Archived - (Still alive!) First plasma with new rig

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Greg Courville
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Archived - (Still alive!) First plasma with new rig

Post by Greg Courville »

It has been far too long since my last update. A variety of distractions have slowed down the fusion project, but every once in a while I have a chance to push for more progress. I hope to report full details of recent activity some time in the next week or so, but for now, I have a few photos from a test run yesterday.
<ul>
<li><strong>Photo 1:</strong>Chamber and crude temporary controls from the front end.</li>
<li><strong>Photo 2:</strong>Rear view showing power supply tank and T.M.P. inlet</li>
<li><strong>Photo 3:</strong> Updated pump system featuring a Welch 1402.</li>
<li><strong>Photo 4:</strong> Obligatory plasma shot. Distance from the camera (about 5 feet) and vibration from the pump made for poor-quality photos. Pressure at the foreline was about 30 microns (the chamber gauges are not yet operational). Acceleration voltage was 1.7kV, input power approximately 150W.</li>
</ul>
Again, I hope to compile and post a full progress report and technical details as soon as possible, but with my first university term drawing near, I am somewhat preoccupied...
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plasma.jpg
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lowerdeck.jpg
lowerdeck.jpg (35.36 KiB) Viewed 2818 times
upperdeck_aft.jpg
upperdeck_aft.jpg (51.56 KiB) Viewed 2818 times
upperdeck_fore.jpg
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Wilfried Heil
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Re: (Still alive!) First plasma with new rig

Post by Wilfried Heil »

Greg,

nice setup and just about ready for action, with an interesting grid.

The only time I've seen a helical grid used successfully so far was by Gerardo Meiro,
in 2002:

>viewtopic.php?f=18&t=7690#p55649

Congratulations and looking forward to your next results.

Wilfried
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Richard Hull
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Re: (Still alive!) First plasma with new rig

Post by Richard Hull »

That's why it is officially called the "Meiro grid" now. It was quite an neat little inovation. If made out of material rigid enough and kept at a temperature that will not weaken it against gravity, it is a world beater, especially in a demo fusor where the budding builder might not yet have the skills or weld opportunities to make a well supported grid structure.

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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