Patent Number: 043057837
Section: summary

This invention relates generally to plasma devices, particularly such devices of the tokamak type. More particularly, the present invention relates to the generation of toroidal magnetic fields in such devices utilizing liquid metal to form coils for generating toroidal magnetic fields. Tokamak devices are devices in which plasma is created in a toroidal space and is confined therein by an appropriate combination of toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields. Such devices are useful in the study and analysis of plasmas, and particularly in the generation, confinement, study and analysis of hydrogenic plasmas. Such devices are among the most useful of known plasma devices for the reaction of deuterium and tritium with the production of high energy neutrons as reaction products. The present invention finds particular utility in respect to such devices and their applications, including experimental devices and the use thereof in experimentation and investigation in respect to toroidal plasma devices of the tokamak type. In tokamak devices, gases are disposed in a toroidal confinement vessel. The gases are ionized to produce a plasma that is heated and confined by appropriate magnetic and electrical fields. The principal field is a toroidal magnetic field conventionally created by electrical coils linking the torus. A serious difficulty with such coils, particularly where high fields are created in a small space, has been occasioned by the very great mechanical forces and stresses created in the coils and their supports. In accordance with the present invention, the toroidal field coil is formed of a single turn of liquid metal, whereby the fluid nature of the metal relieves all internal stresses; a pressure vessel contains the liquid metal and isolates the metal mechanically from the outside environment.