My fusor progress - Albert Mery

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Albert Mery
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri May 03, 2019 5:53 pm
Real name: Albert Mery

My fusor progress - Albert Mery

Post by Albert Mery »

Hello all,

I just wanted to share with you my first experiences with a demo fusor. Keep in mind this is not an application to the plasma club - my setup is far too crude for that.

My vacuum chamber is a regular bell-jar, which i understand is not the safest vacuum vessel but I am still waiting on my new four-way cross.

The high voltage is provided from a microwave oven transformer. A variac is used for voltage adjustments.

I'm using a cheap two-stage rotary vane vacuum pump that I purchased on ebay. It is of an unknown brand from a seller in the Czech Republic, but it seems to pull a decent vacuum so I am not complaining.

My vacuum gauge is a Supco VG64 Digital gauge.

I was able to pump down to 55 microns, with my current gauge reading 8ma and voltmeter oscillating in the kilovolts.

I will make a more detailed post later on after I have tidied up my current setup.

I have learnt a tremendous amount in the past few months gathering all these parts and I want to thank all the users of fusor.net for all the fantastic resources. My four way cross is coming soon and I will keep you updated as my fusor progresses.

Thanks,
Albert
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Mark Rowley
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Real name: Mark Rowley
Location: Sacramento California
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Re: My fusor progress - Albert Mery

Post by Mark Rowley »

Nice work Albert. Always cool to see the “first light” of new systems. Once you get some of the vacuum gremlins worked out your plasma will get considerably more defined. There’s a huge difference between 55 and 30 microns which you could easily achieve. Unless you plan on immediately transferring efforts into the cross arrangement, a protective implosion screen around the bell jar should be the first order of business.

Again, congrats on this important milestone.

Mark Rowley
Albert Mery
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri May 03, 2019 5:53 pm
Real name: Albert Mery

Re: My fusor progress - Albert Mery

Post by Albert Mery »

Hi Mark,

Thanks a lot for the words of encouragement.

I have started setting up my turbo... Sadly I do not think my mechanical pump is quite capable of achieving the 30 microns you were talking about - when testing the ultimate vacuum with my gauge I was hardly able to hit 40 microns. However, from what I've read I'm guessing that should an alright fore line pressure for the turbo...

Thanks,

Albert
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Dennis P Brown
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Real name: Dennis Brown

Re: My fusor progress - Albert Mery

Post by Dennis P Brown »

Most turbo's have little issue even at 500 microns starting pressure - leakage is the issue and whether the pump can overcome that level of gas coming into the system; that all said, I'd first upgrade the chamber before risking a turbo - sudden inrush of atmospheric pressure will bend turbo blades.
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