Patent ID: 9370086
Filing Date: 2016-06-14
CPC Classification: G21B,G21D,H05H,Y02E

Claim Text:
1. A method of forming a field reversed configuration (FRC) magnetic field about a plasma of charged particles comprising the steps of creating a magnetic guide field within a cylindrical chamber having a longitudinal axis, wherein the magnetic guide field having field lines axially extending within the chamber parallel to the longitudinal axis, injecting a plasma of charged electron and ion particles into the chamber toward a midplane of the chamber, generating an azimuthal electric field within the chamber coupling to the charged electron and ion particles of the plasma causing ponderomotive forces causing the charged electron and ion particles to accelerate and the plasma to rotate within the chamber and form a magnetic poloidal self field surrounding the rotating plasma due to the rotating plasma's current, thereby creating and rapidly increasing an axial magnetic flux within the chamber, and increasing a current running through a betatron flux coil concentric with a principle axis of the chamber, increasing the rotating plasma's rotational energy to increase the self-field's magnitude to a level that overcomes a guide field axially extending within the chamber causing the formation of a magnetic field within the chamber with field reversed topology.