This probably goes against the ideology of this forum, but how feasible is it to make a "table top" or at least a "table-sized" magnetic containment fusion device? A torus isn't that hard of a shape to make with glass or stainless steel. Weren't the first stellarators made of pyrex bent into the shape of a figure 8?
What sort of requirements are there to make a working model of a magnetic fusion reactor? Is such a machine too expensive and complex for the amateur to try and make? Would you even get fusion on this small scale?
Magnetic Fusion: Construction-tabletop demonstrator
- Brian McDermott
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Re: Magnetic Fusion: Construction-tabletop demonstrator
The electromagnets you will need for plasma confinement will probably break you financially. A better bet would be a tabletop pinch machine - with that you only need to worry about a big energy storage capacitor. Glasstone and Lovberg's book on controlled thermonuclear reactions gives a overview of most of the early devices, with pictures. Most of them are out of reach of even a reasonably well-heeled amateur.
Re: Magnetic Fusion: Construction-tabletop demonstrator
Hi folks:
It does not even count the electrity used.
The closest an amatuer could get is the toriodal grid.
Happy Fusoring!
Larry Leins
Fusor Tech
It does not even count the electrity used.
The closest an amatuer could get is the toriodal grid.
Happy Fusoring!
Larry Leins
Fusor Tech
- Brian McDermott
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Re: Magnetic Fusion: Construction-tabletop demonstrator
Since the magnetic pinch device works on maxwellian heating, does the voltage value of the capacitor bank really matter?
As Richard Hull put it:
"...there is zero acceleration here, just simple maxwellian heating whether you use a 2 farad capacitor and 31.6 volts or a .2ufd and 100kev..."
So could one get away with lower voltage, higher capacitance capacitors? I guess the disadvantage would be a longer discharge time due to the larger capcitance.
As Richard Hull put it:
"...there is zero acceleration here, just simple maxwellian heating whether you use a 2 farad capacitor and 31.6 volts or a .2ufd and 100kev..."
So could one get away with lower voltage, higher capacitance capacitors? I guess the disadvantage would be a longer discharge time due to the larger capcitance.
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Re: Magnetic Fusion: Construction-tabletop demonstrator
In a pinch device, to get sufficient current density, you have to store an enourmous amount of energy or ramp up the current to a high value very fast. To overcome the self-inductance of the plasma thread, you will need a high input voltage. The book I mentioned has a theoretical treatment that's not too hard to follow.