permanent magnets, halbach arrays, bugle jets and dental plaster

[Nanos]

I’ve always had an interest in how magnets work, and being interested in making my own fusor, a little while ago I came across Dr Bussards work and noticed his WB1 model used permanent magnets. Being how I want to tinker with my own experiments, the prospect of permanent magnets is appealing for reasons of lower cost, less dangerious high voltages lurking around, and also because almost everyone I seem to speak to about using them seem to tell me not to even bother trying! (That and we don’t appear to actually understand how magnets really work yet..)

As such I’m working on a version based on Dr Bussards WB1 model, and then recently I came across focus fusion and noticed what I see as a common part between the bugle jets seen in fusors, and the approach here, where the jet is wanted, rather than not wanted!

Whilst it may indeed not be possible to construct a large fusion reactor using permanent magnets, it might be possible to make something small that at least produces neutrons (I’m using deuterium.) and pushes the boundry of our knowledge a little further. At the very least, I’ll have fun trying, and learn something along the way.

Some questions if anyone cares to throw their thoughts or indeed answers at them, baring in mind that I’m very much an amateur when it comes to these things and I’m just starting the beginners road, but I am bright and prone to out of the box solutions, mostly using what I like to call the Stevenson approach, like when he built his Rocket train, most of the ideas involved in the design was other peoples, and I tend to pick up on others ideas, and combine them, often choosing things not considered mainstream, or even obsqure bits.

I’ve heard someone say its possible to configure permenant magnets so the field lines do not terminate upon the surfaces of the magnets.

One link that hints at that is;

http://www.gatago.org/sci/physics/electromag/53489451.html

I wonder how true that is, thoughts ?

Halbach arrays interest me, particularly as it appears they was only recently discovered. I ask myself why did it take so long to figure them out, are there yet other configurations possible that we have yet to stumble upon. (Also, was they discovered longer than 1972 ago ?)

A link for those interested in such fancy things;

http://mag-net.ee.umist.ac.uk/reports/P14/p14_2.html

I’m using neodymium magnets (some 700 x 6mm N48 square ones, 80c limit before they become no longer magnets..) and wonder about cooling,outgassing, and something to hold them in place issues with them, what if I contained them inside some kind of ceramic material, would that work well enough ? (Someone suggested to me dental plaster, and/or a ceramic epoxy, and I also wonder if there is a heat issue how something like Starlight might be useful in keeping them cool enough.)

I also wonder about electron free lasers and whether they could be used in some way useful to what I’m trying to do.

[Torulf]

Here is a site from a hobbyist how used permanent magnets in his fusor.
http://mr-fusion.hellblazer.com/

Here are some more related sites.
http://www.brian-mcdermott.com/fusion_is_easy.htm
http://www.fusor.net/
http://www.talk-polywell.org/bb/index.php?sid=011792ab12d707a1f03489ab3c72249b
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/IEC_Fusion/?yguid=116361801

Wonder if its possible to build a DPF at home?

[Nanos]

Thanks, though I’m already aware of all of those, pity the mr fusion one hasn’t seen any updates for some time, I wonder what happened there ?

[Author]

Posts