Presentation to the ANS-EWS
Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 11:34 pm
Recently I was asked to speak to the American Nuclear Society - Eastern Washington Section in Richland, Washington. I showed them the inner workings of our program to create a safe, legal and progressive high school nuclear engineering curriculum using the Farnsworth Fuser. The following commentary was provided to me by Gary Troyer of the ANS-EWS upon my return to Federal Way.
A New Generation of Nuclear Physicists
Fusion research is alive and well in Washington State and is being successfully studied by a number of high school students. This was the message of Mr. Carl Greninger to overflow attendance at the April 16, 2013 meeting of the ANS Eastern Washington Section. Mr. Greninger, IT Operations Program Manager for Microsoft’s Business Process and Tools (Redmond WA), showed how a number of students working in his home garage have built a functioning nuclear fusion machine. Students meet Friday evenings at his home to modify, test, monitor, and study nuclear fusion with a machine they built under Greninger’s organizational skills.
The machine is a Farnsworth-Hirsch type ‘Fuser’ (see also https://fusor.net/), a spherical high voltage vacuum tube accelerator which causes ionized deuterium atoms to fuse in its center. In the process, students have learned about vacuum systems, high voltages, neutron and radiation shielding, detectors, dosimeter badges and nuclear safety, deuterium, computer automation, electronic control, video records creation, and high energy physics.
While their device is not expected to solve societal energy needs directly, several students have won Gold Medals and scholarships at state level science fairs. The student team from different high schools presented their work to the audience with superior skill, making nuclear physics look simple. The students, Jake Hecla, Raymond Maung, and Rian Chandra, described their multi-disciplined approach in determining that the machines’ flux pattern is not of the expected spherical shape using a combination of track etch detectors and computer modeling. With awarded scholarships in hand and graduation this spring, they intend to study at the University of Washington and MIT in various fields of physics and engineering.
The presentation showed how it is possible to stimulate a new generation of students in the hard sciences. The ‘Greninger’ model has room for students at many levels, interests, and backgrounds. Each is learning STEM topics and the importance of teamwork, technical skills development, and responsibilities, all within safety and regulatory requirements.
In closing remarks, Mr. Greninger challenged the local technical societies to create something similar to the North West Nuclear Consortium (http://www.nwnc.us.com/), outside of the traditional school systems, transferring the skills and interests that excite scientists and engineers into the next generation. To that end, the ANS-EWS is now exploring forming a similar student research and training program.
A New Generation of Nuclear Physicists
Fusion research is alive and well in Washington State and is being successfully studied by a number of high school students. This was the message of Mr. Carl Greninger to overflow attendance at the April 16, 2013 meeting of the ANS Eastern Washington Section. Mr. Greninger, IT Operations Program Manager for Microsoft’s Business Process and Tools (Redmond WA), showed how a number of students working in his home garage have built a functioning nuclear fusion machine. Students meet Friday evenings at his home to modify, test, monitor, and study nuclear fusion with a machine they built under Greninger’s organizational skills.
The machine is a Farnsworth-Hirsch type ‘Fuser’ (see also https://fusor.net/), a spherical high voltage vacuum tube accelerator which causes ionized deuterium atoms to fuse in its center. In the process, students have learned about vacuum systems, high voltages, neutron and radiation shielding, detectors, dosimeter badges and nuclear safety, deuterium, computer automation, electronic control, video records creation, and high energy physics.
While their device is not expected to solve societal energy needs directly, several students have won Gold Medals and scholarships at state level science fairs. The student team from different high schools presented their work to the audience with superior skill, making nuclear physics look simple. The students, Jake Hecla, Raymond Maung, and Rian Chandra, described their multi-disciplined approach in determining that the machines’ flux pattern is not of the expected spherical shape using a combination of track etch detectors and computer modeling. With awarded scholarships in hand and graduation this spring, they intend to study at the University of Washington and MIT in various fields of physics and engineering.
The presentation showed how it is possible to stimulate a new generation of students in the hard sciences. The ‘Greninger’ model has room for students at many levels, interests, and backgrounds. Each is learning STEM topics and the importance of teamwork, technical skills development, and responsibilities, all within safety and regulatory requirements.
In closing remarks, Mr. Greninger challenged the local technical societies to create something similar to the North West Nuclear Consortium (http://www.nwnc.us.com/), outside of the traditional school systems, transferring the skills and interests that excite scientists and engineers into the next generation. To that end, the ANS-EWS is now exploring forming a similar student research and training program.