Optimal Cockcroft-Walton Paper

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Jason C Wells
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Optimal Cockcroft-Walton Paper

Post by Jason C Wells »

Hello again. I've made my triumphant return to the boards.

I just thought I would share the title of this paper. I know at least two of you are working towards Cockcroft-Walton generators. You will probably want to read "Optimal Design of a Half Wave Cockcroft-Walton Voltage Multiplier With Minimum Total Capacitance" in the IEEE transactions.

I am going to return to experimentation, starting with a CW machine rather than a Van De Graaf. In the interim period I've relocated to sunny (ugh) southern California to help a small outfit try to make helium. I consider it an amazing stroke of luck (or providence) that I get to work on a machine like this. You walk by a local pressure transducer and it reads 10^-8 on a machine that is half built. You walk by a 20 inch stainless gate valve. You drool.

Funny story. When I was doing my interview, I mentioned something about high vacuum. My interviewer (now boss) asked, "What did you do with high vacuum?" I said, "Well.... if you go two more paragraphs down the resume you'll see I tried to do a proton-boron experiment kind of like Rutherford and Oliphant." I'm not sure if that was the clincher, but here I am.

Regards,
Jason C. Wells
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Richard Hull
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Re: Optimal Cockcroft-Walton Paper

Post by Richard Hull »

Every skill that is picked up in making a fusor, if fully successful, is a skill that you can hone and perfect all through your travels in life. The fusor forces the adroit to confront challenges and learn a multitude of things that are key to work in the sciences and technology. I am not singing to the choir here when I say that many of today's generation haven't done much of anything with their hands other than work a smart phone. Robots can't do everything in future and it is the fellow with a good pair of hands armed with fore-knowledge in a number the mechanical and electronic arts in the modern world who will always have a job.

Employers recognize and appreciate someone arriving who not only can do their narrow little job, but have a good deal of experiences oblique to, but related to their entire mission. The world still needs Renaissance men. The specialist is great provided his is specialized and trained in many different areas.

The fellow who can link electrical/electronics, micro-controllers and mechanical processes all with his own hands and mind is a man of the future.

Welcome back Jason.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Jason C Wells
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Re: Optimal Cockcroft-Walton Paper

Post by Jason C Wells »

Well said, Mr. Hull. Good to "see" you again.
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Bob Reite
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Re: Optimal Cockcroft-Walton Paper

Post by Bob Reite »

It is interesting to note that several job postings I have seen for broadcast engineers also state, "Knowledge of HVAC (Heating Venilation and Air Conditioning) systems a plus".
The more reactive the materials, the more spectacular the failures.
The testing isn't over until the prototype is destroyed.
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Dennis P Brown
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Re: Optimal Cockcroft-Walton Paper

Post by Dennis P Brown »

Glad your back! Best of luck. I have been going high voltage and vacuum work since high school and yes, it helped me in college and in my professional life. I decided to build a fusor and succeeded in getting neutrons but haven't fully (yet, at least; lol) given up on either my Van de Graaff or deuterium accelerator (all are finished but untested; I am dealing with other issues ... sigh. These are not fun like those projects)
Silviu Tamasdan
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Re: Optimal Cockcroft-Walton Paper

Post by Silviu Tamasdan »

I just wanted to add that for those who loke me don't have access to IEEEexplore, the paper can be found for free on ResearchGate.
BTW my personal opinion is that their conclusion is valid for a large number of stages, but for a small multiplier with only 1 or 2 stages the best choice may be different.
There _is_ madness to my method.
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