Theoretical Size Limit of Fusor?

It may be difficult to separate "theory" from "application," but let''s see if this helps facilitate the discussion.
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Richard Hull
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Re: Theoretical Size Limit of Fusor?

Post by Richard Hull »

Well maintaned vacuum systems by a vacuum professional or serious enthusiast can perform rings around the neophyte's efforts in the fusor arena. We have several here that are in that lofty basement of pressures. The average person landing here knows just about zero related to vacuum as many queries still prove.

Thankfully, the fusor can work with a fine, marginal, "good enough" in the vacuumist's eyes. Big fusors?....Another matter entirely.

Good measurable results can be obtained in the 4 to 8 inch range with the ease of a win militating towards the larger 6-8 inch range. I would say a 10 to 12 inch fusor would be about the limit for a newbie on a limited budget, so shoot for a 6-8 inch chamber and hold your costs down.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
Frank Sanns
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Re: Theoretical Size Limit of Fusor?

Post by Frank Sanns »

At one point on here I posted the specifics for a super large fusor in orbit. Only a fine outer mesh electrode would be needed around an inner grid satellite. Releasing charged ions into the freedom of space would leave them free be manipulated between inner and outer grids by the electrical potential. Large distances are ok because of the low pressure and high mean free paths.
Achiever's madness; when enough is still not enough. ---FS
We have to stop looking at the world through our physical eyes. The universe is NOT what we see. It is the quantum world that is real. The rest is just an electron illusion. ---FS
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Steven Sesselmann
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Re: Theoretical Size Limit of Fusor?

Post by Steven Sesselmann »

Frank,

Making a fusor in outer space certainly solves any vacuum issues one might have, but to harness any energy might be a whole other challenge, on the other hand using deuterium fusion as a space propulsion engine should be relatively simple. I imagine in it's simplest form looking like a half hemisphere fusor. One could even add some pdhpe moderator to the half hemisphere for slowing neutrons in the direction of travel.

A super thin sheet of metal foil over the exhaust side would neutralise protons and alpha particles as they pass through and provide thrust.

Steven
http://www.gammaspectacular.com - Gamma Spectrometry Systems
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Steven_Sesselmann - Various papers and patents on RG
Frank Sanns
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Re: Theoretical Size Limit of Fusor?

Post by Frank Sanns »

Space afford many possibilities. The lack of ambient atoms and gravity allows for super large but low mass structures that could never be built on earth. It also solves building massive structures that require large amounts of energy to get into space. The payload of a single Space Shuttle could have put nearly a million square meters of Aluminum foil into space. Had it been perforated, or ultra thin, the number could have been multiples of that. Some interesting possibilities happen when you start to get to those scales.
Achiever's madness; when enough is still not enough. ---FS
We have to stop looking at the world through our physical eyes. The universe is NOT what we see. It is the quantum world that is real. The rest is just an electron illusion. ---FS
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