US Patent 11,049,620 (Helion Plasmoid Heating)

US Patent 11,049,620, titled 'Plasmoid Heating, Compression, and Energy Recovery', was granted on June 29, 2021, and assigned to Helion Energy. The patent documents specialized mechanisms for the formation, magnetic acceleration, merging, and compression of field-reversed configuration (FRC) plasmoids, as well as subsequent direct energy recovery from the expanding plasma. This technical lineage builds upon decades of high-energy-density plasma physics, tracing back conceptually to foundational pulsed power and accelerator designs initiated at institutions like Sandia National Laboratories and historical confinement research such as the Astron Project Inception. The proprietary system utilizes inductive magnetic fields to compress two counter-propagating plasmoids into a central fusion chamber, achieving high thermal pressures without requiring large steady-state confinement coils. The core methods rely on principles of Compact Toroid Acceleration, demonstrating how pulsed magnetic fields can translate and compress stable plasmoid topologies. By detailing direct inductive capture of electromagnetic energy from the reacting plasma, the patent outlines a closed-loop system designed for pulsed magneto-inertial fusion, reflecting long-running engineering efforts originating in early research spin-offs like MSNW LLC.