recovery.gov WB-8 polywell report Q1/2011 "working as designed"

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bennmann
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recovery.gov WB-8 polywell report Q1/2011 "working as designed"

Post by bennmann »

Thought this would be of interest to the fusioneers here, signed up with an account just to share with you

"As of 1Q/2011, the WB-8 device operates as designed and it is generating positive results. EMC2 is planning to conduct comprehensive experiments on WB-8 in the next 9-12 months based on the current contract funding schedule."

Here's the link to the source:
http://www.recovery.gov/Transparency/Re ... pId=309748
Chris Trent
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Re: recovery.gov WB-8 polywell report Q1/2011 "working as designed"

Post by Chris Trent »

I'm optimistic, but I'm not holding my breath.

I would construe "Positive results" in this context to simply mean that there were actually results to analyze, and that the government is getting reports, as opposed to "Negative results" which means that no data is forthcoming.

Unfortunately, I don't see words like promising or encouraging, and I don't see sudden drastic increases in funding that would likely accompany a wild success.
Richard Hester
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Re: recovery.gov WB-8 polywell report Q1/2011 "working as designed"

Post by Richard Hester »

Nebel and company cannot expect to have a wild success on the kind of funding they're getting ( a real shoestring compared to IETR or taking potshots at Libya). I am encouraged that there appears to be enough progress that the Navy is continuing funding. They are quite understandably being very cautious.
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Chris Bradley
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Re: recovery.gov WB-8 polywell report Q1/2011 "working as designed"

Post by Chris Bradley »

What is the 'wild-success' versus '$' going rate, these days?
Chris Trent
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Re: recovery.gov WB-8 polywell report Q1/2011 "working as designed"

Post by Chris Trent »

"wild success" vs $?

As in $ spent to get a wild success, or how much they'll throw at one when they find it?

We may never know, but in a budget with rounding errors in the billions it sure aint chump change either way.
bennmann
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Re: recovery.gov WB-8 polywell report Q1/2011 "working as designed"

Post by bennmann »

New article up with interviews and more info: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/20 ... the-fringe

More promising information IMO.
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Richard Hull
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Re: recovery.gov WB-8 polywell report Q1/2011 "working as designed"

Post by Richard Hull »

Well, 7.9 million is not all that much dough based on what the government is truly throwing down the proverbial rat hole. I wish them well at the bottom of it all.

I always hate to hear that this should be the last small machine they will need to build...... This usually means that in spite of no near unity returns in the last small machine, but a result that tickles the hearts and mind of the experimenters, is taken as a go signal for hundreds of millions to make a much bigger net failure that is closer to unity.

JET was a massive billion + failure, in spite of net unity results for seconds only operation and ITER is JET on steroids.

If 8 million will not get within 3 orders of magnitude of unity in WB 8 with an honest accounting of the energy sucked into it, then it needs to die a natural death.

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
DaveC
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Re: recovery.gov WB-8 polywell report Q1/2011 "working as designed"

Post by DaveC »

Thanks for the update, Ben.

The new proect leader, Park, has a refreshing candor in his comments. There is little of the optimistic varnish. That's healthy, although it sounds as though there's no data from WB-8 to discuss, yet.

I don't follow this closely.... Is there a reason why Rick Nebel "retired" from the project?

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bennmann
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Re: recovery.gov WB-8 polywell report Q1/2011 "working as designed"

Post by bennmann »

There are theories on Talk Polywell why Nebel has taken on a consultation retirement with the machine, my personal opinion is that it probably has to do with family or personal reasons. I don't read too much into it, but I am happy with his contributions to the project while he lead it.

@Richard I'm still very optimistic that the Navy will go forward with the next optional portion of WB8, which will test proton boron-11 burns. That will be the true test and if successful be just as awesome as a Q=1 machine IMO.
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