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 Fusion
Date: Dec 03, 3:02 pm
Poster: Richard HesterOn Dec 03, 3:02 pm, Richard Hester wrote:
One of the points I wanted to make is that it looks possible for a well-heeled and determined amateur to at least demonstrate reactions with p-B11, and at the same time, do some valuable investigative work in the lower pressure, higher voltage regime of fusor operation, as well as in detection techniques for charged particles. As far as I know, no one has ever demonstrated a measurable reaction rate with p-B11. It looks like a worthy goal. If anyone does this, I think it will be the fusor community, certainly not the boys with the big toys, with perhaps the exception of the colliding beam folks. The D-T reaction is a much easier shot, but the fast neutron flux with a sizable reactor will pose huge engineering problems.
Richard Hester
>Richard,
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>This is a nice site. I had been there before, but lost the URL over the last two years. I suggest a lot of the folks actually print out (if possible) figures 26-28 and stuff them in their IEF files or notebooks.
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> I know the Univ. of Wis. has been involved in IEF to a limited degree over the past decade or so, but never actually contacted anyone there. Gene Meeks of the old Farnsworth team told me that both Miley of UofI and some folks from UofW had either met with or contacted him over the last several years.
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>I will note that the P-B11 chart can't compare with ease of use to the D-T reaction and requires a lot more snort in power supply voltage than any of the others. Its reaction rate at a quarter million volts falls way short of D-T at only 50kv. It only saving grace that I can see is Direct Conversion possibilities.
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> With a few hundred megabucks of the money, this could probably provide a very interesting and perhaps (just perhaps) fruitful oportunity for yet more eggheads. Amateurs not allowed - no money to really do it right.
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>Richard Hull
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>>Check out http://elvis.neep.wisc.edu/~neep602/lecture26.html Figure 28 gives a comparison of reaction rates vs well depth for the popular fusion contenders. The cross-section for p-B11 is particularly interesting, crossing the D-D curve at 50-60 Kev.
>>Food for thought...
>> Richard Hester
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