US 12,437,883 B1
Diode assembly for pulsed fusion events
Sam W. Brown, Jensen Beach, FL (US); Michael R. Phillips, Harriman, TN (US); William T. Rogerson, Jr., Knoxville, TN (US); and Blake F. Scott, Knoxville, TN (US)
Assigned to Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Filed by Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, Oak Ridge, TN (US)
Filed on Mar. 27, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/366,178.
Int. Cl. G21B 1/19 (2006.01); G21B 1/03 (2006.01); H05H 1/06 (2006.01)
CPC G21B 1/19 (2013.01) [G21B 1/03 (2013.01); H05H 1/06 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A diode assembly for producing a pulsed fusion event in a z-pinch driver, the diode assembly comprising:
an inner core including a lithium compound formed of one or more lithium isotopes and one or more hydrogen isotopes; and
an electrically conducting outer sheath compressed against the inner core and in a symmetrical relationship with the inner core, the electrically conducting outer sheath having an electrical conductance that is at least three times greater than an electrical conductance of the lithium compound of the inner core, and the electrically conducting outer sheath being selected from a group consisting of copper, aluminum, silver, tungsten, gold, zinc, calcium, and alloys thereof,
wherein, when electrical current is supplied by the z-pinch driver, the electrically conducting outer sheath is dimensioned and configured to generate a plasma around the inner core, and, when a magnetic field is supplied by the z-pinch driver, the plasma is compressed against the inner core to produce the pulsed fusion event.