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: The Original Farnsworth Mark series Fusor.
Date: Jul 09, 11:35 pm
Poster: Hector

On Jul 09, 11:35 pm, Hector wrote:

Ok, I must be getting some wrong information on the Farnsworth devices.
It's the only explanation because I was under the impression that multi-pacting (electro-optic) technique at Super High Frequency (SHF) was a superior method than star mode.

I was also under the impression that the neutron count on the Mark II and III device was above 10 to the 12 neutrons per second while Miley's have only reached 10 to the 7 neutrons per second.

Now, I've been reading the patents and some historical accounts so I was under the impression that the above were true.

But something does not seem correct.
If the Hirsch device is so superior, why are formal researchers trying to make there systems work like Farnsworth's Mark series.

In the first Farnsworth patent, you can see that the first device is almost identical to the Hirsch device.
The patent was filed in 1962. It was approaved in 1964. Hirsch was just getting his Doctorate at the University of Illinois under Miley at that time and it was not until later that year that Miley got a call from Farnsworth to see if he should hire Hirsch.

So, why did they move away from the superior "Hirsch method" which seems to be a slite modification of the original 1962 Farnsworth device?

It also seems to me that Hirsch would have objected to the progression of the Farnsworth researh if the original method was better.

So, these are some of my reasons for thinking that the Mark series was far superior to the Miley and other devices.