US 20050157832A1
(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2005/0157832 A1
Nordberg
(43) Pub. Date:
Jul. 21, 2005
(54) NUCLEAR FUSION REACTOR
INCORPORATING SPHERICAL
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS TO CONTAIN
AND EXTRACT ENERGY
(76)
Inventor: John T. Nordberg, Eden Prairie, MN
(Us)
Correspondence Address:
Patterson, Thuente, Skaar & Christensen, RA.
4800 IDS Center
80 South 8th Street
(60) Provisional application No. 60/228,212, ?led on Aug.
25, 2000.
Publication Classi?cation
(51)
Int. Cl.7 ............................... .. G21B 1/00; G21] 1/00
(52)
US. Cl. ............................................................ .. 376/133
(57)
ABSTRACT
A nuclear fusion reactor system includes a reactor core
containing nuclear fusionable material and a plurality of
conducting spheres arranged adjacent each other With at
Minneapolis, MN 55402-2100 (US)
least tWo of said conducting spheres adjacent the reactor
core. The reactor core and the conducting spheres form a
electro/magnetic circuit such that fusion of fusionable mate
(21) Appl. No.:
(22)
Filed:
11/082,723
rial in the reactor core establishes an electro/magnetic ?oW
Mar. 16, 2005
around the electro/magnetic circuit. Preferably, a spherical
electromagnetic con?nement ?eld is initiated around the
reactor core such that fusion of the nuclear fusionable
Related US. Application Data
(63)
Continuation of application No. 10/840,082, ?led on
May 6, 2004, noW Pat. No. 6,888,434, Which is a
continuation of application No. 09/939,316, ?led on
material generates a plasma Which interacts With the spheri
cal electromagnetic con?nement ?eld in a magnethydrody
namic manner. Preferably, electrical energy is inductively
extracted in response to the electro/magnetic ?oW through a
coil arrangement located around at least one of the conduct
ing spheres.
Aug. 24, 2001, noW abandoned.
Reactor Core
Conducting
'I.as_ers_l
(101)
(102)
Electrical Flow
_ Flovv
Middle Reactor‘
Shield (109)
Conducting Spheres form
Conducting Spheres
Anode/Cathode
Side View
“Magnetic Circuit” instead
( 113)
Core Area
of
of an Electrical Circuit.
Electrons counter-rotate
around each
sphere
Coolant Bath (1 '
Pedistal (Ill)
Conductor
Pedistals (112)
Hemispheric Coils (1
Coolant Tubes (I14)
Bus (1
p
\ Coolant Outlet Tube (116)
Coolant Inlet Tube
Outer Shield
Wall (117)
Track
From Containment
Circuit
iH Hl IH HI Hil l H
NH I WHI
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 2 0f 83
US 2005/0157832 A1
Conducting Layer (118)
/
Non-Conducting
Core (119)
Figure 2
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 3 0f 83
(102)
US 2005/0157832 A1
Overlapping Butt
Joint (120)
/
Conducting Layer (118)
/
Figure 3
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 4 0f 83
US 2005/0157832 A1
177
/( )
Ori?ce (121)
Non Conducting
Core (119)
Conducting
Layer (118)
(102)
Figure 4
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 5 0f 83
Overlapping Butt Joints (120)
Conducting Sphere
Track (104)
Figure 5
(102)
US 2005/0157832 A1
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 6 0f 83
US 2005/0157832 A1
(101)
Laser Port (137)
Inner Layer of Non-Conducting Material (122)
Second Non-Conducting Layer (123)
Third Non-Conducting Layer (124)
Fourth Non-Conducting Layer (125.)
Conducting Layer (118)
Sixth Non-Conducting Layer (126)
Seventh Non-Conducting Layer (127)
Conducting Sphere
Divot (159)
Figure 6
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 7 of 83
US 2005/0157832 A1
Overhead Gantry
& Cranes (132)
High Volume
Coolant In plpe (170)
Conducting Sphere
.
Track (104)
Conducting Spheres (102)
+
can thermally expand _
m & Out-
Conducting
.
OHSfIgZCCEgC
:-
Sphere (102)
‘
(Coils not
A
AnleofSloe
Illustrated)
_-'
Inside edge
I ~\
of track
Leads (133)
~
for illustration.
_
Sensors, additional mechanical means of
pasgi g
positioning Conducting Spheres (102),
Material (128)
and other parts are not illustrated.
Figure 7
High volume
Coolant Outlet Pipe (171)
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 8 0f 83
US 2005/0157832 A1
Middle
Reactor
Middle Shield
Coolant (134) Shield (109)
Laser
Anode/Cathode
Ports (137)
Conducting Spheres (113)
Inner
Shield Clamp (110)
Core
Pedestal (111)
Non-Conductive
5:;
.1‘:
Gasket "55>
Conductor
Pedestals (112)
Figure 8
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 9 0f 83
US 2005/0157832 A1
Ablatable Wires (135)
Laser Ports 137
Fuel Pellet (136)
Figure 9
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 10 0f 83
(136)
Figure 10
US 2005/0157832 A1
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 11 0f 83
323“‘H2Wu3m
u0Mao2?qcmo =2a33»
Encrgy Absorptlon
Capability of Reactor &
M \I
.wI
r"w¥\m
.m\\( FYInn
r0
adYwdFmmm
I
JH
F
F\L
r‘In
dP
0!.
q,
m
/u?
T:1. .
3.5 3.m?6r.“61mmum
Ln
m
\J
cYe
V.
e
1
US 2005/0157832 A1
l2
3
Figure 11
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 12 0f 83
US 2005/0157832 A1
CUI'I'CI'II
, av
-- ~~ __
lMiaZgn'le-dié vnPwI?QvHw
4(._..
Figure 12
(101)
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 13 0f 83
US 2005/0157832 A1
magneuc “current”
(101)
mom.“,mew
‘- Z) ‘i
magnetic current
i?
Magnetic “Voltage”
Figure 13
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 14 of 83
Coil Wire 165
“gum.%a..x
. .‘. ..-$_.
Figure 14
US 2005/0157832 A1
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 15 of 83
US 2005/0157832 A1
Coil Wire (165)
wmU.Q
n
w
.m
. .i, Quu
0
w
//
. H".
..
.u
m
B
on
m
C
m
/
_
m
.
,
,.
ME///.V\
/
E
\
E
\,
/
IVI
/
\b/
,
1w
_
in“?.p(i
K//\1//
.6
....
~.
A\ .1\
+
+
.1
\
f
/
/
\
/
_
n
/
B
/\
H. v&m.\$1. “.
Magnetic Field on
Hemispheric Coils
Induced Electric Field on
Conducting Spheres
h
ElCCtI‘lC Field on
.weCmmdmmEm .nS
Hemisphen'c Coils
D
62.F.wbcp Fhu.war.6Ma
m
5
1
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 16 0f 83
US 2005/0157832 A1
Exploded View of
Parallel Hemisphcric Coils
Input and Output Leads
for Parallel Coils \
106
106
Figure 16
106
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 17 0f 83
US 2005/0157832 A1
Exploded V1ew of
Parallel Hemispheric Coils
Connected in Series
Xena.
t._
106
Figure 17
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 18 of 83
PL3auesl*kre
C
A
P
d
a
u
p
i
l
t
s
c
o
e
n
r
CPonue?lamsknt YFPuiesalokdn CIPanupiltcsaeor
US 2005/0157832 A1
Energy Absorption
Capability of Reactor &
(Con?nement Field)
Fusion
Yield Peak
Energy
i il
Fu on Fuel Yield
/7
over time
Laser Energy
Yield over time
3
Time
Figure 18
Patent Application Publication Jul. 21, 2005 Sheet 19 0f 83
Voltage
Figure 19
US 2005/0157832 A1