Six Inch Cross Fusor

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Richard Hull
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by Richard Hull »

Yes, a good deal better and much better looking decay curve. Glad it is at least working better for you.

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
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Jim Kovalchick
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by Jim Kovalchick »

Posting this today just to share a little eye candy. Because I've been testing out my new heavy water conversion, I did several runs today. The wall loading has been fantastic. I fired up an old Eberline PNC and sitting in my lap six feet from the fusor it read 250 cpm. I was running at 45 kV and 11 mA.
.
My picture was probably closer to 30 to 35 kV, but I like the colors. Most of the color was courtesy of grid incandescence, but there some plasma pink too.

Jim K
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Richard Hull
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by Richard Hull »

Great result Jim! It looks as if the wire grid is doing the work for you now.

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
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Jim Kovalchick
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by Jim Kovalchick »

I have been looking for ways to reduce noise in my system. I know I must be getting some from my feedthrough connection based on hissing and snapping sounds.

This latest feedthrough iteration is my take on oil potting. It's still a prototype, and I'm still working on the seal. I am procuring a nylon pipe clamp that should help cure the tiny weep I'm getting now.

Jim K
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Dan Knapp
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by Dan Knapp »

Jim, a suggestion regarding oil potting. Something I’ve been planning to try is using Vaseline in place of oil. Warm it enough to pour it in then let it solidify. Yes, heat of operation is likely to liquefy it, but a slow leak during periods of inactivity would be less likely to make a mess.
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Jim Kovalchick
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by Jim Kovalchick »

Dan,
I like your idea. That may also save me the trouble of draining the pot when I pull the feedthrough. So far, I have been using a syringe to suck out the oil.

Thanks,

Jim K
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Joe Gayo
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by Joe Gayo »

Jim,

Is that a poster presentation in the background?

Joe
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Jim Kovalchick
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by Jim Kovalchick »

Joe,
The poster in the background is my son's ISEF (2012 or 2013 I think) presentation. His was the first fusor in our home, and I'm proud to hang his old poster in my lab. It may get put away soon though because I have a chart of the nuclides and I need the space to hang.

His fusor work inspires me still because of how hard he worked and how he kludged his way to neutrons while his high school maligned his efforts. He made his vacuum chamber from a kitchenaid mixing bowl he stole from his mom, and got zero help from the school. A substitute teacher went to the school board to get his project stopped and him disciplined. The school board head was the father of a friend of my son so his project was allowed to proceed. He only won his high school science fair because the physics judge was a local college prof who had done research at Oak Ridge and passionately insisted my son's work was real. He won the regional fair but unlike other winners in the past, he was told he could not advance to ISEF until a fair judge who was a scientist at the nearby Aberdeen Proving grounds could come to our basement and watch my son operate the fusor. He left thoroughly impressed with lots of well wishes for a promising future. My son took an honorable mention at ISEF in the toughest category. Of course, of mutual benefit to me, he did receive lots of help and encouragement from Fusor.net folks along the way. Frank Sanns even showed up at ISEF. The fusor crowd has become like family to us both.. Mike, my son, is now a PhD candidate in medical physics. I still consult with him on fusor matters though he now mostly pokes me to move on to other physics projects. He attends HEAS when he can and has mentioned a desire to attend this year as Richard's lab is like a mecca to us both.

Joe, this is probably more than what you wanted to hear in response to a simple question, but you asked about something that represents a nexus to my own involvement. I moved on from being just his safety officer and project financier to my own efforts. I wish for you and others the same satisfaction working with young people on science. It couldn't be more rewarding.

Jim K
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Richard Hull
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by Richard Hull »

I can't speak for Joe, but I enjoyed the story behind the poster and your boy's struggle to get his work in the fair and on to ISEF. I well remember his system. The irony is the father son team concept got somewhat reversed. Your boy, Mike, did fusion first and then you felt so pumped by his effort, you have tried your hand at it in a totally new project and succeeded. It is always good to hear the tale told of process, struggle, and ultimate success. Thanks

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
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Joe Gayo
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by Joe Gayo »

Jim,

Thank you for the backstory.

It's clear you are immensely proud of your son, and besides being well deserved it no doubt provides him a source of strength. I'm a believer in science fairs and the characteristics they can foster in those dedicated to learning such as perseverance, problem-solving, and presentation skills.

Joe
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Jim Kovalchick
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by Jim Kovalchick »

I've made some improvements to my cross fusor including getting rid of a wicked leak and arranging the fittings for easier accesses for activation. I believe that I am operating in the 2 x 10⁶ TIER realm. Today I operated at 55 kV and 15 mA for an activation time of 15 minutes. My target was a two inch indium foil.

I'm not satisfied with my NaI detector, peak shaping, and calibration, but it had no problem seeing the lower dominant indium gamma in 900 seconds of counting.

This is getting fun.

Jim K
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Richard Hull
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by Richard Hull »

Jim and I follow each others work almost daily via e-mail. Jim now has a nice large fusor that is doing great. I applaud his effort and friendship in working things out a bit, especially in regards to our old PNC-1 and remball data collections. Nice work Jim!

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
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russssellcrow
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Re: Six Inch Cross Fusor

Post by russssellcrow »

Jim Kovalchick,

Your Tungsten Carbide electrode is brilliant!

WC (tungsten carbide) is a neutron reflector, is this a bad thing in the fusor star? Would it enhance fusion yield, or be counterproductive?

WC was used in the original initiator feedback experiments
(Demon Core) during the Manhattan Project, to reflect neutrons back into the initiator. Lewis Slotin fried himself in one experiment, and became a casualty of the project.
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