Reply To: FOCUS FUSION REACTOR

[mchargue]

Axil wrote: Chech out tis reference, there are some z-pince diagrams discribed.

http://arxiv.org/pdf/0809.2071

I’m not certain about this, as there’s not a lot of information on the capacitor system, switches, or its connection to the FF reactor, but I don’t think that a super-Marx generator is what they’re using. I don’t think that timing would be such an issue if this were being used.

The Marx device will step up a low voltage to produce a high voltage spark by charging capacitors at a low voltage in parallel, and discharging them in series through many spark gaps. More likely, I’d say it’s the opposite: charging capacitors with a high voltage in series, and discharging them in parallel for a high current.

The topologies exist to do this using diodes, but I’m not sure you can get diodes with sufficiently high power ratings. (though they may be available) Without diodes, you’d need a lot of spark gaps, and timing would be critical for closing each. (hence, the challenge?)

See,
http://koasas.kaist.ac.kr/bitstream/10203/6494/1/%5B2008%5DPower-Efficient Series-Charge Parallel-Discharge Charge Pump Circuit for LED Drive.pdf

To dispense with the requirement for high-current diodes, you’d string all the capacitors together, nose to derriere using a (low-current, low Vbr) diode. Then you’d tie the series connected lot across a high voltage potential to charge it. Each capacitor’s negative & positive terminal is then connected with its own spark-gap to the FF reactor’s negative & positive terminal. (two per cap)

To fire the bank, the top & bottom and all spark gaps would be ‘closed’ together to short the entire bank of capacitors to the FF device in parallel. Bingo! High current from a high voltage source.

This topology might work better with the voltages expected voltages generated by the ‘reverse linear accelerator’ that taps the power from the FF reactor, but that’s probably not a prime consideration. This would dispense with (possibly non-existent) high power diodes, but would require the use of a pair of spark gaps for each capacitor used. A tractable challenge, I’d say, and a trade off required by what’s available.