Magnetic Fusion: Construction-tabletop demonstrator

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Brian McDermott
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Magnetic Fusion: Construction-tabletop demonstrator

Post by Brian McDermott »

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?
Richard Hester
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Re: Magnetic Fusion: Construction-tabletop demonstrator

Post by Richard Hester »

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.
3l
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Re: Magnetic Fusion: Construction-tabletop demonstrator

Post by 3l »

Hi folks:

It does not even count the electrity used.
The closest an amatuer could get is the toriodal grid.

Happy Fusoring!
Larry Leins
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Brian McDermott
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Re: Magnetic Fusion: Construction-tabletop demonstrator

Post by Brian McDermott »

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.
Richard Hester
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Re: Magnetic Fusion: Construction-tabletop demonstrator

Post by Richard Hester »

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.
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