For those just tuning in and not wishing to root through the older postings, the main losse in our simple fusor device is electron losses. These are due to the failure to lock them into the central region. Therefore, the bulk of the electrons within the device ultimately wind up slamming into the walls and heating the device's outer shell.
It is often stated that grid losses are high within the machine. This is not the case unless to look at the outer shell as a grid. Inner grid losses (ion loss) are minimal compared to the huge electron losses at the outer shell.
For such small devices, however, the IEC fusion output is interesting and certainly makes fusion more accessable to amateur investigators.
If we could just turn every electron in the machine into an ion maker through collisions with neutral particles, then the fusion rates would go through the roof.
Most investigators are now searching for ways to avoid this loss mechanism.
Richard Hull
Created on Monday, January 08, 2001 11:03 AM EDT by Richard Hull