Size Matters:  Tokamak, Polywell and DPF

A short animation by Torulf Greek illustrates the scale of various fusion reactors.

The Stagecoach and the Spaceship

Not all fusion is created equal, but few are aware of this.  Here we compare conventional fusion (“the stagecoach”) with aneutronic fusion (“the spaceship”). 

Fusion Concept Monitor beta

Wondering what to do on Earth day to promote fusion?  Try out the “Aneutronic Fusion Concept Monitor - beta” (pdf file).

New Large DPF in Las Vegas Unveiled

Chris Hagen of National Security Technologies announced for the first time at a November conference in Warsaw, Poland work that has been ongoing for a few years in Las Vegas, Nevada to use large DPFs as neutron sources for testing purposes. 

DPF Animation

Focus Fusion Films presents “dense plasma focus”, incorporating animation by Torulf Greek.  Edited with Sony Moviemaker.  More films to follow.  Your contribution is essential to this process. 

Some things to note:

The trigger system

The LPP team has been working to resolve an issue with the trigger system this week.  The team assembled the machine last week, but did not have their first shot as they were unable to get the trigger system, which triggers the 12 switches on the capacitors, to function as expected. 

Test shots attempted yesterday…

...and through the early hours of today!  The good news is the machine is fully assembled, and mostly works.  But, despite calling out “fire” and going through the sequence, the crew does not count last nights efforts as an official “first shot”.  The performance of the machine needs to be tweaked and it wasn’t quite there. 

Test shots may be fired TODAY…please stand by.

[Note:  for updates to this, follow us on twitter.]  The LPP crew is working intently to get the machine ready for firing – possibly today.  Time has been swallowed in the details but they are pushing for that test fire while John is still here.  He leaves tomorrow. 

The mood is calm, quiet, tense.  The crew members are each focusing on various last minute critical tasks.  They’re also awaiting a delivery - an additional piece to enable a better fit of the vacuum chamber with the turbo molecular pump, and better bolts to connect the drift tube to the assembly. 

The parts are due at 4:00.  Assuming they come, and after final assembly, the crew will run a test of the vacuum system.  If it can pump down to the target vacuum, the shots will be fired today.  Otherwise – there will still be adjustments to be made. 

DPF info from around the world

There is a wealth of information and activity on the Plasma Focus, which is not very well known outside the field.  It’s one of the goals of FFS to make this activity better known, and especially to make the emerging concepts accessible to a non-technical audience.  See a few key links listed below.

The First Shots

[NOTE;  First shots taken on Oct. 15].  Once the DPF machine is fully assembled, it will be ready to take it’s “first shots”. 

The first shots are all about seeing if the machine works properly as designed.  When they turn it on, they want to make sure nothing goes “bang”.  Electricity shouldn’t short through anywhere.  But there’s more.  Let’s break it down: