Zixinus wrote:The first machines will definitely burn D-T, and it is very likely that the first power plants will do so as well. P-b11 is the future's song. D-T is much easier to do, and going straight for p-B11 is rather foolish.
Well, sez you, but Dr. Buzzard sez differently, and I think I understand why. In a Polywell machine, the ion velocity is a function of the well depth, which in turn is a (very steep) function of the machine size. So if a machine of a certain size can't do it, you make it a bit bigger, and it will.
Moreover, extracting the energy from a D-T reaction is very very hard because it's mostly in the form of neutron radiation. It requires lithium blankets and a heat cycle and all sorts of other nonsense, which makes it both expensive and difficult. It also has nasty side-effects like rapidly making your equipment (e.g. the coils in this case) radioactive. In comparison, p-B11 produces mostly charged particles which can be very easily converted to DC current. Very simple and easy in comparison.
So, I hereby officially bet you a pizza that the first fusion power plants will burn p-B11, not D-T.