Reply To: Newbie pB11 Fuel Questions

[NoSmoke]

Aeronaut wrote: Welcome to FocusFusion, NoSmoke.

Thank you – I look forward to spending more time here.

We’re currently burning D-D to confirm that the machine and sensors are working correctly and reliably, as well as proving as much of the theory as practical in the known regime of D-D fusion. But the fuel of choice is pB-11, make no mistake. Like the PolyWell’s venetian blinds, our coil is likely going to be handling some incredible voltages on every single pulse. Fortunately, 5MW at 1MV works out to only 5A, which should help somewhat.

I would think either high voltages or high amps or something in between (maybe depending on how many turns in the coil(s)). It would still seem advantageous however to keep the voltage, if possible, to levels that could be used m/l directly on-site to minimize conversion costs. I wonder if it is even practical now to convert 1 or 2 MV DC at 5MW to lower AC voltages with currently available hardware?

In any given machine cycle, the p and B-11 ions are crushed into a near-solid form by the collapsing magnetic field, into what we call the plasmoid- a microscopic magnetic bubble which heats and compresses the fuel gasses into the range where fusion pretty much has to happen if science and theory are both right. This eliminates most of the individual fuel ions, replacing them with the helium ion beam and the electron beam leaving the decaying plasmoid from opposing ends, as directed by the magnetic field. The electron beam is somewhat imaginary, since it is absorbed by the plasmoid, further heating it.

Not sure what is meant there – are you saying that the fuel ions are “eliminated” by being (mostly?) converted to fusion products or that they are expelled from the plasmoid by some other means that distinguishes them from the alphas (after only some have fused?).

Didn’t know that p-N14 was an option- can’t remember seeing any threads discussing it.

It wasn’t here that I saw it – could have been the Polywell forum. In any case, as I understand it, the advantage of p N14 is that there are no side reaction neutrons at all. It is the tail end of the CNO fusion process that goes on in large stars but I’m not sure if the final step would actually happen in an earth bound reactor.

N14 + proton -> O15 + gamma_ray
O15 -> N15 + positron + neutrino
N15 + proton -> C12 + He4

I was able to find this (possibly fanciful) description of a CNO reactor designed to power an interstellar spacecraft:

http://projectark.net/projectark/fusion_drive.asp

N14 occurs in the atmosphere in small but usable concentrations so the fuel is there if the reactor can be developed.

One other comment if I may. I have gone through the

“Introduction to the Plasma Focus-
Machines, Applications and Properties
S Lee & S H Saw ”

presentation and have noted there are many plasma focus devices in operation (or were). Yet I did not notice any mention of developing a power producing device – only machines to generate neutrons and gammas etc. or, any mention of p-B11 devices other than the FF effort. I’m wondering then what technology sets the FF project apart from the others?

Thanks Aeronaut for responding to my post…..