Reply To: Fusion Oil

[Henning]

mchargue wrote: Continuing with what I talked about yesterday, here are few ideas that may help…

Assuming that we’re using a plate to screw the rods into, (the electrodes) in order to make the whole thing easier to make, lets make that plate metallic. (conductive) This metallic plate would be used to host all of the rods (the electrodes) in bores that are threaded to accept the threaded rods. This plate is now the ‘common’ side of the switch, and connects the the FF device. (maybe directly, as in ‘bolted on’)

Across from the metallic plate that holds the threaded rods is a non-conductive plate that holds the opposite electrodes that complement each of the rods. These electrodes would be fixed into their plate, protrude through it into the switch body, and would not be movable. Each of these fixed electrodes would be connected to each of the capacitors that comprise the bank. One side of the high-voltage initiator would also connect to this fixed electrode, with the second pole of the high-voltage initiator connected to the ‘common’ plate.

The volume between the two plates, one a metallic ‘common’ plate hosting the threaded rods, and the other a non-conductive plate bearing the fixed electrodes, would be walled in to isolate the switch gas from outside air. This means that all switches use the same switch gas, so differences based on differences in switch gas should be minimized. Additional supports between the two plates may be needed to minimize flexure-induced changes in the gap distance.

With this, you should be able to make the fixed electrodes a bit more robust, and make the threaded rods a bit easier to work with, as they have no electrical connections made to them. (all the current is borne by the metallic plate) The metallic plate could be bolted directly to whatever needs to use the current. Mechanically, this might be easier to wire as the large gauge wire from the capacitors connects to fixed terminals on the non-conductive plate, and the metallic ‘common’ plate needs only a single connection from it to the FF reactor.

Service should be easier with the simplified connections. The non-conductive plate could be removed to open the switch, or the threaded rods could be individually removed for service without having to remove any wires.

Materials selection remains open, but note that all the machined parts comprise a plate, and the rods that thread into the plate. The non-conductive plate may need holes in it, but machining should be a lot simpler. I’m thinking a hole with a carriage-bolt in it. The threaded side of the bolt would hold the connections to the capacitor bank & initiator, while the smooth side would be in the switch body.

Switch gas selection is still up for grabs, but the switch should allow you to try a bevy of different gases. I’d certainly try something in place of SF6. Another enhancement would be the use of a transparent window on the switch body wall to visualize the switch process. Perhaps a port that can be opened to permit a ‘feeler gauge’ to be fished through to each gap for calibration.

Well, I think that’s it. Given the design, I’m not sure how much simpler this could be made. I’d love to hear more about what’s actually happening, thouh, and ideas other folks have.

Pat

Pat, I think you’re describing something like this:
https://focusfusion.org/index.php/gallery/image_med/28/
https://focusfusion.org/index.php/gallery/image_med/84/