more efficient fusor

[Hayabusa]

"A magnetic field would produce more ions close to the grid, which is exactly where you don’t want them. If possible, they should form farther out, so that the ions can fall though a higher potential difference. The concept would work if the deuterons were accelerated outwards, to a collision with the outer shell.
This is in fact done in some neutron generators, with good results."

Why would the presence of a magnetic field passing ONLY through the inner grid produce ions at the inner grid?

Ions are produced by electrons colliding with the neutral D atoms.

Electrons are more likely to be emitted from the outside surface of the inner grid do to the electrostatic field radiating radially out toward the shell. Is this correct?

Since the magnetic field is weaker outside of the inner grid the electrons will follow a curved path outwards. Hopefully some of these electrons will collide with neutrals and ionize them, they (ions) in turn will then accelerate towards the inner grid do to the electrostatic field.

Once they enter the space of the inner grid they will be force to follow a cork screwed or circular path do to the magnetic field (lengthened path).

Other ions will then enter and hopefully collide with the ions that are already inside the space of the inner grid, and result in a fusion reaction.

I have revised my picture, because I think that the coil producing the magnetic field will produce a distorted magnetic field. Instead I will leave the inner grid as a coil for purely cooling purposes (see my other diagram for cooling method). I have placed the magnetizing coil outside the shell instead. This should produce a more uniform field passing through the inner grid.

What do you think?

Rog

[longstreet]

Well, as I'm sure you already know, tokomaks use magnetic fields to contain their plasma. They don't use them to heat it, just to contain. The problem with this design is that even if you can make the magnetic field strong enough, the ions will smash into your poles, defeating the purpose. That's why tokomaks are torroidal. Perhaps there is legitimacy to a hybrid electrostatic/magnetic fusor, which magnetic fields doing containment, and electric fields doing the heating. But probably not as simple as this particular design. You might look into penning and paul traps as well. There is also an idea by Robert W. Bussard, I think, which creates a multi-poled magnetized inner grid to trap electrons there and to ferry ions away from the grid.

Carter

[Wilfried Heil]

A magnetic field around the grid would make it a Penning ion generator. The ions are produced by collisions between electrons and neutral gas molecules. The magnetic field will just keep the electrons on a longer path close to the grid, than without it.

However, I don´t see how the ions formed in the vicinity of the grid could gain enough energy for fusion in the center of the fusor.

A magnetic field close to the outer electrode might do some good: here we should have a cloud of low energy secondary electrons, which could be guided by a magnetic field. We should then get a higher ionisation rate close to the outer shell.

An electromagnet in the center could do it, but so would a couple of NIB magnets around the outside of the fusor. Has anyone tried this?

[Hayabusa]

Thank you for all the responses.

I came across a links which I would like to share:

http://www.casetechnology.com/source.html

Im going to study this stuff.

Thanks for the references...

Rog