Initial Vacuum Confirmation

[wayne]

This is a progress report. After locating & welding 3 leaks this is the
readout from a SRS RGA-200 with CEM. This unit is calibrated for N2.

The foreline pressure reads 12 mtorr. The system is pumped through a
2.5" manifold with 2 butterfly valves in the full open position. I have 1
Mag-lev 4" turbo pump and the system was pumped for 3 hours before the
spectrum was read.

Next job is detection equipment including a spectrophotometer of my
design.

wayne

[Richard Hull]

A really nice piece of work Wayne. You have been busy.... Just about the most well layed out fusor I have seen. Continued success in your efforts and I look forward to future reports.

Richard Hull

[Jon Rosenstiel]

Very impressive, Wayne. I think your work deserves a larger photo. (I wanna' see the details)!

Jon Rosenstiel

[wayne]

Here is an enlarged photo.

wayne

[Steven Sesselmann]

Nice setup!

May I ask what it has cost you so far?

Steven

[wayne]

Steven,

This is a short list of cash out the door.
Fusor and manifold with valves built by us. 2400.00
HV fdth 350.00
Mag Lev turbo pump 3400.00
Mech pump 420.00
Frame wheels and powder coating 950.00
Canberra 35 380.00
30 kv 35 ma power supply 3000.00
Pmt and fast neutron detector 700.00
Slo neutron detector and pwr supply with amp 600.00
Geiger counter and software "Aware" 350.00
Gas regulator valve flow control 1450.00
NIM rack 180.00

wayne

[Todd Massure]

You're not messin' around are you?!!

[wayne]

Todd,
This is a lot of fun, but I am serious about getting some good measurements.
Add $4,700.00 for the RGA.
I am trading investment for time.

wayne

[Todd Massure]

It's like the saying goes:
"Around here we do things
-Good
-Fast &
-Cheap
.....Pick any two...

Anyway, nice work.

[wayne]

Todd,

Thanks
From the choices, fast and cheap is the only bad one.
Where are you located, and what is "around here" ?

wayne

[Todd Massure]

I do Architectural drafting in San Diego, CA
I got that saying from another architectural office where they had a sign out front for their clients that said
"We do plans cheap, fast and good...pick any two"
obviously if the client had their way they would pick all three.
So what's your story Wayne?
Seems like you kind of came out of nowhere with your fusor set up. I was surprised and impressed as I bet others here were as well. How long ago did you decide to do this project and what's your ultimate goal?

[MCL]

Wayne, your system is beautiful. I downloaded and enhanced
the full-size jpeg so I could see the fusor & vacuum system in
more detail, and they are just magnificent. Have you published,
or ... will you be publishing your results somewhere? Does
your research have a specifc focus or application objective?
Whatever your plan, best of luck, and thanx for posting the
info that you have.
- Mark Langdon

[wayne]

About three years ago I decided I needed a new hobby. I
researched building a linear accelerator or a cyclotron. In some of the
literature there was a reference to the fusor. After locating fusor.net and
talking to several people involved I decided that fusing would give me
more bang for the buck than anything else I could do. This was about
three months ago.

The goal is to make a reliable instrument and document
operating parameters. I hope from this I will see a path to originality.

I design and make this stuff. It pays for the hobbies.
http://www.eddyco.com

This is another hobby, helioseismology, I started 12 years
ago.
http://www.mojavesolar.com

[wayne]

Mark- Thanks, I have some ideas to pursue,but they will need a reliable and
documented system. To do anything I have in mind, will require more than
one person. Any team effort will be shared and published if warrented. My
research motto is "no secrets".
One problem is I may need a linear accelerator. This is a worry, as I see no
easy way to build one.

wayne

[Andrew Seltzman]

I see that you have a water cooling system for the 2.75" CF ports. Are these of a "strap on" design or welded to the half nipples? Are there in preperation for ion injector use?

By the way the Parallax servo controller VI on the labview forums dosen't work. I have written one that does, and will post this in a diffrent thread.

Andrew Seltzman
www.rtftechnologies.org

[wayne]

The 275 flanges have a sleve welded from the tube to the sphere. The
process was, weld tubes in the holes, slide sleve on and weld, then weld
flange. We had two water to outside and two vacuum leaks to repair. Total
leak check and repair time about 5 hours. Any leak
will show water in the system. It all checks good. The 450 and the 1000
flanges have a grove machined on the od and a strap welded in the top of the
grove. All have water close to the heat source. This system , in the future, will
heat the fusor at startup. Cleaner faster.

Ion injectors are in the future. I am buying a 600 watt 13 Mhz unit with a auto
matching network. I plan to drive a coated coil for ion injection. I need help.
It's easy to match to fixed antenna load, I think a gas is a bigger problem.

I bought the Parallax servo controller and want to use Lab View to drive it.

wayne