Reply To: NIMBY FUD

[asymmetric_implosion]

The main problems with high current pulses are contacts at interfaces between pieces and insulation. Insulation can and should last for long periods when properly designed. I operate a plasma focus that has a similar electric field in the gap between the anode and cathode as FoFu-1. It has operated for nearly 1 million shots without any problems. The more common problem is the interface between two pieces. When you think about low voltage, low current connections, simple contact between the metals is adequate. The ohmic loss in the contact is small compared to the rest of the circuit so little voltage is dropped across the contact (10 kA/cm of length for a contact that is only 0.01 inches wide.

The long shutdown is probably due to switch problems. The contact issue typically takes a couple weeks to resolve at most. The new switches are probably slow to fab (16 weeks is not unusual). Once at LPP, they must be installed and tested. It takes time to get the switch jitter down to tolerable levels.