Fusion Message Board

In this space, visitors are invited to post any comments, questions, or skeptical observations about Philo T. Farnsworth's contributions to the field of Nuclear Fusion research.

Subject: Re: Help me think this through
Date: May 04, 4:06 pm
Poster: Richard Hull

On May 04, 4:06 pm, Richard Hull wrote:


>What about collisions with neutrals (which will dominate, I should think). Sometimes, it might ionize the neutral, but I think that most of the time it just goes to raising the overall temperature of the gas in the fusor. Depending on the ionization fraction, this might dominate over the grid collision rate.

Certainly the high speed deuterons colliding with neutral gas atoms will predominate in the inter electrode region as well as the inner grid area within the simple fusor as we make them. This is one of those losses which, in the simple device, is just part of the cost of doing business. This energy winds up as heat and is a loss mechanism. These atoms/nuclei do not recirculate and, thus, must be replenished. (current drawn)

Electron bombardment of the outer shell is the most significant and readily apparent form of energy loss. These never recirculate! It would not be too far off to surmise that 90% of the input energy goes to heating the outer casing of the fusor. (Electron bombardment due to conventional electrons flow as in a vacuum gas diode.)

Richard Hull