Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Amateur Nuclear Fusion - Fusion is Easy!

highenergy002.jpgFusion is the act of joining two light atomic nuclei. This will yield excess energy in the form of radiation and high speed particles. This is the process believed to power the Sun which gives this planet warmth and life. ... The only easy fusion reaction suitable for amateur study is that involving deuterium-deuterium or "d-d" fusion. ... The process is easier than you might imagine!

The fusor III setup of Richard Hull is shown in the above photo. It is the result of 3 years of work with the IECF (Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion) concept. The Fusor was the brainchild of Philo T. Farnsworth, the
inventor of electronic television. The device is best described as a spherical geometry, electrostatically focused, deuteron accelerator-collider.

It might appear that nuclear fusion is very difficult for the amateur physics experimenter to consider, but it is actually relatively easy to achieve. Costs can be controlled by working in stages and acquiring parts used or surplus. Skills are the key factor. The experimenter should have some basic skill sets including welding,
machining, vacuum technology, gas handling, electronics, and nuclear instrumentation. Naturally, knowledge
regarding the safety aspects of such an effort is essential! Among the more common concerns are the work
with the explosive hydrogen gas, deuterium. High voltage hazards abound as over 20,000 volts is needed to accelerate the deuterons. Radiation in the form of X-rays and neutrons must be dealt with as well. - more

1 comment:

Christopher said...

Linked

A true history of human events would show that a far larger proportion of our acts as the results of sudden impulses and accident, than of the reason of which we so much boast