Reply To: NIMBY FUD

[Francisl]

Lerner wrote: Just to clarify–we don’t think we have tested the new tungsten “teeth” and our published results pre-date using them. We do think our results are due to the small size of the electrodes and the axial field coil we are using. I agree that neutralization of the current is a potential problem but how much of one it is needs to be determined experimentally.

asymmetric_implosion’s link led me to this paper by S Lee and S H Saw: Nuclear Fusion Energy- The Dawning of the Fusion Age
Section 5.5 “Operating the Plasma Focus Beyond Neutron Saturation- Ultra High Voltage and Current-steps” talks about the next generation of plasma focus devices using higher voltages for greater success.
I’m really just speculating here but I think that in effect the LPP device is benefiting from higher voltages. By carefully reducing power losses and using smaller electrodes I’m guessing that a smaller percentage of the capacitor charge is used in the axial phase and this leaves more charge and consequently more voltage for the radial and pinch phases. If a higher voltage translates to higher temperatures and if this is combined with the axial magnetic field, then a more efficient fusion process could be occurring. This could explain their progress and point a way to future experiments.
Does my reasoning make sense or is it bogus?