Material arrangement for fusion reactor and method for producing the same

Abstract

A material arrangement for a fusion reactor comprising at least one material which is configured as a foam-like carrier material for condensable binding and fusing of hydrogen. The carrier material is provided with positively charged vacancies for condensing hydrogen atoms, small pores for receiving the condensate and for accelerating the condensation after previous penetration of atoms or molecules into these, and large pores for transporting a catalyst into the small pores. Furthermore, a method for producing the material arrangement is disclosed.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A material arrangement for a fusion reactor comprising: at least one material which is configured as a foam-like carrier material for condensable binding and fusing of hydrogen, the carrier material having positively charged vacancies for condensing hydrogen atoms, small pores for receiving atoms or molecules, and large pores for transporting atoms or molecules into the small pores.

17. The material arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the carrier material is meltable during a fusion, at least in certain areas, and, after a melting process, has its initial structure.

18. The material arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the carrier material is provided with positively charged vacancies by doping.

19. The material arrangement according to claim 16, wherein a further material is provided which is applied as a catalyst coating for at least one of mechanical stabilization, chemical stabilization or acceleration.

20. The material arrangement according to claim 19, wherein the catalyst coating has positively charged vacancies.

21. The material arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the carrier material is mixed with positively charged vacancies by doping and by a catalyst coating.

22. The material arrangement according to claim 19, wherein the catalyst coating is meltable during a fusion, at least in certain areas, and, after a melting process, has its initial structure.

23. The material arrangement according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the foam-like carrier material or the catalyst coating is fusion temperature resistant.

24. The material arrangement according to claim 16, wherein the carrier material is one of a metal oxide, a transition metal, a ceramic or a carbon structure.

25. The material arrangement according to claim 16, wherein a superconducting liquid can be formed on the carrier material and increases a probability of an electromagnetic resonance.

26. A method for producing a material arrangement for a fusion reactor comprising at least one material which is configured as a foam-like carrier material for condensable binding and fusing of hydrogen, the carrier material having positively charged vacancies for condensing hydrogen atoms, small pores for receiving atoms or molecules, and large pores for transporting atoms or molecules into the small pores, comprising the steps: providing a carrier material raw material, transferring the carrier material raw material into a foam-like carrier material, and introducing positively charged vacancies at least one of into or onto the foam-like carrier material.

27. The method for producing a material arrangement according to claim 26, wherein the foam-like carrier material is stabilized with a catalyst coating.

28. The method for producing a material arrangement according to claim 27, wherein doping is applied to introduce positively charged vacancies into at least one of the carrier material or the catalyst coating.

29. The method for producing a material arrangement according to claim 26, wherein transition metals or metalloids are used for the doping of the carrier material.

30. The method for producing a material arrangement according to claim 26, wherein the catalyst coating is used for introducing positively charged vacancies onto the carrier material.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] In the following a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in detail with reference to highly simplified schematic diagrams. In the figures:

[0039] FIG. 1 shows a section through an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention,

[0040] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of section A from FIG. 1

[0041] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of section B from FIG. 2,

[0042] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a charging process according to the method according to the invention,

[0043] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a fusion process according to the method according to the invention,

[0044] FIG. 6 shows a section through an exemplary embodiment of the material arrangement according to the invention,

[0045] FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a method according to the invention for producing a material arrangement.

[0046] In the drawings the same constructive elements each have the same reference numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0047] FIG. 1 shows a section through an exemplary embodiment of the apparatus 1 according to the invention for carrying out the method according to the invention for producing and for fusing ultra-dense hydrogen.

[0048] The apparatus 1 according to the exemplary embodiment comprises a cavity 2 which is open in places for receiving a gas. The gas here is preferably a hydrogen gas in its molecular form exposed to negative pressure, which is immediately converted into an atomic plasma in the cavity 2.

[0049] The cavity 2 is a pore of an open-pore metal foam or ceramic foam 4. The material of the metal foam or ceramic foam 4 should be selected in this case so that even while delivering the highest possible energy during a fusion, the material does not change its alpha lattice state or if this is changed, the alpha lattice state is achieved again.

[0050] According to the exemplary embodiment, the pore of the metal foam 4 is at least partially provided with a catalyst coating 6 in the inner side. The catalyst coating 6 here has a granular structure and according to the exemplary embodiment, contains titanium oxide. The catalyst coating can also be constructed of Fe2O3, Ni, MnO and other materials which can be applied to the metal foam or the ceramic foam as a thin perturbed regular lattice structure having a layer thickness of 10 nm to 4 m.

[0051] Furthermore, the apparatus 1 has an initiating source 8 which can trigger a fusion process in a cavity 2. According to the exemplary embodiment shown, the initiating source 8 is a source of coherent, monochromatic light 8 which can act upon the cavity 2 with electromagnetic radiation. The initiation is accomplished by the thermal radiation of the cavity walls where due to resonance effects with the walls now mirror-coated by the superfluid hydrogen, preferred wavelengths or frequencies occur with high field intensity. The repulsive potential between protons is very high. The protons are the nuclei of the hydrogen. They undergo their repulsion due to their positive charge (Coulomb repulsion). In ultra-dense hydrogen the nuclei are very tightly packed and therefore very close. The repulsive potential of the nuclei is reduced here by the spherical expansion of the charge and matter cloud of the proton. Furthermore, this repulsion is very severely reduced by other forces such as strong interaction, weak interaction and gravitation and by the shielding of electron states. If ultra-dense hydrogen 12 is formed, the density is very high and the fusion partners, here hydrogen atoms 12, are therefore close to the fusion barrier. Accordingly, a small energy contribution is already sufficient to initiate a fusion. According to the exemplary embodiment, such an ignition of the fusion process is either executed by a coherent monochromatic light source 8 or by the natural black body radiation of the cavity 2, but can also be accomplished by external ionization, for example, by high voltage. Alternatively, a simple spark plug can also be used as initiating source 8 for this purpose.

[0052] FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of the section A from FIG. 1. In particular, the granular structure of the catalyst coating 6 is illustrated here. As a result, a Casimir geometry is created with a plurality of cavities 10 which exert capillary and/or Casimir forces on matter. Thus, corresponding forces can also act on a molecular hydrogen introduced into the cavity 2. Furthermore, the Purcell Effect is known for such structures, which amplifies electromagnetic processes many times.

[0053] FIG. 3 shows a further enlargement of the structure from the exemplary embodiment of the apparatus 1 according to the invention of section B from FIG. 2. Here it is illustrated that the granular structure of the catalyst coating 6 splits molecular hydrogen into atomic hydrogen and this then condenses into ultra-dense hydrogen 12 in the cavities 10 or the Casimir geometries 10. This corresponds to a charged state of the apparatus 1.

[0054] The method according to the invention for generating and fusing ultra-dense hydrogen is explained hereinafter. FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a charging process of the apparatus 1 according to the method according to the invention. In this case, a gas (reference number 14) is introduced into the cavity 2, which is to be catalyzed and condensed. According to the exemplary embodiment, the gas is molecular hydrogen. Through contact of the hydrogen gas with the catalyst coating 6, the energy required for a plasma formation, and also for a condensate formation, is reduced to such an extent (reference number 16) that this can take place spontaneously at room temperature and even lower temperatures. According to the exemplary embodiment, the condensate is atomic hydrogen which has been catalytically split. The atomic hydrogen then condenses (reference number 20) in the Casimir geometry and becomes embedded in the catalyst coating 6 and is thus present in condensed form as ultra-dense hydrogen 12.

[0055] FIG. 5 shows a possible fusion process according to the method according to the invention. An apparatus 1 charged, for example according to FIG. 4, is assumed. An embedded (reference number 20) condensed ultra-dense hydrogen 12 is excited energetically by an initiating source 8. The condensed hydrogen forms clusters 12. These lie tightly squeezed together and between the heavy catalyst particles 7. The hydrogen protons are very tightly packedthe packing density being obtained from the quantum-mechanical state of the binding electrons in cooperation with the protons. The near field of the catalyst particles 7 assists the condensation. The packing density of the protons lies within the critical density for penetration of the fusion barrier. The energy contribution 22 from the initiating source 8 thus induces a fusion process 24 of the ultra-dense hydrogen. In particular helium, which can volatilize from the catalyst coating 6, is formed by the fusion process 24. In addition to helium, reaction energy 26 in the form of heat is produced. This reaction energy 26 is then guided out from the apparatus 1 via the metal foam/ceramic foam 4 by means of heat conduction and at the surface thereof by means of thermal radiation (reference number 28) or is guided into adjacent regions of the apparatus. The reaction energy 26 can thus be used, for example, for the ignition of fusion in neighboring apparatuses. Furthermore, the reaction energy, in particular reaction heat, can also be converted conventionally into mechanical, chemical or electrical energy and utilized.

[0056] FIG. 6 shows a section through an exemplary embodiment of the material arrangement 30 according to the invention which comprises a metal foam 4 with a catalyst coating 6 (not visible in FIG. 6). The cavity 2 shown in FIG. 1 here corresponds to a small pore 32 of the material arrangement 30.

[0057] The material arrangement 30 furthermore has large pores 34 which bind the small pores 32, for example, for the transport of hydrogen molecules. The large pores 34 are also used for the application and transport of the catalyst coating 6 so that the small pores 32 are also coated.

[0058] FIG. 7 shows a schematic view of a method 40 according to the invention for producing a material arrangement 30. In this case, in the first step a carrier material raw material 42 is prepared. The carrier material raw material 42 is here a powder and is then converted, for example by sintering at 1500 degrees C., into a foam-like carrier material 4 and optionally previously as well as additionally subsequently made reactive for the condensation and storage of hydrogen by introducing positively charged vacancies 44. The introduction of positively charged vacancies is accomplished, according to the exemplary embodiment, by introducing external crystals into the starting material to produce the carrier material or subsequently by coating with an oxide which forms positively charged vacancies by addition of external atoms.

[0059] Positively charged vacancies are mentioned here as a synonym for electronic systems which have a spin current (e.g., two free aligned electronic spin states having an integer spin which characterizes a Bosean state.

[0060] As a possible example for the production of the material arrangement 30, ZrO2 is mixed with 13 mol. % yttrium and a catalyst solution of 10 weight % of catalyst in heptane. At the same time, 60-70 volume % of 150 m large carbon particles is added. This mixture is heated to 200 oC while stirring until the heptane has volatilized. A mass remains which, when cooled, can be pressed into a mold at a pressure of at least 5 kN. In this case, the pore size of the material arrangement 30 is dependent on the pressure applied here. The higher the pressure, the smaller are the pores 32, 34. However, low pressure here can adversely affect the mechanical stability. The pressed mold is then exposed to heat and sintered while adding oxygen. As a result, the carbon particles react with oxygen to carbon dioxide and volatilize from the mold so that a microporous structure remains.

[0061] Then, after cooling, a further catalyst coating 6 can be applied. This is accomplished, for example, by dissolving 25 g of a catalyst in 6 ml of methanol and subsequent impregnation of the structure with the solution. A drying process can be advantageous here at 200 oC for over 6 hours so that the methanol can volatilize.

[0062] Disclosed is a material arrangement 30 for a fusion reactor comprising at least one material which is configured as a foam-like carrier material 4 for condensable binding and fusing of hydrogen, where the carrier material 4 is provided with positively charged vacancies for condensing hydrogen atoms, small pores 32 for receiving atoms or molecules and large pores 34 for transporting atoms or molecules into the small pores 32. Furthermore, a method 40 for producing the material arrangement 30 is disclosed.

[0063] While at least one exemplary embodiment of the present invention(s) is disclosed herein, it should be understood that modifications, substitutions and alternatives may be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art and can be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. This disclosure is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the exemplary embodiment(s). In addition, in this disclosure, the terms comprise or comprising do not exclude other elements or steps, the terms a or one do not exclude a plural number, and the term or means either or both. Furthermore, characteristics or steps which have been described may also be used in combination with other characteristics or steps and in any order unless the disclosure or context suggests otherwise. This disclosure hereby incorporates by reference the complete disclosure of any patent or application from which it claims benefit or priority.