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: Toroids, anyone?
Date: Aug 24, 10:25 am
Poster: David C. Taylor

On Aug 24, 10:25 am, David C. Taylor wrote:

It seems like there should be a good way to up the energy of the plasma without upping the power you put into the system. Kevin Christiansen and myself were dinking around with a few ideas and we came up with a change in the geometry. If you were to turn the center grid inside out, you get a toroid. If you turn the outside grid inside out with respect to the inner grid, you get a, umm, really wierd shape (see pictures). It is an approximation of a toroid - a cage around the inner toroid with a wire going down the middle of the inner toroid. Applied votage was 10kv DC at about 50 ma.

http://www2.crystalcanyon.com/forecaster/toroid1.jpg

http://www2.crystalcanyon.com/forecaster/toroid2.jpg

It was very pretty, even though it was only a pickle jar and the vacuum wasn't too good. How good? We don't know - Kevin doesnt have a vacuum gauge! But there WAS a confined toroidal plasma. Kevin pulled the toroid out last night and replaced it with a thicker piece that had two leads (to run a current through). The idea is that if the plasma has a significant rotational velocity, the ions stumbling innocently into the inner grid will be ruthlessly smashed into oblivion (or helium) by the screaming rush of plasma. Anyway, no change was noted with 5 amps of current going through the toroid, so I guess we need to try a little harder. Does anybody see anything in this approach?