The Magnetic and Electrostatic Nuclear Fusion Reactor,
or simply CrossFire Fusor, is a nuclear fusion reactor whose fundamental
idea was conceived in 2008 by Moacir L. Ferreira Jr., in
order to overcome inherent limits of previous fusion approaches in
producing fusion energy at significant rates.
The CrossFire Fusor is comprised by six superconducting magnets disposed 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.
The ion injection is done continuously, surrounding the magnetic
cusp region to perform a three-dimensional injection. The positive
voltage is controlled to confine only reactants, thus allowing the
products from the fusion reactions to
escape.
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The CrossFire Fusion Reactor combines features of many other
fusion concepts such as Farnsworth–Hirsch Fusor[1], Bussard Polywell[2],
Limpaecher Plasma Containment[3], Magnetic Mirror
Machines and Penning Trap, but it differs significantly
from all of them. It is most closely related to Farnsworth–Hirsch
Fusor and Bussard Polywell[4][5], but it
diverges from Farnsworth–Hirsch Fusor because it does not have an
inner grid. It is also unlike the Bussard Polywell as it does not
have recirculation of electrons while it has a well-defined voltage
setup and an escape mechanism. The Polywell accelerates and
confines positive ions through their attraction to negatively
charged electrons, whilst the CrossFire Fusor does this using a
negative voltage applied at the core region.
The initial design was originally based on a stellated polyhedron,
accelerating electrostatically reactants inwardly to the central
edges and products escaping from the peripheral vertices, after
overcoming the electric fields. Magnets were added to act as Penning Trap on the distal ends, and to act
as a magnetic
mirror at the core region, confining efficiently the plasma while
allowing surrounding ion injection, and controlled escaping.
In terms of apparatus, the CrossFire Fusor consists of a cluster
of superconducting
magnets, preferably six, pointing to the core region to form
magnetic cusps, a set of ion sources surrounding this region, a set
of electric insulators on the distal end of
each magnet, and an armature to sustain the assembly. A negative voltage is applied at the cusp
region and a positive voltage is applied at the armature. Each
magnet has a set of independent flat pancake coils grouped together
to be adjusted for controlling the level of confinement and
escaping.
In terms of operation, the set of ion sources ionizes the
fusion fuel
exchanging electrons with the electric
ground potential producing positive ions. The positive ions
fall down toward inwardly the core region, passing through the
magnetic cusps, reaching the chamber interior where the ions are
confined radially by magnetic fields and trapped longitudinally by
electric fields at the end of each magnet. The ions describe a
helical orbit around the magnetic field lines, keeping away from
the magnet walls. The magnetic cusps act as a magnetic mirror and
the continuous ion injection makes the confinement at this region
more efficient yet, i.e., the ions do not escape through the cusps
due to magnetic mirror effect and continuous ion injection. When a
fusion reaction takes place, its charged
products overcome the confinement electric field, and can be
directed for electricity
production and propulsion.
Steam turbines can be optional when using
aneutronic fuel[6][7]. A
method of energy conversion
from positive ions into electricity consists of a positive voltage
to produce an electric field to slow down the ions, converting
their kinetic
energy to potential energy, and an electron gun to
neutralize them. The electron gun extracts electrons from a
positive terminal of a capacitor which increases its stored energy
(E=½CV²). The electron gun current versus the
positive voltage is the electric power (P=V×I).[8][9]
Furthermore, the fusion products, after being neutralized, can
thrust a spacecraft directly, providing an ISP of over 1
million seconds.[10]
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