SBIR-STTR Award

A newly discovered stable configuration of an electron beam is being investigated for application to energy storage. This presents an extraordinary opportunity to obtain a breakthrough in capabilities for missile defense systems. Energy is stored in an electron spiral toroid (EST) which requires no cryogenics or external magnetic fields for containment. Total energy stored is projected as exceeding 100 megajoules (MJ). Energy can be removed as needed or all at once in a pulsed form. Projected applications include: Energy Storage: an EST system will have specific energy density of about 100 MJ/kg, compared to 1.5 MJ/ kg for future chemical batteries. The "fuel" of an EST is the electron beam itself which has a specific energy content of order 1015 J/kg, a remarkably high value and many orders of magnitude higher than chemical systems. Directed Energy: Pulses of > 100 megajoules in one microsecond. Proof of concept experiments were completed at Electron Power Systems, Inc. (EPS). An independent confirmation of the technology is in progress by two consulting physicists from the MIT Plasma Fusion Center. This proposal requests funds to evaluate the feasibility of this technology for missile defense systems. In particular, test results to date will be extended to design a full demonstration model. T. his research will be conducted jointly with EPS, and with the consultants at MIT. Research funding will be on a shared basis with private investors. Potential commercial applications of an EST based power supply are great. The EST could provide the battery to make a practical electric vehicle (EV). The EV program is limited by the chemical batteries which weigh several hundred pounds. The EST based battery will weigh three pounds and power an EV for 600 miles. Potentially, every car in the world will be EST powered, which means 48 million new vehicles per year. Several major auto companies are evaluating the technology

The Electron Spiral Toroid (EST) is a newly discovered stable plasma which potentially stores large amounts of energy as magnetic field energy with virtually no mass. The EST is stable, requiring no external magnetic fields to maintain it, thus storing energy in a system with little mass. The EST presents an extraordinary opportunity to obtain a breakthrough in capabilities for missile defense systems in rocket propulsion, energy storage, and pulse formation. An 8 EST system will potentially store 1.18 x 10 J/kg compared to future Lithium batteries with 7.2 x 105 J/kg. On the Phase I project, the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center's Scientists confirmed that a class of EST's will be stable with no external magnetic field; the first stable plasmas ever reported. As part of the project, an analysis of the proof of concept EST's determined their energy loss rate to be low, ensuring the EST will be practical to use. Experiments have produced small EST's. What needs to be done is to scale up the proof of concept EST's into a larger demonstration unit. A series of experiments is proposed on this Phase II project to do that, which will result in a demonstration of EST potential.