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: A heretical thought
Date: Mar 15, 9:38 pm
Poster: Nathan K.

On Mar 15, 9:38 pm, Nathan K. wrote:

>The thought that popped into my head the other day is - have there been any technological advances over the last 30 years to make looking at reintroducing the ion guns worthwhile?????.
>
>I'm particulary thinking of the areas of modern controls systems and power electronics. e.g could a modern control system overcome the alignment problems (I'm assuming that the alignment problem was dynamic in nature). Or could modern power electronics, and a fancy control system allow us to simultaneously fire the ions guns in pulsed mode.
>
>Just wondering,
>IJV
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Unlike the world that Tokamaks and Inertial Confinement devices live in, all IEC efforts have faced great limitations in the application of modern advancements in technologies do to cost vs. budget restrictions, brought on by a lack of proper funding.

The perfect example is the buying of modern ion guns.

In a resent paper Dr. George Miley mentions that he will be pursuing the reintroduction of ion guns into the IEC scheme. Depending on the kind of ion gun he goes with which will have to have differential vacuum pumping, because that is what he specified in his paper, the IEC of the future may be a re-exploration of the same questions you are posing here today.

Nathan K.