Talk-Polywell.org

I'm in a very preliminary discussion about possibly putting together a webinar on the various smaller fusion efforts. This would be aimed at government and other interested parties. Nothing classified, just an overview of what programs are active, how they are supposed to work, and recent progress. I think the idea should be to get interested parties up to speed on below-the-radar and non-big-program efforts like EMC2, Tri-Alpha, Focus Fusion, and a few other favorites here.

Some of you are a lot more expert than I am on these. Anyone interested in a short presentation? Or just attending? Nothing too technical for the bureaucrats, although there would probably be a few ringers in the audience that would ask tough technical questions.

PM me if you are interested.

A webinar on alternative fusion concepts would be great. I would be interested in attending. I think it would be important to have the slides available on the web afterwards for reference. Currently there is no place to easily get up to date information on the status of the different fusion companies. Having presentations by the different fusion companies would be best if possible.

Are you thinking of doing a presentation for us first, so we can critique it in addition to taking in the information provided?

I was figuring any participants could exchange presentations if they'd like.

We did our DHS thing today. There was a videoconferencing aspect to it so we did it in a studio with a green screen wall. Wish they'd told me ... I showed up in my green shirt and so I was the one with the head and necktie hovering against the backdrop, at least until I put my jacket on.

Nobody mentioned a fusion webinar at today's session but it probably would be of interest later. If I can round up some participants from around the industry, the pitch would probably be easy. The green shirt and my business cards have my Rattlesnake Ridge Research logo, a magrid with a timber rattlesnake crawling thru it. I explained that as the meeting was wrapping up, with the obvious homeland security benefits of energy independence.

The thread here on high-efficiency thermoelectric generators came up as a possible enhancement of some toys they'd like to build.

If you want you can use my ilustrations for free.

Thanks, Torulf2! You do some nice work!

Here are a more realistic render of Skunk works high beta reactor, if you need.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77233366@N08/14512456607/

For sure be interested.

In fact it may be very helpful for the webinar to be recorded and uploaded to youtube.

Torulf2 wrote:Here are a more realistic render of Skunk works high beta reactor, if you need.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/77233366@N08/14512456607/

Just to keep the kettle on the stove, I do not think the Skunk Works effort is a field reversed configuration. It is a modified Polywell configuration with a single central focus . I may eventually get around to describing this in more detail. The pictures are not consistent with a FRC plasma, but a Polywell opposed magnet configuration. The only geometry difference is the central magnet/ magnet assembly. The two end magnets are the same (sort of).

Dan Tibbets

D Tibbets wrote:I do not think the Skunk Works effort is a field reversed configuration. It is a modified Polywell configuration with a single central focus .

A picture would be nice.

Torulf2's renders are similar to my own best guess for the magnet configuration.

The Skunk Works gave me a skunk pin once ... darned clip came off at a space conference a couple of years ago and I lost it.

If I had a clue that they were interested in fusion back when I was working with them on the Morphing Air Vehicle, I would have dropped a hint about my EMC2 experience and maybe have gotten my foot in the door. And then I'd have TWO NDA's keeping me from saying anything.

I can mention the Morphing Air Vehicle with no details because it was no big secret:

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... in-199803/

Tom Ligon wrote:The Skunk Works gave me a skunk pin once ... darned clip came off at a space conference a couple of years ago and I lost it.

If I had a clue that they were interested in fusion back when I was working with them on the Morphing Air Vehicle, I would have dropped a hint about my EMC2 experience and maybe have gotten my foot in the door. And then I'd have TWO NDA's keeping me from saying anything.

I can mention the Morphing Air Vehicle with no details because it was no big secret:

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... in-199803/

Do you think that you could be able to leverage some old contacts for some more solid information about their fusion reactor design? They have been (intentionally?) vague about it so far.

I should have kept some contact information when I left my UAV job.

If the webinar comes together, it would be incomplete without some contribution by them. I would expect the contribution would be vague but enticing, since that is their current approach.

I kind of suspect they have a lurker or two here, so maybe dangling a little bait will get a nibble.

hanelyp wrote:

D Tibbets wrote:I do not think the Skunk Works effort is a field reversed configuration. It is a modified Polywell configuration with a single central focus .

A picture would be nice.

Torulf2's renders are similar to my own best guess for the magnet configuration.

Yes a picture would be nice. Short of that, as I have described in the past, just do not assume that the smaller magnet in the Skunkworks window picture is the central magnet. It is one of the two end magnets. The larger diameter magnet is the central of three magnets. Each magnet opposes the neighbor and this results in two polar point cusps and two line cusps, one on each side of the central picture. This is consistent with the plasma picture and matches my expirements. The advantage of the two versus one line cusp is that the width is proportionatly smaller for each. Also, the real diameter of the central magnet consumes some of what would otherwise be B field decaying space between the magnet, so the benefit is greater than simple math models would predict (like Bussard used for years with the Polywell).

The result is the same number of line cusps compared to the truncated cube Polywell. There is some question of the relative widths of these line cusps on average, the circumference would be ~ the same. There would be two point cusps versus 6 in the Polywell. The B fields would always be convex towards the plasma, just like the Polywell, and there would be a central focus/ region of minimal B field in the center. The plasma borders are symetrical on any line drawn through the center. Depending on the separation and relative strengths of the end magnets and the central magnet the central null B field could be a small sphere , a dumbell or a torus in shape.

There could be direct conversion advantages in this geometry. Also, there could be worse or at least different injection problems due to the fewer point cusps.

Dan Tibbets

Images showing my intrepratation of the Skunk works machine...

http://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge ... Years.aspx





Dan Tibbets