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by D Tibbets
Sun Nov 13, 2016 3:35 am
Forum: News
Topic: Go For New Navy Funding To Finish
Replies: 19
Views: 17068

Re: Go For New Navy Funding To Finish

Trump increasing the likelihood of alternative fusion research is a wild speculation. The only argument is that it will be a different administration. The influence of big oil will (I think) not be decreased. Certainly green energy motives will suffer. Trump, certainly is not knowledgeable in the is...
by D Tibbets
Sun Nov 13, 2016 2:47 am
Forum: Theory
Topic: D B10 fusion?
Replies: 17
Views: 30307

Re: D B10 fusion?

The production of neutrons by D-D side reactions also produces tritium in further subsequent side reactions- well may be. In the Polywell at least, the tritium and proton produced from D-D fusion are above the potential well energy (presumably, unless you are going to extreme KE injection energies)....
by D Tibbets
Fri Nov 11, 2016 5:37 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Mach Effect progress
Replies: 2707
Views: 1465995

Re: Mach Effect progress

Correct me if I am wrong, but my impression is that the [EDIT:- current, not original] thrust levels versus energy input is at least a million times less than originally claimed based on the more recent test results margins for error. As such, even if the physics works, thrust will be much less than...
by D Tibbets
Fri Nov 11, 2016 5:04 pm
Forum: Theory
Topic: D B10 fusion?
Replies: 17
Views: 30307

Re: D B10 fusion?

PS: The deuterium has ~ twice the mass of the proton, but at the same energy it is traveling at 1/4th the speed, and it is the speed more so than the inertia or momentum of the approaching particle that determines if a close enough approach occurs. The momentum scales linearly with mass, but the sp...
by D Tibbets
Wed Nov 09, 2016 4:58 am
Forum: News
Topic: Lawaranceville E-Newsletter
Replies: 880
Views: 527067

Re: Lawaranceville E-Newsletter

Even short pulsed machines like the DPF has to retain the heat if they hope to have much fusioin. Also, as the plasma loses energy the collapse of the magnetic field/ pinch may be impeaded or it may fall apart faster(?). Tungsten is especially heavy with a very high Z. Even if only partially ionized...
by D Tibbets
Sun Nov 06, 2016 8:57 am
Forum: Theory
Topic: D B10 fusion?
Replies: 17
Views: 30307

Re: D B10 fusion?

I thought I had a download of a nuclear reaction database that showed very many possible element/ isotope reactions, the cross section, energy yield and products, but alas, I can not find it or anything from a web search... In any case, some speculation on the D-10B reaction. An extra neutron on the...
by D Tibbets
Sat Nov 05, 2016 1:20 am
Forum: Theory
Topic: What is a convex magnetic field?
Replies: 4
Views: 17428

What is a convex magnetic field?

It has been repeatedly stated that the convex magnetic fields in the Polywell eliminates concerns about edge instabilities/ macro instabilities. While this may be true or mostly true, the question I am asking here is how does a bundle of wires not have concave fields between them? To rephrase the qu...
by D Tibbets
Sat Nov 05, 2016 12:34 am
Forum: News
Topic: Lawaranceville E-Newsletter
Replies: 880
Views: 527067

Re: Lawaranceville E-Newsletter

Here is some news from LPP. It seams that tungsten has caused as much problems as hoped for gains .Beryllium is now the new hope. They have not completely abandoned tungsten but are planning modifications to perhaps circumvent some of the problems while they wait for the beryllium. http://lppfusion....
by D Tibbets
Wed Nov 02, 2016 4:28 am
Forum: News
Topic: EMC2 news
Replies: 440
Views: 453480

Re: EMC2 news

... This is the same thing Bussard was saying in 2007. Man i wish so bad that wb7 didn't freakin vaporize itself. Was the government and the R&D industry unduly hard on Park & co? Is there anything to learn from this moving on forward? Actually, ut was WB6 that short circuited. Between the high cur...
by D Tibbets
Tue Oct 25, 2016 9:07 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Tokamak Energy news
Replies: 164
Views: 196723

Re: Tokamak Energy news

A density of 10^20 particles per cubic meter is more in line with with what I understand to be reasonable tokamak performance. Via pv=nrt, i can see the pressure being represented as several atmospheres. Is one half second confinement good? I've had the impression that several hundred seconds is nec...
by D Tibbets
Mon Oct 24, 2016 2:31 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Tokamak Energy news
Replies: 164
Views: 196723

Re: Tokamak Energy news

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/mit-breaks-nuclear-fusion-record-in-bid-to-unlock-new-clean-energy-sources/428797/ MIT has been working with the Alcator C-Mod for more than 20 years, repeatedly topping the record for plasma pressure in a magnetic confinement device. According to the Institute, the ...
by D Tibbets
Sun Oct 02, 2016 3:59 am
Forum: News
Topic: SpaceX News
Replies: 2324
Views: 1154339

Re: SpaceX News

Not mentioned for a few posts, so it bears repeating. The tanker is the IPT spaceship with the crew and cargo spaces replaced with additional tanks. As such the engines and flight controls are virtually the same. There is minimal additional cost for designing this variant. More payload delivered to ...
by D Tibbets
Thu Sep 29, 2016 8:19 pm
Forum: News
Topic: SpaceX News
Replies: 2324
Views: 1154339

Re: SpaceX News

Yes I saw that, but didn't hear mention of exporting fuel from Mars, just using it for return trips. Anyway, in this context the premise is faulty - Musk's presentation shows $1.6M for each tanker trip to LEO with about 300T fuel, so the number is more like $2.4 per lb, rather than $10,000! (page 4...
by D Tibbets
Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:55 pm
Forum: News
Topic: SpaceX News
Replies: 2324
Views: 1154339

Re: SpaceX News

Please, all, take a moment to consider we're looking at the aspect of space travel that got Dr. Bussard interested in nuclear power for spaceflight. The abysmal payload fractions to LEO, and far worse for Mars travel, was the whole reason he started looking at heating hydrogen in the '50s, and late...
by D Tibbets
Thu Sep 29, 2016 7:39 pm
Forum: News
Topic: SpaceX News
Replies: 2324
Views: 1154339

Re: SpaceX News

Hmm... if the fuel cost from earth to LEO is ~$10000/lb, what is the cost from the Moon or Mars to LEO? Does that create a commercial opportunity to build a fuel station somewhere to service a very large demand for fuel in LEO? Is there enough carbon, oxygen and hydrogen on the Moon to make fuel th...