Roger Fox's 01 July 008 KOS Diary

[MSimon]

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http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/7/1/203528/4445

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But Dr Nebel has been blogging, and recently dropped a bombshell in 2 parts"

1. We're getting data.

2. We might as well build the next one in that size range

[tonybarry]

Yes, Simon, I just wonder what might be happening here. Do you think the idea of the 500kUSD WB-7 clones is still likely? or is it full steam ahead for the net power machine?

Would be good to be part of the action.

Regards,
Tony Barry

[MSimon]

I think WB-7s are still part of the plan.

Personally I think for research purposes we will need fusors, WB-7s, WB-7x (LN2 cooled), and WB-100s.

Even if it worked and produced net power tomorrow it would still require a lot of research to work out the theories and improvements.

We are going to have to train a cadre of reactor operators. Engineers. Physicists. Materials science people. - etc.

[gblaze42]

Have to say it's very interesting news!
I have to agree with Dr. Nebel ;

So was Bussard correct?
...
"The answers are going to be kind of nuanced," Nebel said.
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"I've been very pleased, frankly, with the sorts of things we've been getting out of it," Nebel said.
...
"We're looking at power generation with this machine," Nebel said. "This machine is so inexpensive going into the 100-megawatt range that there's no compelling reason for not just doing it. We're trying to take bigger steps than you would with a conventional fusion machine."

On the scale of things, a Polywell is incredibly inexpensive. Good to hear things are going well!

[TallDave]

Wow, 122 comments.

Go Roger!

[Roger]

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Roger Fox's 01 July 008 KOS Diary

You sneak. LOL.

[Roger]

or is it full steam ahead for the net power machine?

Simon is spot on, but... Heres what I infer. And I start with a question, how much money to build WB-8 at 1.6 meters, exactly like WB-7. Instead of 35cm coils, make 'em 1.6meters. Do it on the cheap just like WB-6 & 7.

Just for giggles. How much? 20 million ? And lets say it works. Then what ?

Well would be a number of concerns, that would have to be addressed,
1) proof of scaling.
2) Design the carburetor.
3) Is the dodec 3x better.

As I wrote @ D-Kos:

I thought these 3 should be built simultaneously

1)WB-8, 35cm LN2/carburetor/steady state
2)WB-9, 70cm pulse mode
3.WB-10, 35 cm truncated dodecahedron

So of the 3 machines I thought should be built, I see Dr Nebel taking #2, the 70cm coil pulse mode Polywell, and essentialy saying instead of building a machine twice the size of WB-7 to test scaling, make a little bigger and go for net power.

So WB-7 uses 35cm coils, and Nebel says
WB-8 should use 160cm coils. Thats easy.

Simons LN2 cooled polywell might make a great platform from which to design the carburetor, and work on other steady state Issues that might crop up. And throw in some PB-11 test runs at the end.

And the dodec is supposed to be 3x better, so build a dodec the size of WB-7. Something that could be directly compared agaist WB-7, the truncube.

[Roger]

we will need fusors,

Absolutely.

I think Dr Nebel knows something, he seems ready to move ahead.

[Roger]

Wow, 122 comments.

Go Roger!

Thank you sir. I also had 32 recs for the dairy, thats good for me. but not good enough for the reccommended page.

Not a lot of diaries were being published that evening, so my diary stayed on the front page for a while, giving the diary a better chance to collect comments.

[rcain]

Wow, 122 comments.

Go Roger!

Thank you sir. I also had 32 recs for the dairy, thats good for me. but not good enough for the reccommended page.

Not a lot of diaries were being published that evening, so my diary stayed on the front page for a while, giving the diary a better chance to collect comments.

Hi Roger, nice blog.

One more erratum I spotted however - caption to the the pic of WB7 says:

'WB-7 in its vacume chamber during a fusion run earlier this year.'

whereas, it should say::

'Pictured above is a test plasma inside WB7 using Helium'

- as per the source.

ie. the pic is not actually showing fusion so far as I'm aware, just (neutral) plasma confinement.

wouldn't want to be getting peoples hopes up too early and all that.

(also, its spelled 'vacuum')

keep up the good work

[Roger]

Ah yes, Helium plasma, I forgot.
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I also cross posted the diary to

http://www.democraticunderground.com/di ... 89x3551234

And got enough rec's to make the front page that night and the next day.