Nuclear Fusion Reactor

The Magnetic and Electrostatic Nuclear Fusion Reactor, or simply CrossFire Fusion Reactor, is a nuclear fusion reactor designed by Moacir L. Ferreira Jr. for confining and fusing light atomic nuclei at considerable rates, in order to produce enormous quantities of energy without pollution and no neutron hazards.

This fusion reactor is comprised by six superconducting magnets set up to form a magnetic cusp region, where positive ions are injected. At the magnetic cusp region a negative voltage is applied and at the opposite end of each magnet a positive voltage is applied. The ions are accelerated electrostatically towards the negative potential passing through the magnetic cusp reaching the chamber interior, where the ions are confined radially by magnetic fields and longitudinally by electric fields, in a quasi-isotropic confinement. The ion injection is done continuously surrounding the magnetic cusp region to perform a three-dimensional injection. The positive voltage is adjusted so it only confines reactants, allowing the products from the fusion reactions to escape.

Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear fusion takes place when light atomic nuclei collide with each other and combine to form a heavier atomic nucleus releasing a tremendous amount of energy. For fusion reactions to take place, there needs to be kinetic energy and confinement to achieve collisions at the required rate. Nuclear fusion reactions have an energy density many times greater than nuclear fission. Nuclear fission involving uranium-235 and plutonium-239 produce more radiation hazards and radioactive waste than a conventional neutronic nuclear fusion involving deuterium and tritium, and the conventional neutronic nuclear fusion produces more neutrons than an aneutronic nuclear fusion involving boron hydrides, helium-3 and lithium hydride, which produce the non-radioactive waste helium-4. Both release millions of times more energy than chemical reactions.

Aneutronic Fusion Fuels

Fusion fuels for this fusion reactor can be composed of light atomic nuclei like hydrogen, deuterium, tritium, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, and their various isotopes. Some isotopes like hydrogen-1, helium-3, lithium-6, lithium-7 and boron-11 are of interest for aneutronic nuclear fusion (low neutron radiation hazards), for example: [1]

¹H

+ 2

⁶

→

⁴He + (³He + ⁶Li) → 3 ⁴He + ¹H

20.9

MeV(

153

T J/kg ≈

GWh/kg)

¹H

⁷

→ 2

⁴He

17.2

MeV (

204

TJ/kg ≈

GWh/kg)

³He

→

⁴He + 2 ¹H

12.9

MeV (

205

TJ/kg ≈

GWh/kg)

¹H

¹¹

→ 3

⁴He

8.7

MeV (

TJ/kg ≈

GWh/kg)

Boron and helium-3 are special aneutronic fuels, because their primary reaction produces less than 0.1% of the total energy as fast neutrons, meaning that a minimum of radiation shielding is required, and the kinetic energy from fusion products is directly convertible into electricity with a high efficiency, more than 95%, as will be further described.

Boron is available in the Earth's crust and helium-3 is available in the lunar regolith, both are relatively plentiful if compared to tritium.

The CrossFire Fusion Approach

A group of superconducting magnets are set up to form a magnetic cusp region where an electric voltage is applied, and at distal ends of the magnets an opposite electric voltage is applied. A fuel is ionized by exchanging electrons with a ground electric potential becoming charged particles, which fall down to the magnetic cusp region reaching great kinetic energy of about 600keV (7 billion °C) at low energy consumption. The injection of charged particles is done around the entire region of the magnetic cusps to perform a three-dimensional injection. Inside the magnets, the charged particles move longitudinally describing a circular and helical orbit around the magnetic field lines keeping away from the magnet walls. The magnet walls are coated with a metal alloy like tungsten or depleted uranium for reflecting electromagnetic radiation (bremsstrahlung), mostly in X-ray range, back to plasma. At the region of the magnetic cusps, the magnetic field lines are curved, forcing the charged particles to describe a more elliptical and eccentric orbit, increasing electrostatic pressure at the region of the magnetic cusps making it very hard for the charged particles to escape this region (magnetic mirror). A continuous injection by an ion injection belt of charged particles makes this even more difficult. The magnetic fields act as a magnetic lens focusing (converging) the charged particles, and the electric fields, at distal ends of the magnets, act as an electrostatic lens focusing (converging) the particles as they approach while defocusing (diverging) them as they move back. Nuclear Fusion Reactor - Superconducting Magnet

Nuclear Fusion Reactor - Superconducting Magnet

Pulses on electrical currents of the magnets result in oscillations on the magnetic flux, transferring energy radially to plasma (pinch effect), which increases the fusion rate. When a nuclear fusion reaction occurs, the charged products of the reaction escape longitudinally, overcoming the electric field and they can then be deflected by magnetic and electric fields. For the nuclear fusion reactions to produce only charged products, and no neutrons, the fusion fuel must be aneutronic like Boron Hydrides, Helium-3 or Lithium Hydride. Aneutronic fuels release millions of times more energy than the fossil fuels, and the product of fusion reaction generally is the non-radioactive waste Helium-4.

Using exclusively aneutronic fuels, calculations become more feasible because of the use of well-known formulas of physics and electricity, which can give a reasonable degree of predictability. Specific energy and charge-to-mass ratio are input parameters for calculating magnetic flux and electric voltages. The charge-to-mass ratio can be either positive or negative; however, it should be as low as possible, keeping the plasma in a quasi-neutral state, so it produces more energy and fewer instabilities.

Electricity Generation and Propulsion

If aneutronic fuels are considered, products from fusion reaction are positively charged, which can be deflected by magnetic and electric fields. Fusion products at high specific impulse values, fusion reactor with a higher power/weight ratio, implie a propulsion about a million times more powerful than a chemical rocket.

A conversion to electricity is relatively simple. The conversion is done during the neutralization by a positive electric voltage to slow down and an electron gun to neutralize. A positive electric field forces the positively charged products to exchange their kinetic energy into potential energy. The positively charged products easily attract electrons from an electron gun, and the electron gun extracts electrons from a positive terminal of a capacitor increasing its positive voltage, which increase its stored energy (E=½CV²). A switching-mode power supply sends this energy to a battery bank. The current of electrons and the electric voltage is equal to electric power (P = V × I). This method of electricity conversion can exceed 95% of efficiency.[8]

See: Multiphase Thermoelectric Converter

Contents		1 BTU ≈ 1055 Joules
1.	Overview
2.	Background
3.	History
4.	Summary
5.	Detailed Description
6.	Operation of Invention
7.	Power Plant for Testing
8.	Calculations
9.	Videos
10.	Related Links

	Support Project

•	Flexibility for confining and fusing charged particles, comprising positive and negative ions from neutronic and aneutronic fuels. The nuclear fusion fuel can be composed of several light atomic nuclei like hydrogen, deuterium, tritium, helium, lithium, beryllium, boron, in particular boron hydrides and helium-3.
•	Electrostatic Acceleration, having a convenient voltage setup, reach a very high kinetic energy of about 600keV (7 billion °C) with inexpensive energy consumption, and there is no inner grid to cause collisions and losses.
•	Three-dimensional Injection and Confinement. Increase of the probability and velocity of the fusion reactions and significant decrease of the scattering problem. In a bi-dimensional injection, the electrostatic repulsion diverges the ion paths from the central point. In a three-dimensional injection, the electrostatic repulsion converges the ion paths to the central point. In the three-dimensional injection, the ion's kinetic energy will exchange into potential energy as they approach the central point, which means the kinetic energy must be higher than 123keV, about 600keV for boron hydrides. The three-dimensional injection increases the probability of fusion reactions at the beginning, and the quasi-isotropic confinement will provoke the remaining fusion reactions after that.
•	Simple and Consistent Calculations, which prove technical feasibility and give reasonable predictability of success.
•	Plasma in a quasi-neutral state and a low charge-to-mass ratio (Coulomb/kg) is recommended. The fuel is injected with great kinetic energy (600keV), but in small quantities, and calculations are done for the magnetic and electric fields to confine the plasma, keeping it away from the chamber walls, preventing the high temperature plasma (7 billion °C) from causing a meltdown in the fusion reactor. Technically feasible, nowadays there are superconducting magnets with 20 Tesla or more.
•	Escape Mechanism, which solves problems like ionic saturation and energetic instability of the plasma. Also, appropriate for Direct Electricity Conversion and Propulsion.
•	Based on isolated concepts that have already worked in particle accelerators and previous fusion approaches: electrostatic acceleration (Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor), injection through magnetic cusps (Bussard Polywell, Limpaecher Plasma Containment), magnetic and electrostatic confinement (Penning Trap) and so on.
•	Other features: multidirectional energy flow; resonance method; set of magnetic lenses for achieving the best focal length; chamber walls coated with tungsten or depleted uranium, for reflecting electromagnetic radiation (bremsstrahlung), mostly in X-ray range, back to plasma; system for recycling chamber heat energy for electric energy generation. All this will ensure this nuclear fusion reactor will become self-sustaining.

•	Quasi-isotropic confinement means that plasma does not rotate in a toroidal path as happens in Tokamaks.
•	Calculated charge-to-mass ratio (Coulomb/kg), means that plasma confinement does not fail as happens in Tokamaks.
•	No inner grid for causing losses as happens in the Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor.[11]
•	No recirculation of electrons to cause excessive cusp losses and bremsstrahlung radiation as happens in Polywell.[14]
•	No outrageous energy consumption, as is required by Tokamaks and Laser Fusion Reactors.
•	Uncomplicated formulas to support its technical feasibility.
•	Continuous operation, no losses caused by repeated startup as happens in Tokamaks, Polywell and Laser Fusion.
•	Well-defined cycles of energy, that is, electricity generation, heat recovering, and propulsion.

•	Fusion fuel should be ionized with a predefined charge-to-mass ratio (C/kg). The charge-to-mass ratio should be as low as possible keeping plasma in a quasi-neutral state. The magnetic flux and electric voltages should be calculated taking into account the charge-to-mass ratio.
•	The fusion fuel must be injected in small quantities in order to prevent uncontrolled magnetic reconnection.
•	The magnets should preferably use superconducting technology to provide stronger magnetic fields to sustain a continuous fusion reaction with low power dissipation. A magnet bore coated with an alternate layer of tungsten and boron carbide (W/B₄C) is recommended, to act as X-ray mirror, reflecting part of the electromagnetic radiation back to plasma.[13][14] [15]

CrossFire Fusion Reactor

Nuclear Fusion

Aneutronic Fusion Fuels

The CrossFire Fusion Approach

Electricity Generation and Propulsion

Characteristics

Advantages over other fusion approaches

Preconditions