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
Date: Nov 24, 12:33 pm
Poster: Richard Hull

On Nov 24, 12:33 pm, Richard Hull wrote:

Tom,

You may remember that you and I stood in my driveway trying to hash out a truly proper terminology one evening. There is a lot in a word...or acronym.

A lot of folks think the IEC has the same thermalization problem as other fusion scenarios, but as you point out, we are confining nothing and and therefore, the classic plasma going thermal just isn't an issue. Bob Hirsch used a nice term when I talked to him. He noted that all our stuff occurs in "velocity space". We are not heating a plasma. As you again noted on the video tape I distribute, the ions arrive in the reaction zone at fusion energy and if nothing happens they depart (ideally) to be recirculated and re-energized, all electrostatically.

I have stayed out of the P-B11 and pulsed discussions as I haven't yet actually had a hands on with my systems in these areas. The theoretical machinations are interesting to hear about and the musings can glibly discuss 100-300kv voltages as if they were a snap. I doubt anyone will privately try these ideas and achieve those voltages on this list. Still, it is interesting.

I think we came up with... "Electrostatically Focused Ion Accelerator-Collider" - EFIAC - or some such acronym. Somehow those last minute driveway talks focused our thoughts a bit better.

Richard


>I have always objected to the term Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC). The fuel ions are not confined in the traditional fusion sense, rather they stream in and out of a region of sufficient density while moving at sufficient velocity to produce fusion, but any given ion spends little time there. "Momentum" would be more appropriate than "Inertial". Only the "electrostatic" term is good.
>
>I would prefer Electrostatic Acceleration/Recirculation Fusion or something of that nature. Maybe we could come up with a term that spells something catchy.
>
>Tom