Fusor Forums

Hello everyone!

My name is Niels, I am an applied physics masters student in Delft and actually have some experience working with neutrons, because I did my bachelor thesis at the Delft Reactor Institute (maybe this will come in handy when working on neutron detection). I have been lurking here for about a month reading through FAQs and various other threads. Now I have decided to join! I have already bought parts for my vacuum system and am working on assembling it. In addition I have been reading and thinking about the HV supply. Still not sure whether to wait until one comes along on ebay or "just" build one. But more on this later perhaps in a different thread.

Niels

If you can get international shipping done, the "Christmas Comes early" thread has some very cheap supplies. (The seller doesn't sell internationally, but at $150 for the supply, it may be worth figuring out a way to export it)

Thanks Ian. I sent the seller a message to ask about the possibilities regarding shipping. I also have some friends in the US who I could enlist. I can't help but wonder if 300 W is really enough though. In the FAQ Richard states that one needs about 500 W of continuous power.

With good detection, 350 watts may work. See the design for a higher pressure fusor that was recently used to generate neutrons here. I believe that they used that power range.

Any ideas on the "How to building your own" might make a good thread here in the fusor power section.

Several of my successful (detecting neurons beyond a doubt) runs where done at 40 KV at 8 mA. That's only 320 watts input.

Yeah. The compact and inexpensive "pipe tee" fusors seem to work with fairly low currents. And this supply can be upgraded to provide more like 7 mA.

Again, 200 watts would undoubtedly do fusion in a well done system.

As noted many times.....

1. The average Newbie doesn't usually present a well done system to first pass fusion.
2. The first runs are always weak regardless of power due to a failure to operate the device to advantage. ( A learned process.)
3. 200 watts would demand a plus-ultra neutron detection method. Something a vanishingly small number of newbies ever have or acquire.

500 watts typically warrants a definite fusion win even in a rather poor system, operated for the first time with moderate skill and a less than an ideal neutron detection system.

The more money and skills applied to the fusor build and instrumentation can see the minimal power requirement to do verifiable fusion drop dramatically.

All of the above is simple common sense to all but the "star struck" newbie looking to get by with less than the requirements outlined above.

Richard Hull

This is what I was thinking a pro can do good fusion at lower power, but a beginner like myself will need more. Besides I think it might be good to have some extra power in reserve just in case. So I will probably end up trying to make my own power supply for a few reasons: (1) It seems like fun and (2) I can build it fine-tuned to my application. According to the FAQs Xray transformers are hard to find, therefore I will use a ferrite core transformer fed with a high frequency square wave. I will write some more on it in the high voltage section.