| 摘要 |
According to the invention, a reactor core is positioned within a chamber containing a liquid medium. The reactor core includes a host material with a fuel material interspersed therein. Acoustic energy is applied to the chamber at the resonant frequency of the chamber to drive cavitation in the liquid medium surrounding the core. The bubbles of liquid cavitate and collapse on the core, thereby driving acoustic energy into the core. Preferably, the host material of the core has a higher acoustic impedance than the fuel material so that the acoustic energy applied to the reactor core is refracted and concentrated in the fuel material thereby causing cavitation within the fuel material, and thereby preferentially forming microcavities in contact with the fuel material. The temperatures attained within the collapsing microcavities in the core are sufficient to drive numerous reactions, including nuclear reactions, such as deuterium (D) + D reactions. The fuel material preferably includes a fuel component, such as D and/or tritium (T) or a compound including D and/or T. Neutron stripping reactions can also be driven by including a material having a high neutron cross section, e.g., gadolinium, as a component of the fuel and/or the host. D or T is loaded into the host material by electrolysis in heavy water, e.g., in the same chamber. Various powder metallurgy techniques can also be used for loading the host material with the fuel material. The density profile of the fuel material within the host material can be uniform or non-uniform. |
