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: p + B11 reaction
Date: Mar 01, 11:36 pm
Poster: IJV

On Mar 01, 11:36 pm, IJV wrote:

[snip]
>>What sort of voltages do people think will be required for engineering breakeven (more power out than in) using say the D-D or D-T reactions in a fusor?
>
>This is not the right question to ask. Each potential fuel combo has a voltage at which its cross-section (which reaction rate is proportional to) peaks. For D-He3, it's about 100 kV; for D-T less than 50 kV. The proper question to ask is how low do the losses need to be and how high does the ion current have to be? The answer to both questions is currently unknown.
>

Thanks again, aside from ions hitting the grids, what are the main loss mechanisims in a fusor?.

As for ions hitting the grids and/or eroding it or becomming electrically neutral, how serious a problem is it in practice?. How much does 'star mode' help in this respect?.

There is a paper by Miley covering current scaling laws that I have read, its a few years old, but people might find it interesting.

IJV