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Re: Theoretical Size Limit of Fusor?

Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2016 1:21 pm
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

Re: Theoretical Size Limit of Fusor?

Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 10:47 am
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.

Re: Theoretical Size Limit of Fusor?

Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2016 3:14 pm
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

Re: Theoretical Size Limit of Fusor?

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2016 7:11 pm
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.