EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Point out news stories, on the net or in mainstream media, related to polywell fusion.

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mvanwink5
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EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by mvanwink5 »

EMC2 website was updated last year with this:
EMC2 FUSION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Updates are pending, please check back soon!
But no updates happened. Did some expected funding fall through? Is EMC2 any closer to funding? Is time running out with no new testing progress?

Why does EMC2 have no website unless there is a possible new Navy contract to finish WB-8 to show both a potential well and high beta? After all, as far as I can see, Polywell is the only likely ship sized fusion design out there suitable for the planned electric Navy.
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

Tom Ligon
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by Tom Ligon »

Jay may not be sure the website is worth messing with. He's pretty much working by himself at the moment and maintaining a website is probably not high on his list of priorities. Attracting funds with a website is less likely than attracting funds by, say, getting out a good paper or networking with the right people.

palladin9479
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by palladin9479 »

Are they really to the point of having no staff?

ladajo
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by ladajo »

EMC2 is not on the ropes. The best probable statement is that they are transitional.

I would also say that they have the best and most developed concept. LPP is getting developed, but I do not think they are as far along in proof of concept. It is more of a try it and see approach with a lot of heavy thought.

It is my opinion that when you sit down and do a serious ranking, you find that EMC2 is at the top of the list for viability and timeframe.

As for money, that is an issue for all the projects. Including Lockheed Martin, although some have alluded otherwise, it is not the case.
The development of atomic power, though it could confer unimaginable blessings on mankind, is something that is dreaded by the owners of coal mines and oil wells. (Hazlitt)
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GIThruster
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by GIThruster »

Is anyone here able to post a summary of the last 5 years at EMC2? I am at a loss as to why the work seems to have stopped. I understood when Nebel seemed to have pivoted as regards public disclosure of their progress, but I don't understand why we haven't seen a superconducting WB yet. And was there ever any statement of why Nebel left EMC2 for Tibbar? One would suppose he felt Tibbar the better choice but he might just as well have gotten a better paying job, no?
"Courage is not just a virtue, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." C. S. Lewis

mvanwink5
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by mvanwink5 »

As for money, that is an issue for all the projects.
EMC2 with an employment roster of one as compared to GF with 65, I think you are stretching the true picture. This detail leads to the next issue of no developmental progress by EMC2 for well over a year (1.5 years since MiniB tests were conducted, no tests since?), no money, no staff, no equipment, no progress. I'd call that on the ropes (but not because of a failed concept or a technical hurdle - it is a money hurdle. :oops:

The point was that the website was intended to be upgraded as it was announced, no? Now it is not worth doing? Seems to me that no money after a year of beating the bushes is not good. It would seem to me that at this point the Navy would be the easiest path for the next shot of funding to complete the proof of principle, namely high beta and potential well together.

Whatever happened to the EMC2 advisory review board recommendations? Last I heard via the sole source memo (2 years ago?), the board recommended expanding the work. Sounds like with the Repubs back in control of congress (purse) this would be worth doing as money with the Navy is political.
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

choff
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by choff »

Patience.

Rome wasn't built in a day.
CHoff

mvanwink5
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by mvanwink5 »

ok.
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

D Tibbets
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by D Tibbets »

choff wrote:Patience.

Rome wasn't built in a day.
http://www.marcet.com/catalog/c-0284.jpg


Dan Tibbets
To error is human... and I'm very human.

mvanwink5
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by mvanwink5 »

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

KitemanSA
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by KitemanSA »

mvanwink5 wrote:EMC2 website was updated last year with this:
EMC2 FUSION DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Updates are pending, please check back soon!
Folks:

EMC2FDC IS NOT EMC2. It was a not-for-profit funding mechanism that ceased being relevant when the Navy renewed its funding. Nebel used it for a while as their public information arm, but I haven't seen Park use it at all.

rjaypeters
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by rjaypeters »

FWIW, EMC2 made it onto Yahoo this morning via NBF:

EMC2 Chief Scientist presents A Path to Electrostatic Nuclear Fusion

http://nextbigfuture.com/2015/01/emc2-c ... th-to.html

No new information I can see, though.
"Aqaba! By Land!" T. E. Lawrence

R. Peters

mvanwink5
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by mvanwink5 »

Well, it looks like information there that I don't remember, such as:
Theoretical .5second confinement time for 100 KeV electron with 7T, 1 meter, 6 coil cusp for a favorable net power device. Wow! is all I can say. Also $100M is a new number, which I am guessing refers to a 1 meter diameter Polywell.

(I am guessing that 1 meter refers to some radius measurement rather than diameter, but that is just a wild guess)
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

crowberry
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by crowberry »

The example with a 0.5 s electron confinement time has been in all Dr Parks talks that are available on the web since several months time.

Alan Boyle mentioned the 2-3 years programme with $30 million to build the proof of concept Polywell showing simultaneously well formation and high beta. The next step after that is to build a break even Polywell, which would be more expensive of course. So this is probably what that $100 million is supposed to mean.

mvanwink5
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Re: EMC2 Polywell On the Ropes?

Post by mvanwink5 »

Ahhhh, memory... :roll:
Thanks! So, is it diameter or radius?
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

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