Making my own bell jar reactor

[Eduardo Bogosian]

Hi, I am Eduardo Bogosian. I am attempting to build a bell jar style fusion reactor, and I would like to know if this where I should be posting news on it and asking help for it and such. I will be 16 in a few days so I am sorry if I am to cause any kind of burden here, but I am actually really interested in fusion and I hope for a fusion power source. I will be attempting to build my first fusion reactor in a bell jar for exhibition, since it was the only way I would be able to get the support that I need, and I plan on building an improved version of it using what I will then know and also using the famous metal vacuum chamber. I plan on keeping updates about my work as often as interesting.

[John Futter]

Eduardo
welcome
please read the rules ie full name and an introduction to yourself in the correct forum

however you did get this in the right forum --full marks
now go and introduce yourself
then read all the FAQ's, then read as much as you can on this site as most questions for a newcomer have been answered many times.

let there neutrons in your future!!

[Jeroen Vriesman]

Hi,

a glass fusor looks really cool, "laser Diana" has build one: http://www.diane-neisius.de/fusor/index_E.html

Make sure you understand X-rays. A glass fusor does not shield X-rays nor UV light.

-Jeroen.

[David Geer]

It can if you put a secondary container or box made of lead glass or lead acrylate.

-Dave

[Eduardo Bogosian]

Thank you, but what I see from there it's hard to pin point what thickness the walls from the glass where made of. It looks like she used 3mm thickness walls, but I am not sure. I am thinking of using at least a 9mm thickness walls, what you think?

[David Geer]

9mm out to 1in thickness isn't too expensive for a containment cube around the fusor chamber. Just search around and see what's available.

[Chris Trent]

It all depends on the quantity of lead in the glass.

If you are running at less than 30KV then the X-Ray intensity will be cut in half for every 0.02mm of lead equivalent. 50% lead glass would block half of the radiation with 0.04mm. 25% lead would be 0.08mm and so on.

For your purposes, even 3mm of just 5% lead glass will be enough to effectively block any X-Ray radiation you are likely to to generate.

[David Geer]

Chris has the idea of it. For voltages a bell jar fusor can safely run at, you shouldn't need more than 1/2" thickness glass.

I'm still looking into what thickness is necessary to withstand the vacuum pressures for a viewport. I'll also look into whether or not one of these manufacturers can do custom shapes like acrylate chamber casing so one could stand within relative proximity and physically look through the viewport. Would be nice to find a decent way to take high quality images be it video or photo stills without the grainy effects from the radiated energies.

As a side note, the higher concentrations of lead in the glass/acrylates will make them more amber/yellow in color so it depends on how you want this to look. Thicker material with a clearer transparency or thinner with a dingy tint to it.

[Eduardo Bogosian]

Update: OK so I have purchased three copies of glass reactor. I have specified to manufacturer what are my necessities and it came out to about the equivalent of 13 US dollars. I have also contacted some local stores enquiring about high voltage supplies and they seem to be able to supply my demand. Every thing is going as planned, although a bit late. On a further note, I have bought a new lab coat today