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: T-D reactions
Date: Jan 13, 1:01 pm
Poster: Richard Hull

On Jan 13, 1:01 pm, Richard Hull 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.

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).

The team never went back to D-D fusion during the fusor developmental cycle after 1961.

Richard Hull