| The CrossFire Fusor is a nuclear fusion reactor | | | | magnetic fields act as a magnetic lens focusing |
| that is a combination of electrostatic confinement | | | | (converging) the charged particles, and the electric |
| and magnetic confinement forming penning traps, | | | | fields, at distal ends of the magnets, act as an |
| electrostatic acceleration, injection of charged | | | | electrostatic lens focusing (converging) the |
| particles through magnetic cusps, magnetic | | | | particles as they approach and defocusing |
| reconnection, electrostatic and magnetic lenses, | | | | (diverging) them as they move back. Pulses on |
| intended mainly to produce fusion power for | | | | electrical current of the magnets results in |
| thrusting spacecrafts. The name Fusor is short | | | | oscillations on magnetic flux transferring radially |
| for fusion reactor, and the name CrossFire is due | | | | energy to plasma (pinch effect) which increases |
| to both confinement and injection is done | | | | the fusion rate. When a nuclear fusion reaction |
| three-dimensionally. | | | | occurs, the charged products of the reaction |
| The CrossFire Fusor consists of superconducting | | | | escape longitudinally overcoming the electric field |
| magnets for confining radially charged particles. | | | | and then can be deflected by magnetic and |
| The magnets are disposed to form a magnetic | | | | electric fields. For the nuclear fusion reactions to |
| cusp region where the charged particles are | | | | produce only charged products, no neutrons, the |
| injected in an electrostatic way, for that is applied | | | | fusion fuel must be aneutronic like Boron Hydrides, |
| an electric voltage at this region. At distal ends of | | | | Helium-3 or Lithium Hydride. Aneutronic fuels |
| the magnets are applied electric fields for trapping | | | | release millions of times more energy than the |
| longitudinally the reactants allowing products to | | | | fossil fuels and the product of fusion reaction |
| escape. It was designed by Moacir L. Ferreira Jr. | | | | generally is a non-radioactive waste Helium-4. |
| initially for propulsion purposes, however, it can be | | | | Using exclusively aneutronic fuels, calculations can |
| used as a power plant using a method called of | | | | be more feasible due to use of well know |
| electricity conversion by neutralization process. | | | | formulas of physics and electricity which can give |
| | | | a reasonable degree of predictability. Specific |
| Problem with current fusion approaches | | | | energy and specific ionization are input parameters |
| The Tokamak requires a lot of energy, confines | | | | for calculations of magnetic flux and electric |
| only in two dimensions implying low probability of | | | | voltages. The specific ionization can be either |
| fusions, and was exhaustively tried in more than | | | | positive or negative, however, specific ionization |
| 30 experiments worldwide. | | | | as low as possible, keeping the plasma in a |
| The Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor takes advantage of | | | | quasi-neutral state, results in more energy |
| electrostatic acceleration consuming low energy to | | | | production and less instabilities. |
| reach great kinetic energy, but has the unsolvable | | | | |
| grid- loss problem and a cloud of ion at the centre | | | | Comparison to current approaches |
| region limit its energy production. | | | | The CrossFire Fusor is similar to |
| The Bussard Polywell, its present magnetic | | | | Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor in using electrostatic |
| compression has low probability of fusing | | | | acceleration to reach great kinetic energy, but |
| aneutronic fuels, and the excess of electrons limits | | | | differs on confinement. It is similar to Bussard |
| kinetic energy of the plasma and causes | | | | Polywell, also to Limpaecher plasma containment, |
| bremsstrahlung radiation. | | | | in injecting charged particles through a magnetic |
| | | | | cusp region, however, differs on the creation of |
| The Crossfire Fusor approach | | | | electric potentials, trapping, magnetic focalization |
| A group of superconducting magnets are disposed | | | | and electricity conversion. The CrossFire Fusor |
| to form a magnetic cusp region in where is | | | | differs from Tokamaks, Farnsworth-Hirsch Fusor |
| applied an electric voltage, and at distal ends of | | | | and Bussard Polywell, in having an escape |
| the magnets is applied an opposite electric voltage. | | | | mechanism which can solve problems like ionic |
| A fuel is ionized by exchanging electrons with a | | | | saturation and energetic instability of the plasma. |
| ground electric potential becoming charged | | | | Also, achieves both three-dimensional injection and |
| particles which fall down to the magnetic cusp | | | | three-dimensional confinement, associated with |
| region reaching great kinetic energy of about | | | | magnetic lenses and bore coating, can increase |
| 600KeV (7 billion °C) at low energy consumption. | | | | the probability of fusion reactions. The CrossFire |
| The injection of charged particles is done | | | | Fusor has a well defined cycle of energy and |
| surrounding the region of the magnetic cusps to | | | | presents a set of simple and consistent |
| perform a three-dimensional injection. In the | | | | calculations to support its technical feasibility. |
| interior of the magnets, the charged particles | | | | |
| move longitudinally describing a circular and helical | | | | |
| orbit around the magnetic field lines keeping away | | | | Electricity conversion |
| from the magnet walls. The magnet walls are | | | | The Electricity conversion by Neutralization |
| coated with a metal alloy like tungsten or depleted | | | | Process is relatively simple. A positive electric field |
| uranium for reflecting bremsstrahlung radiation | | | | forces the positively charged products to |
| back to plasma. At the region of the magnetic | | | | exchange its kinetic energy to potential energy. |
| cusps, the magnetic field lines are curved forcing | | | | The positively charged products attract easily |
| the charged particles to describe a more elliptical | | | | electrons from an electron gun, and the electron |
| and eccentric orbit increasing electrostatic | | | | gun extract electrons from a positive terminal of |
| pressure at the region of the magnetic cusps | | | | a capacitor increasing its positive voltage which |
| creating a great difficulty for the charged particles | | | | increase its stored energy (E=½CV²), then a |
| to escape overcoming this region (magnetic | | | | switching-mode power supply send this energy to |
| reconnection phenomenon), and a continuous | | | | a battery bank. This method of electricity |
| injection of the charged particles by an ion | | | | conversion can exceed 95% of efficiency. |
| injection belt becomes it more difficult yet. The | | | | |