Reply To: The Harmful Economics of Biofuels

[BSFusion]

zapkitty wrote: 1. Alpha particles are helium nuclei.

2. As the He nuclei are sans electrons they carry a charge.

3. An FF unit happens to eject a stream of these charged particles at high velocity along the axis of the core with each pulse.

4. If one wraps a coil around the path these particles take it is basic induction physics to charge the coil and extract work from these fast-moving particles. The slowed particles then hook up with some electrons and become the helium that is the “exhaust” of an FF unit.

As with the x-ray photovoltaics this is known physics, no speculation as to possibility required, but there’s never been any need outside of fusion physics to research the best methods of building these things… and with the tokamaks dominating fusion research funding there was almost no money to check it all out regardless.

The closest practical research along these lines was “alpha batteries” which generally rely on plutonium radiating the alphas in an omnidirectional spray. and thus are not applicable to an FF unit. However you will find that the Polywell (another aneutronic fusion contender) and its “venetian blinds” alpha collectors are closer to the alpha battery designs than anything in an FF unit.

Does this help?

I have a stupid question: After C12* fissions into three alpha particles, what happens to the electrons? Its been said that the alpha particles all fly off in the same direction, is there some reason that the electrons do not follow after them? And, if the electrons catch them, will that neutralize the charge and make the energy recovery coil ineffective?