducting. Each quenchable section has a heat capacity sufficient to cause a temperature of the quenchable section to remain below a first predetermined temperature when energy is dumped from the toroidal field coil into the quenchable section, and a resistivity sufficient to cause decay of the magnet's current quickly 20 enough that the temperature of the quenched part of the HTS section remains below a second predetermined temperature.

A toroidal field coil comprising a central column, a plurality of return limbs, a quench protection system, and a cooling system. The central column comprises IITS material. Each return limb comprises a quenchable section, two IITS sections, and a quenching 5 system. The quenchable section comprises superconducting material, and is configured to contribute towards a magnetic field of the toroidal field coil. The IITS sections comprise IITS material. The IITS sections electrically connect the quenchable section to the central column and are in series with the central column and the quenchable section. The quenching system is associated with the quenchable section 10 and configured to quench the quenchable section. The quench protection system is configured to detect quenches in the toroidal field coil and, in response to detection of a quench, cause the quenching system to quench the superconducting material in one or more of the quenchable sections in order to dump energy from the toroidal field coil into the one or more quenchable sections. The cooling system is configured to cool each 15 quenchable section to a temperature at which the superconducting material is superconducting. Each quenchable section has a heat capacity sufficient to cause a temperature of the quenchable section to remain below a first predetermined temperature when energy is dumped from the toroidal field coil into the quenchable section, and a resistivity sufficient to cause decay of the magnet's current quickly 20 enough that the temperature of the quenched part of the HTS section remains below a second predetermined temperature.

An example plasma confinement system includes an inner electrode having a rounded first end that is disposed on a longitudinal axis of the plasma confinement system and an outer electrode that at least partially surrounds the inner electrode. The outer electrode includes a solid conductive shell and an electrically conductive material disposed on the solid conductive shell and on the longitudinal axis of the plasma confinement system. The electrically conductive material has a melting point within a range of 170° C. to 800° C. at 1 atmosphere of pressure. Related plasma confinement systems and methods are also disclosed herein.