Patent Number: 047132086
Section: claims

1. Apparatus for forming and sustaining a spheromak plasma comprising: a closed vacuum vessel having a longitudinal axis;  a generally circular conductive core disposed within said vacuum vessel symmetrically with respect to and along the longitudinal axis of said vacuum vessel, said conductive core having a plurality of electrical currents flowing therein for rapidly generating in an alternating manner first poloidal and toroidal magnetic fields, respectively, about said conductive core so as to form a spheromak plasma; and  an inductive transformer disposed radially inwardly of said conductive core and said spheromak plasma and spaced therefrom, said inductive transformer being coaxial with said longitudinal axis of said vacuum vessel, said inductive transformer having a current flowing therein for producing a second poloidal magnetic field about said conductive core, means for rapidly reversing said inductive transformer current and for converting said second poloidal magnetic field to a second toroidal magnetic field about said conductive core for facilitating the formation of and sustaining the spheromak plasma.  a closed vacuum vessel having a longitudinal axis;  a generally circular conductive core disposed within and symmetrically about the longitudinal axis of said vacuum vessel, said conductive core including current carrying poloidal and toroidal flux coils, means for rapidly reversing the currents in said poloidal and toroidal flux coils in a sequential manner for alternately generating first poloidal and toroidal magnetic fields, respectively, about said conductive core so as to form a spheromak plasma; and  inductive transformer means disposed radially inwardly of said circular conductor and said spheromak plasma and spaced therefrom, said inductive transformer being coaxial with said longitudinal axis of said vacuum vessel, said inductive transformer means having a current flowing therein for producing a second poloidal magnetic field about said conductive core, means for rapidly reversing said inductive transformer current and for converting said second poloidal magnetic field is converted to a second toroidal magnetic field about said conductive core for facilitating the formation of and sustaining the spheromak plasma, said inductive transformer means including an elongated coaxial conductor aligned along the longitudinal axis of said vacuum vessel and a plurality of conductive windings positioned on an end of and electrically coupled to said coaxial conductor and disposed generally within said conductive core.  a closed vacuum vessel having a longitudinal axis;  equilibrium field coil means for producing an equilibrium magnetic field along the longitudinal axis of said vacuum vessel;  a generally circular conductive core disposed within and symmetrically about the longitudinal axis of said vacuum vessel, said conductive core including current carrying poloidal and toroidal flux coils, means for rapidly reversing the currents in said poloidal and toroidal flux coils in a sequential manner for alternately generating first poloidal and toroidal magnetic fields, respectively, about said conductive core so as to form a spheromak plasma;  a conductive cylinder mounted to an inner wall of said vacuum vessel and aligned with and positioned along the longitudinal axis of said vacuum vessel, said conductive cylinder extending from the vacuum vessel inner wall to within said generally circular conductive core; and  inductive transformer means coaxially disposed within and along the length of said conductive cylinder and aligned along the longitudinal axis of said vacuum vessel, said inductive transformer means further extending through said conductive core and having a current flowing therein for producing a second poloidal magnetic field about said conductive core, said conductive cylinder being spaced radially inwardly of both said spheromak plasma and said conductive core, means for rapidly reversing the inductive transformer current and for converting said second poloidal magnetic field to a second toroidal magnetic field about said conductive core for facilitating the formation of and sustaining the spheromak plasma, said inductive transformer means including an elongated coaxial conductor aligned along the longitudinal axis of said vacuum vessel and a plurality of conductive windings positioned on an end of and electrically coupled to said coaxial conductor and disposed generally within said conductive core. 2. Apparatus for forming and sustaining a spheromak plasma comprising: 3. Apparatus for forming and sustaining a spheromak plasma comprising: