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: T-D reactions
Date: Jan 15, 5:56 pm
Poster: Bruce A. PerreaultOn Jan 15, 5:56 pm, Bruce A. Perreault wrote:
>The Tritium deuterium reaction is a real winner, but we can't get tritium! In talking with Farnsworth team members they noted that even in the 1960's the 15 curie tritium ampoules used in there systems carried a nightmarish AEC inspection code and documentation. Once pumped or leaked into the fusor chamber, They started to trap out the pump exhaust gas in a sealed cryo chamber to avoid tritium leaking into the ITT plant. They then reused the D-T mix in later experiments. 15 curies of tritium is not a rad hazard in the ampoule. The radiation can't even be detected point blank on the glass! Release, however, poses a real hazard as the material if breathed will form water insdie the body. Most will be rapidly excreted naturally, but the point blank damage inside can be problematic.
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>It was unifromly agreed by most team members that the T-D reaction gave 500% greater fusion yield at any voltage where fusion occured over the D-D reaction which we are limited to in experimental setups. Still D-D in the best fusors can easily yield 10^8 n/s (70kv).
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>The team never went back to D-D fusion during the fusor developmental cycle after 1961.
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>Richard Hull