A non-resonance photo-neutralizer for negative ion-based neutral beam injectors. The non-resonance photo-neutralizer utilizes a nonresonant photon accumulation, wherein the path of a photon becomes tangled and trapped in a certain space region, i.e., the photon trap. The trap is preferably formed by two smooth mirror surfaces facing each other with at least one of the mirrors being concave. In its simplest form, the trap is elliptical. A confinement region is a region near a family of normals, which are common to both mirror surfaces. The photons with a sufficiently small angle of deviation from the nearest common normal are confined. Depending on specific conditions, the shape of the mirror surface may be one of spherical, elliptical, cylindrical, or toroidal geometry, or a combination thereof.

A non-resonance photo-neutralizer for negative ion-based neutral beam injectors. The non-resonance photo-neutralizer utilizes a nonresonant photon accumulation, wherein the path of a photon becomes tangled and trapped in a certain space region, i.e., the photon trap. The trap is preferably formed by two smooth mirror surfaces facing each other with at least one of the mirrors being concave. In its simplest form, the trap is elliptical. A confinement region is a region near a family of normals, which are common to both mirror surfaces. The photons with a sufficiently small angle of deviation from the nearest common normal are confined. Depending on specific conditions, the shape of the mirror surface may be one of spherical, elliptical, cylindrical, or toroidal geometry, or a combination thereof.

A non-resonance photo-neutralizer for negative ion-based neutral beam injectors. The non-resonance photo-neutralizer utilizes a nonresonant photon accumulation, wherein the path of a photon becomes tangled and trapped in a certain space region, i.e., the photon trap. The trap is preferably formed by two smooth mirror surfaces facing each other with at least one of the mirrors being concave. In its simplest form, the trap is elliptical. A confinement region is a region near a family of normals, which are common to both mirror surfaces. The photons with a sufficiently small angle of deviation from the nearest common normal are confined. Depending on specific conditions, the shape of the mirror surface may be one of spherical, elliptical, cylindrical, or toroidal geometry, or a combination thereof.

A non-resonance photo-neutralizer for negative ion-based neutral beam injectors. The non-resonance photo-neutralizer utilizes a nonresonant photon accumulation, wherein the path of a photon becomes tangled and trapped in a certain space region, i.e., the photon trap. The trap is preferably formed by two smooth mirror surfaces facing each other with at least one of the mirrors being concave. In its simplest form, the trap is elliptical. A confinement region is a region near a family of normals, which are common to both mirror surfaces. The photons with a sufficiently small angle of deviation from the nearest common normal are confined. Depending on specific conditions, the shape of the mirror surface may be one of spherical, elliptical, cylindrical, or toroidal geometry, or a combination thereof.

Methods and systems are provided for Z-pinch plasma and other plasma confinement utilizing various electrode compositions and configurations. In one example, a plasma confinement system includes a plurality of electrodes, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes arranged coaxially with respect to an assembly region of the plasma confinement system and positioned so as to be exposed to the assembly region, wherein one or more electrodes of the plurality of electrodes includes an electrode material which releases hydrogen gas above a threshold temperature. In an additional or alternative example, a plasma confinement system includes an electrode body including a nosecone, and a liquid metal, a portion of the liquid metal forming a protective film between a surface of the nosecone and an exterior of the nosecone during operation of the plasma confinement system.

Methods and systems are provided for Z-pinch plasma and other plasma confinement utilizing various electrode compositions and configurations. In one example, a plasma confinement system includes a plurality of electrodes, each electrode of the plurality of electrodes arranged coaxially with respect to an assembly region of the plasma confinement system and positioned so as to be exposed to the assembly region, wherein one or more electrodes of the plurality of electrodes includes an electrode material which releases hydrogen gas above a threshold temperature. In an additional or alternative example, a plasma confinement system includes an electrode body including a nosecone, and a liquid metal, a portion of the liquid metal forming a protective film between a surface of the nosecone and an exterior of the nosecone during operation of the plasma confinement system.

Techniques are described for delivering a metered flow of tritium gas to a fusion power system at a constant (or substantially constant) flow without feedback control being necessary, and while allowing all (or almost all) of the tritium in a reservoir to be delivered to the system. A constant pressure (isobaric) tritium injection system is described comprising a process chamber, at least part of which is flexible, and a regulating chamber arranged adjacent to the process chamber. Tritium in the process chamber may be pushed out of the injection system by managing the pressure of a regulating gas in the regulating chamber. As the pressure of the regulating gas increases, this causes the process chamber to be compressed due to the flexible portion(s) of the process chamber, thereby increasing the pressure of the tritium gas.

Techniques are described for delivering a metered flow of tritium gas to a fusion power system at a constant (or substantially constant) flow without feedback control being necessary, and while allowing all (or almost all) of the tritium in a reservoir to be delivered to the system. A constant pressure (isobaric) tritium injection system is described comprising a process chamber, at least part of which is flexible, and a regulating chamber arranged adjacent to the process chamber. Tritium in the process chamber may be pushed out of the injection system by managing the pressure of a regulating gas in the regulating chamber. As the pressure of the regulating gas increases, this causes the process chamber to be compressed due to the flexible portion(s) of the process chamber, thereby increasing the pressure of the tritium gas.

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.

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.