Carbon Nanotube Fusor
A few years ago I did back of the envelope figures on a related idea: given a minimum wire gauge, how big does a fusor need to be to get grid losses low enough for break even? Answer: HUGE, but it's such a simple structure it might still work if built in space. If I knew then what I know now about power scaling, my figures might have indicated a merely huge scale, rather than HUGE.
Well, yes, of course, but that is "predicted" and "in theory".on the carbon nano wiki page of course!
I was trying to find data on existing off the shelf carbon fiber, and was getting maybe one hit out of 100 that was on target and that I was allowed to read.
I had expected that the numbers for real products would be easy to find.
They list strength but not the more obscure data like electrical and thermal conductivity.
Another problem I see is that hot carbon emits electrons.
This would form a space charge that would at least partially shield the electrode from the plasma.
OTOH That shielding would be offset because it would make the electrode even more positive.
Also, that emission might counteract some of the current from the electrons striking it.
Determining the net effect will require more than my b.o.e. calcs.
It will require the real plasma modeling wizards looking at it.
[edit]
6000 W/m/k is excellent but nowhere near enough to overcome the miniscule cross section. (10e-11 or 10e-17)
-Tom Boydston-
"If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research, would it?" ~Albert Einstein
"If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research, would it?" ~Albert Einstein
i like the idea of filling up (c)-nanotubes with (dia-/mono-)magnetic particles.
or, possibly of using them as electron/photon waveguide to achieve similar properties. (though their applications 'envelopes' are limited according to recent cnt research i have seen from the semi-conductor industry).
using them as (mag-)grid, or as nano-pellet feeder...or something.
perhaps making the vacuum chamber out of them; i'm wondering about sc-magnet coils.
i think the possibilities are finite, but worth trying to imagine.
as to 'self-repairing' - i think that is a separate but related technology; also certainly worth thought - after all we have the benefits of quartz-halogen lights (and arguably all catalytic processes) basically by that principle.
or, possibly of using them as electron/photon waveguide to achieve similar properties. (though their applications 'envelopes' are limited according to recent cnt research i have seen from the semi-conductor industry).
using them as (mag-)grid, or as nano-pellet feeder...or something.
perhaps making the vacuum chamber out of them; i'm wondering about sc-magnet coils.
i think the possibilities are finite, but worth trying to imagine.
as to 'self-repairing' - i think that is a separate but related technology; also certainly worth thought - after all we have the benefits of quartz-halogen lights (and arguably all catalytic processes) basically by that principle.