A seal for a vacuum chamber is formed from two outer insulation blocks, an intermediate insulation block, some interior insulation sheets and some exterior insulation sheets. A first outer insulation block seals between a first wall of the vacuum chamber and a first power transmission plate. A second outer insulation block seals between a second wall of the vacuum chamber and a second power transmission plate. The intermediate insulation block seals between the first and second power transmission plates. The interior insulation sheets are arranged in slots in a first side of the intermediate insulation block. The exterior insulation sheets are arranged in the slots in a second side of the intermediate insulation block.

A plasma confinement device (500), comprises a first magnet system (1) comprising a first plurality of concentrically arranged circular-loop coils (11, 12), comprising a first coil (11) arranged to carry a current in a first direction; and a second coil (12) arranged to carry a current in a second direction opposite to the first direction; and a second magnet system (2) comprising a second plurality of concentrically arranged circular-loop coils (21, 22), arranged with mirror symmetry with respect to the first magnet system (1) relative to a symmetry plane (P) located between the first magnet system (1) and the second magnet system (2), creating an annular plasma confinement area (206) at the symmetry plane (P) with a magnetic field normal to the symmetry plane (P) at the symmetry plane (P).

A plasma heating device efficiently generates a high temperature. A tubular conductor has a cylindrical inner surface covered with a negatively charged insulating film. A tubular anode is supported inside the conductor with insulating material. An incident pipe, with an inner surface covered with insulating film, is negatively charged and extends tangentially on the conductor and has an incident port at one end and the other end communicating with the inside of the conductor. Hydrogen gas is supplied inside the conductor through a pipe and anode. A vacuum chamber connects to a pump, the inside thereof communicates with the incident pipe. An electron gun produces an electron beam from the incident port through inside the vacuum chamber into the conductor wherein the electron beam is reflected by the negatively charged conductor and the gas in the conductor plasmalizes. A cooler surrounds the conductor and has a water flow path therein.

This invention relates to a device for rapid focus control of one or more lasers. The controlled beam (5), is refracted by the dynamic refraction device (1) whose refractive index is set by its response to the control beam (3). The invention can be used for rapid focus and re-focus of a laser on a target as might be useful in such industries as flat panel television manufacturing, fuel injector nozzle manufacture, laser material processing/machining, laser scanning and indirect drive inertial confinement fusion.

A method of controlling a plasma in a nuclear fusion reactor. The nuclear fusion reactor comprises sensors and plasma control inputs. An initial control model is provided, relating readings of at least a subset of the sensors to control of the plasma control inputs. A control loop is performed, comprising: operating the plasma control inputs in dependence upon the sensors according to the control model; determining correlations between readings of each of the sensors, and/or between readings of the sensors and states of the plasma control inputs; and adjusting the control model based on the determined correlations.

The present disclosures relates to an ion beam assembly where a relatively small deflection angle (approximately 15° from the center of the beam line) is used in conjunction with two beam dumps located on either side of the beam. In some embodiments, the combination of the two beam dumps and the magnet assembly can provide an ion beam filter. In some embodiments, the resulting system provides a smaller, safer and more reliable ion beam. In some embodiments, the ion beam can be a proton beam.

A system for performing enhanced dense plasma acceleration includes two dense plasma fusion accelerators, each having two electrodes. One of the electrodes is positioned within a volume of the other. A conductive ring couples electrodes of the two plasma fusion accelerators. A plasma sheath from one accelerator and a plasma sheath from the other accelerator interact to form a portion of a cusp pinch. The plasma sheaths form portions of the cusp pinch via apertures of electrodes.

A plasma confinement apparatus having a vacuum tight container configured to maintain the pressure of confined plasma; an arrangement of magnet coils inside the vacuum container that define a quasi-spherical polyhedral surface; an arrangement of energetic particle beam injectors mounted inside the vacuum container and outside the magnet coils; an arrangement of energy converters configured to recover net energy produced by fusion reactions within the confined plasma; wherein, a region of quasi-spherical, low-magnetic field intensity is formed inside the arrangement of magnet coils that is configured to confine an plasma within the quasi-spherical polyhedral surface. The arrangement of magnet coils facilitates classical, magnetic confinement of plasma particles for both neutronic and aneutronic reactions, in a scalable, quasi-spherical polyhedral geometry. A quasi-spherical region of low magnetic field intensity formed within the arrangement of magnet coils allows the plasma to be high magnetic beta, thus minimizing Bremsstrahlung-based energy losses.

Examples of advanced fuel cycles for fusion reactors are described. Examples include fuel cycles for use in field reverse configuration (FRC) plasma reactors. In some examples, reaction gases may be removed from a fusion reactor between pulses (e.g. plasmoid collisions). In some examples, a D-.sup.3He reaction is performed, with the .sup.3He provided from decay of byproducts of previous reactions (e.g. tritium).

A segment of a field coil, a toroidal field coil, and a method of manufacturing is provided. The segment of a field coil is for use in a superconducting electromagnet. The segment includes an assembly for carrying electrical current in a coil of a magnet. The assembly includes a pre-formed housing comprising a channel configured to retain high temperature superconductor (HTS) tape, the channel including at least one pre-formed curved section. The assembly further includes a plurality of layers of HTS tape fixed within the channel. Wherein the pre-formed curved section has a radius of curvature which is less than a total thickness of the layers of HTS tape in that section divided by twice a maximum permitted strain of the HTS tape.