General Concept of the Magnetic Reconnection Converter (MRC)

Abstract

The general concept of the magnetic reconnection converter (MRC) is considered, based on the cyclic combination of two physical processes: 1) controlled turbulence using super-linear Richardson diffusion and/or self-generated/self-sustaining physical processes increases the stochasticity of the magnetic field (MF) in a limited volume of plasma and, accordingly, the global helicity H through the processes of twisting, writhing, and linking of the MF flow tubes to the level of a local maximum (optimally global), which is determined by the plasma parameters, boundary conditions, magnetic tension of the field lines, etc. At this stage of the MF turbulent pumping, the β of plasma will decrease to the minimum possible value with a corresponding increasing in the accumulated "topological" MF energy; 2) upon reaching the local (if possible global) maximum of MF stochasticity, turbulent magnetic reconnection (TMR) occurs in the plasma, which reduces the state of the local (if possible global) maximum of MF stochasticity and increases the kinetic stochasticity of plasma particles, accelerating and heating them, which is used in direct converters of electrical power. At this stage of turbulent discharge, the β of plasma will increasing to the maximum possible value with a corresponding increasing in its kinetic and thermal energy; 3) when the kinetic stochasticity of plasma particles subsequently decreases and reaches a local minimum, the control system repeats the MF turbulent pumping in the plasma and the cycles are repeated. Practically, the basis of the MRC can be the fusion scheme of two anti-spiral spheromaks, the helicity of which is increased in a cycle with the help of controlled turbulence before their fusion and the creation of a field-reversed configuration (FRC) to increase the efficiency of the annihilation of their toroidal and poloidal magnetic fields into kinetic and thermal energy of plasma particles with its subsequent direct transformation into electrical power for industrial use or single-volume plasma (spheromak) with changing beta at turbulent pumping/discharge phases of the working cycle.