Reactor using azimuthally varying electrical fields

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, devices, and systems for producing and controlling and fusion activities of nuclei. Hydrogen atoms or other neutral species (neutrals) are induced to rotational motion in a confinement region as a result of ion-neutral coupling, in which ions are driven by electric fields. The controlled fusion activities cover a spectrum of reactions including aneutronic reactions such as proton-boron-11 fusion reactions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a confining wall having a substantially cylindrical inner surface that has an axis, wherein the confining wall at least partially encloses a confinement region;   a plurality of electrodes azimuthally distributed along the confining wall;   an inlet to the confinement region for permitting introduction of neutrals to the confinement region;   a control system comprising a voltage and/or current source configured to sequentially apply one or more potentials to each of the plurality of electrodes to thereby induce and/or maintain rotational movement of ions and the neutrals in the confinement region; and   a reactant attached to or embedded in the confining wall such that, during operation, repeated collisions between the neutrals and the reactant produce an interaction with the reactant that gives off energy and produces a product having a nuclear mass that is different from a nuclear mass of any of the nuclei of the neutrals and the reactant.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one magnet configured to provide a magnetic field through the confinement region such that the magnetic field is directed at least in part in the direction of the axis of the substantially cylindrical inner surface. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrodes includes between about twenty and eighty electrodes. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the electrodes of the plurality of electrodes have widths, in the azimuthal direction, of about 10 cm or less. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an inner wall within a region interior to the inner surface of the confining wall and separated from the confining wall by at least the confinement region; and   a second plurality of electrodes azimuthally distributed along the inner wall, wherein the control system is further configured to sequentially apply one or more potentials to each of the second plurality of electrodes.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to sequentially apply the one or more potentials to each of the plurality of electrodes according to a timing sequence that defines a speed of the rotational movement of the ions and the neutrals in the confinement region. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to apply an oscillating potential to each of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the frequency of the oscillating potential is in the range of between about 60 kHz and 1 MHz. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the confining wall comprises a refractory metal and/or a stainless steel. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the interaction is a fusion reaction. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the reactant attached to or embedded in the confining wall comprises boron-11, and wherein the neutrals comprise neutral hydrogen, deuterium, and/or tritium. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more electron emitters configured to, during operation, emit electrons into a region adjacent to the confining wall. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, during operation, the confinement region proximate the confining wall comprises an electron-rich region having an excess of electrons over positively charged particles of at least about 10 6 /cm 3 . 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein, during operation, the electron-rich region has an electric field strength of at least about 10 6  V/m. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 introducing neutrals to a confinement region; and   sequentially applying one or more potentials to each of a plurality of electrodes azimuthally distributed along a confining wall, wherein the confining wall has a substantially cylindrical inner surface that has an axis, and wherein the confining wall at least partially encloses the confinement region,   wherein sequentially applying the one or more potentials to each of the plurality of electrodes induces and/or maintains rotational movement of ions and the neutrals in the confinement region, and   wherein the rotational movement of the neutrals produces repeated collisions between the neutrals and a reactant to produce an interaction with the reactant that gives off energy and produces a product having a nuclear mass that is different from a nuclear mass of any of the nuclei of the neutrals and the reactant, wherein the reactant is attached to or embedded in the confining wall.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising applying a magnetic field through the confinement region such that the magnetic field is directed at least in part in the direction of the axis of the substantially cylindrical inner surface. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising sequentially applying the one or more potentials to each of a plurality of second electrodes azimuthally distributed along an inner wall within a region interior to the inner surface of the confining wall and separated from the confining wall by at least the confinement region. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein sequentially applying one or more potentials to each of the plurality of electrodes comprises applying the one or more potentials according to a timing sequence that defines a speed of the rotational movement of the ions and the neutrals in the confinement region. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the control system is configured to apply an oscillating potential to each of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the frequency of the oscillating potential is in the range of between about 60 kHz and 1 MHz. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the reaction is a fusion reaction. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the reactant attached to or embedded in the confining wall comprises boron-11. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the neutrals comprise neutral hydrogen, deuterium, and/or tritium. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the neutrals in the confinement region proximate the confining wall have a concentration of at least about 10 20 /cm 3 . 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising emitting electrons from one or more electron emitters into a region adjacent to the confining wall. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein, while maintaining the rotational movement of the neutrals, the confinement region proximate the confining wall comprises an electron-rich region having an excess of electrons over positively charged particles of at least about 10 6 /cm 3 . 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein, while maintaining the rotational movement of the neutrals, the electron-rich region extends from the confining wall into the confinement region by a distance of between about 50 nanometers and about 50 micrometers. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein, while maintaining the rotational movement of the neutrals, the electron-rich region has an electric field strength of at least about 10 6  V/m. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein, while maintaining the rotational movement of the neutrals, the neutrals in the electron-rich region have an energy of, on average, of between about 0.1 eV and 2 eV.