First Plasma

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Nnnnnnn
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Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 6:25 pm
Real name: Niels Geerits

First Plasma

Post by Nnnnnnn »

Over the course of the last 3 days I put together a rough demo fusor. I am using my homemade supply an aluminum vacuum chamber with silicone seals and a glass! window. All feed throughs (HV cables and vacuum hosebarb) are sealed with epoxy. The grids are made of stainless steel wire, the outer grid has solder joints while the inner grid is wound together (very low quality build, put it together quickly). The fusor drew 20mA-50mA (I didnt go further) @ a few 100V-1kV-2kV indicating that I do not have a very deep vacuum. I do not have any vacuum gauge other than "will it boil!?" (cold water boils so I have atleast 1000 Microns, also replace your pump oil if you do this). I am able to run for 10+ minutes without the supply or the grid getting dangerously hot, so I think I might be able to run it indefinetly.

Here a picture confirming the plasma:
Image

The epoxy seal for the hose barb leaks like crazy so I am working on fixing that right now.

Finally I should mention that the external shell is connected to earth ground. As a result the outer grid sometimes arcs to the shell.
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Richard Hull
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Real name: Richard Hull

Re: First Plasma

Post by Richard Hull »

No picture appeared

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
ian_krase
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Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2016 2:48 am
Real name: Ian Krase

Re: First Plasma

Post by ian_krase »

I see it just fine.
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Richard Hull
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Real name: Richard Hull

Re: First Plasma

Post by Richard Hull »

No image, just a red x in a box. Clicking on it does nothing.

Is the image Jpeg? Was it installed using the proper "upload attachment below?

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
Nnnnnnn
Posts: 58
Joined: Tue Jun 13, 2017 6:25 pm
Real name: Niels Geerits

Re: First Plasma

Post by Nnnnnnn »

I uploaded it to an external image hosting site. Here is the original image:
plasma.jpg
And here are two images with the new seal. The vacuum is beter but still not good. I am still working with 30mA-40mA and 900V
demo1.jpg
demo2.jpg
As you can see the inner grid is deformed especially in the last two pictures. It gets very hot and tends to sag.
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Richard Hull
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Posts: 14991
Joined: Fri Jun 15, 2001 9:44 am
Real name: Richard Hull

Re: First Plasma

Post by Richard Hull »

This is undoubtedly the worst plasma in the worst vacuum from the worst grid, I have ever seen.
I think this level of vacuum might easily be obtained with a hand pump!
I have entered your name in the list.

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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