Search found 722 matches

by kcdodd
Sun Jul 13, 2008 8:14 pm
Forum: Theory
Topic: Electron Temperature
Replies: 5
Views: 4233

The boltzmann distribution determines the spread of energy of particles at a single temperature. Even though you have one temperature in a system at thermal equilibrium, the individual particles have a statistical spread of energy. This is bad when the thing keeping all the electrons in the chamber ...
by kcdodd
Sun Jul 13, 2008 7:23 am
Forum: Design
Topic: Undergrad polywell research?
Replies: 7
Views: 4415

Actually, at low beta I think its just the opposite. The face point cusps are at low field values, so most of the loss would be there. The line and corner cusps have high field strength because they are very close together. I am not saying you will be able to beat the open core design but for an und...
by kcdodd
Sat Jul 12, 2008 6:41 pm
Forum: Theory
Topic: Vlasov Solver [work in progress]
Replies: 86
Views: 51800

Well,my biggest problems I think are coming from the fact that I don't know 6 dimensional geometry and I can't even really "see" what it's doing. I'm a very visual person I've just tried to piece together what I think it should/is doing. I have thought about rewriting the program work in lower numbe...
by kcdodd
Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:05 am
Forum: Theory
Topic: The Successor to Polywell - Solving Poincaré the Right Way
Replies: 24
Views: 15879

I need a picture.
by kcdodd
Sat Jul 12, 2008 4:35 am
Forum: Theory
Topic: Vlasov Solver [work in progress]
Replies: 86
Views: 51800

Well, if someone wanted to take a look I would not mind. But I know I hate reading other people's code trying to figure out what it's supposed to do, much less figure out why it's wrong. And it's not a small project. And it's in C++.
by kcdodd
Fri Jul 11, 2008 6:02 pm
Forum: Theory
Topic: Vlasov Solver [work in progress]
Replies: 86
Views: 51800

Well, I am having lots of problems. I'm sorry I can't post more positive thing, heh. My discretization algorithm seems to hang up at certain configurations, and the integration of density from phase space to position space doesn't seem to be working correctly. In this picture the density is supposed...
by kcdodd
Fri Jul 11, 2008 5:29 pm
Forum: Theory
Topic: Making Electricity with the p-B Polywell
Replies: 134
Views: 68849

TheRadicalModerate, you have it right. The alphas must be neutralized to get net current, and they must do it at high potential to get net energy, and so that means the collector has to be at high potential. If they are neutralized at low potential then no energy will be extracted electrostaticaly. ...
by kcdodd
Fri Jul 11, 2008 3:27 am
Forum: Design
Topic: Undergrad polywell research?
Replies: 7
Views: 4415

I think I have a way to build a polywel on a budget. Get one of those 6 port uhv crosses. And wrap each arm with magnet wire to the desired size. On the inside you fashion an electrode around the centre where the 6 pipes come in, making sure it has a low profile to allow electron flow through the ce...
by kcdodd
Fri Jul 11, 2008 2:16 am
Forum: Theory
Topic: Making Electricity with the p-B Polywell
Replies: 134
Views: 68849

Yes. In steady state the electric field between the decelerator and collector is unchanging, and the net charge an both grids remains constant. That's pretty much the definition of steady state. If the field around the decelerator grid is unchanging and no charge is actually being put there, then th...
by kcdodd
Thu Jul 10, 2008 5:21 am
Forum: Theory
Topic: Question about Polywell assembly in space
Replies: 10
Views: 6743

Of course, Bussard envisioned using the polywell for propulsion purposes similar to the bussard ramjet. Using magnetic fields to direct the exhaust out the back and not even try to convert it to electricity.
by kcdodd
Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:56 am
Forum: Theory
Topic: All that can go wrong with recirculation
Replies: 112
Views: 60133

I assume that is for the electron beam since it's outside. And I am assuming you are counting the length along parallel to the electron beam. If so doesn't that seem to say that all the reflection has to occur within 7cm of the magrid? On your earlier comment, its easy to make the confinement time s...
by kcdodd
Wed Jul 09, 2008 5:14 pm
Forum: Theory
Topic: Making Electricity with the p-B Polywell
Replies: 134
Views: 68849

Well, between whatever ionized the the original ions and the collector. The magrid itself may or may not be the source.
by kcdodd
Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:23 pm
Forum: Theory
Topic: Making Electricity with the p-B Polywell
Replies: 134
Views: 68849

Conservation of energy is not a "detail". The laws of physics are the same no matter what.


Btw, I have no idea what the thought experiment was originally supposed to show. Maybe I have my foot in my mouth for saying that it wouldn't work in real life.
by kcdodd
Wed Jul 09, 2008 3:02 pm
Forum: Theory
Topic: Making Electricity with the p-B Polywell
Replies: 134
Views: 68849

MSimon, dude, for real. This is not "big bath". KE + PE = E, and PE = 2*e*V for alpha. alpha starts at 0V with 2MeV: 2MeV + 2*e*0V = 2MeV. we are assuming that there are no other collisions with particles before it is collected, so total energy of the alpha is conserved dE/dt = 0. to find the KE at ...
by kcdodd
Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:45 am
Forum: Theory
Topic: Making Electricity with the p-B Polywell
Replies: 134
Views: 68849

MSimon, why are you making the collector at 0v, that makes no sense if the alpha starts off at 0v. An alpha is not going to "drift" from 1MV to 0V, it will accelerate. Not only will the alphas have the same energy they started out with, you would never extract any useful energy. Even a billion amps ...