Ion beam device

A nuclear fusion device comprising a condensed phase fuel element and accelerated ion beams which ionize and compress the fuel element and initiate nuclear fusion reactions. In one of the embodiment beams comprising electrons in addition to ions are employed. A method is provided comprising synchronization, acceleration and focusing of the said beams on the fuel target. Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method for a continuous nuclear fusion process. Another object is a clean fusion process. A further object of the invention is to provide a neutron generator.

BACKGROUND 
Laser beam and electron beams have been used to produce fusion reactions 
involving heavy isotopes of hydrogen. This method suffers from a number of 
drawbacks which the method using ion beams seeks to obviate. Among these 
disadvantages are: the beams of the prior art do fail to carry energetic 
nuclear reactants in to the reaction zone; the nuclear reaction rely on 
thermal heating rather than on an accelerated ion beam reaction mechanism; 
the prior art experiences severe difficulties in the attempts to correlate 
the acceleration, focusing, synchronizing of all beams. The apparatus and 
the method of the present invention seek to overcome the above listed 
drawbacks of prior art. 
SUMMARY 
The nuclear fusion device of the present invention makes use of a condensed 
state fuel element which is subjected to accelerated and pulsed ion beams 
which comprise one of the nuclear reactants. For example the following 
reactants may be employed. Protons and deuterons and electrons are 
employed for the ion beams. The proton deuteron and electron beams are 
focused on condensed phase fuels comprising in a preferred embodiment 
heavy isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium) the isotopes of 
lithium, berylium and boron. The preferred reactions for the process of 
this invention are 
##STR1## 
since these two reactions are nuclearly clean and produce only Helium 
and no radiactive elements. The condensed state fuels may be presented in 
elemental form or in the form of chemical compounds. 
Isotopes of hydrogen may be employed in liquid form or in the form of 
hydrides and other suitable compounds formed between the light elements 
and hydrogen. Lithium, berylium and boron are solids which can be made 
into wire, filament or tape in a continuous endless form. Further, these 
elements conduct electricity and are utilized in an embodiment of this 
invention as the component of a beam accelerating, focusing, and 
synchronizing system. The condensed state fuels may also be presented as a 
liquid in a jet form, in pellets mounted on a carrier, or on portions of 
liquid carried in a hollow filament. The solid fuels may be presented in a 
continuously formed or extruded slender body comprising substances 
including metals, their alloys and suitable organic and inorganic 
substances including polymers. The said nuclear fusion device may also be 
employed as a neutron source. The following reactions used for neutron 
generation are given in Table I. 
Examples of nuclear reactions suitable for the nuclear fusion device of the 
present invention are listed also in Table I.

DESCRIPTION 
In FIG. 1a is the view from the central crosssection of the fusion reaction 
chamber. 
FIG. 1b represents the side view of the same chamber. The fusion reaction 
chamber can be cylindrical or spherical. The chamber consists of 
concentric cylinders 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or more than that, or of 
conspheric spheres 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or more. These cylinders or spheres 
are made of conducting material. In these spheres are built focusing and 
accelerating electrodes 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or more. These 
electrodes are placed on radial direction as shown in FIG. 1a. The sources 
of protons.sup.1 is placed at the entrance of the electrodes. The material 
for the nuclear fusion reaction is placed at the center and is numbered 9. 
It can be any light element, preferably not producing neutrons. Each time 
an accelerating pulse is applied on the focusing and accelerating 
electrodes 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or more a reaction of fusion occurs 
at 9, and the next pulse the electrode 9 is renewed by feeding system 
activated from outside. The reaction products are collected on the outside 
electrode 18 or more. The essential property is the fact that the 
accelerating pulse on all electrodes is absolutely synchronous. The fusion 
raction chamber is in vacuum. 
FNT .sup.1 See Table I. 
The block diagram of FIG. 2 depicts schematically the movement the nuclear 
fusion fuels and the extraction of electrical energy in the continuous 
process of the present invention. 22 is the storage of the condensed state 
nuclear fusion fuel which may be solid or liquid. This fuel may be 
comprised for example of isotopes, hydrogen, lithium, berylium and boron. 
These elements may be present in elemental form or in combined form with 
other elements. Isotopes of hydrogen may be introduced as a fluid jet. 
Metals such as lithium and berylium can enter the nuclear reaction chamber 
in form of a wire or a thin ribbon. Elemental boron may be introduced as a 
filament or a ribbon. These and other means of introducing fuel elements 
into the reaction chamber are further described in connection with FIGS. 
5a to i. The fuel is transported through channel 30 to the forming station 
24 where it is transformed into a continuous linear body. Station 24 may 
for example be a wire forming station or a continuous extruder producing a 
slender linear element such as a thin ribbon, a filament and the like. 
FIG. 25 represents a structuring station introducing for example a 
transverse structural modification or attaching fuel elements to a linear 
carrier formed previously in station 25. The linear element is than 
transported by means forwarding and guiding rolls 29' and 29" into the 
nuclear fusion reaction chamber 26 where it is reacted with intense ion 
beams comprising protons, deuterons or tritons which are transported by a 
path 29 from the storage station 21 in the direction shown by arrow 
R.sub.3. The energy produced by the nuclear fusion reaction is converted 
into electricity in the power plant 28 and the reaction products are 
passed by a transporting path 27 into the storage station 23. 
FIG. 3 is a crossectional schematic representation of a part of the 
reaction chamber 26. The linear element 9 is fed from the applicator 36 
into the reaction zone 38 where it is subject to two opposed ionized 
particle beams 32 and 34 produced by ion generating stations 31 and 33 and 
focused by electric or magnetic lenses 35 and 37. The two beams are 
focused on the same locus 39 of the linear element 9 and are synchronized 
in time so as to be pulsed, focused and applied simultaneously. Of the two 
said beams 32 and 34 each may comprise the same ions or different ions or 
one may be composed of ions the other beam may comprise electrons. 
Mixtures of ions in a single ion beam may also be employed. Ion generating 
stations are well known in the art but produce a disappointingly small 
number of ions per pulse. A special ion source is described in connection 
with FIGS. 6a to 6c'. 
A multiplicity of beams may be employed all synchronized and focused on a 
single target focus of the fuel elements. FIG. 4 is a schematic 
representation of fuel element 9 receiving synchronized and focused beam 
pulses 42, 42', 43, 43' and 45, 45' approaching the fuel element 9 along 
the cartesion coordinates x, y and z of which x and y are in the plane 40 
and Z is perpendicular to the said plane. The nuclear fuel element 9 may 
constitute a filament or wire 50 having a diamenter 49 (the element 50 may 
also represent a thin stream of liquid fuel 9) or a ribbon 52 of a width 
53 and thickness 51 as shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b respectively. 
Alternatively fuel elements 9 may be mounted on carrier means as is shown 
in FIGS. 5c to 5i. Such a mounting of small fuel elements on a carrier is 
an advance over prior art where unsupported pellets have been employed in 
the area of laser fusion. The carrier mounted fuel elements provide for 
(1) exact positioning of the fuel element 9 (2) synchronization of the 
beam pulses and focusing a feat that would be hard to duplicate with an 
unsupported fuel element and (3) introduction of electricity into the 
reaction region by using an electrically conductive material for the 
linear element whether it comprises nuclear fusion fuel itself or acts as 
a carrier. Fuel elements are mounted on carriers in the following manner: 
Fuel elements 9 on a wire or filaments 50 (FIG. 5c); Fuel elements 9 on a 
ribbon or tape 52 (FIG. 5d); Fuel elements 9 in a hollow filament 54 
having a lumen 55 and a wall 57 (FIG. 5e)--The fuel element 9 may be solid 
or liquid; two parallel wires or filaments 50 and 50' connected by a wavy 
filament 59 which carries fuel elements 9 mounted in between the two 
parallel filaments 50 and 51' (FIG. 5f); Filament and wire 50 attached to 
short wire or fibers 59 which are periodically mounted and carrying fuel 
elements 9 on their free ends (FIG. 5g); A ribbon 52 carrying a fuel strip 
9 (FIG. 5h); and a pair of parallel filaments or wires connected with 
transverse wire or filament bridges 59" on which the fuel elements 9 are 
mounted (FIG. 5i). 
A solid state ion source for emitting positive hydrogen ions is described 
in FIGS. 6a to 6c'. This electrode may emit protons, deuterons and 
tritons. In FIG. 6a and 6a' the electrode is shown tipped with a sponge 
62; in FIG. 6b and 6b' it is shown tipped with whiskers or wires 64 which 
may also be in the inside chamber 63 where the wires are given the numeral 
61. Razor blade edges 65 tip the ion source in FIGS. 6c and 6c'. The razor 
blade edges may also be placed inside of the ion source chamber cavity 63 
where they are assigned the numeral 67. The wall 66 of the chamber 60 is 
permeable to hydrogen and is kept at high positive potential respect to 
the extractor electrode 70 and with respect to ground. The wall 66 of the 
ion source 60 and elements 62, 64, 61, 65, 67 are preferentially palladium 
but could be made of a variety of metals comprising transition metals and 
their alloys including platinum, and iron. The wall 66 of the ion source 
60 may be heated to increase the mobility of the hydrogen through it. The 
chamber 63 of the ion source 60 contains hydrogen, deuterium or tritium 
gas under pressure. In an embodiment of the invention the ion source 60 
comprises an electrolytic cell having as one electrode the wall 66, of the 
ion source 60 and another electrode 69. The chamber 63 contains a suitable 
hydrogen containing electrolyte and the two said electrodes are maintained 
at a proper electrolysis potential, the hydrogen deposited at the 
electrode wall 66 of the ion source 60 is stripped to the positive 
hydrogen ion by maintaining a high positive potential on the wall 66 with 
respect to the extractor and accelerator 70 and ground. In this manner a 
powerful ion source for protons, deuterons and tritons is obtained. For 
example molten lithium hydride serves as the electrolyte. By means of a 
suitable potential electrode 69 is made a cathode and the wall 66 of the 
ion source is made the anode. Lithium metal deposits on electrode element 
69 and the hydrogen which enters the electrode wall 66 (which is biased 
strongly positive, as described above) is stripped to protons and 
extracted by the extractor electrode 70. In this manner deuterons and 
tritons are also obtained. The ion source 60 produces ions also with a 
smooth outside wall 66, but the emmission is enhanced by an increase in 
surfaces of the wall 66 and by the addition of sharp points or edges to 
the surfaces of the said wall. Among electrolytes suitable for depositing 
hydrogen on and into a palladium electrode are salts and acids containing 
acidic hydrogens, metal hydroxides and metal hydrides. The electrolyte 
mepdium can be anhydrous, aqueous and can use organic and inorganic 
solvents. Superheated steam below and above the critical region may be 
used as a medium. 
Among the nuclides comprising at least in part the material of the 
condensed state nuclear fusion fuel and/or the material of the carrier of 
the said fuel elements are those which constitute at least in part the 
first three horizontal rows of the periodic table of elements. 
The preferred parameters for the said nuclear fusion reactions fall into 
the following ranges: 
(One) Crossection (diameter or thickness) of the nuclear fusion fuel 
elements serving as the target for the ion beam: microns to milimeters. 
(Two) Energy of the ions in the beam: 10 kev to 5 MeV. 
(Three) Energy content of a pulse or of a pulse set: 1 kilojoule to 10 
megajoules. 
(Four) Pulse duration: 1 nanosecond to several miliseconds. 
TABLE I 
______________________________________ 
Examples of Exothermic Nuclear Reactions 
Suitable for the Nuclear Fusion Device CSIB 
______________________________________ 
"Clean" Reactions 
##STR2## 
##STR3## 
Neutron Producing Reactions 
##STR4## 
##STR5## 
##STR6## 
##STR7## 
______________________________________