Is Muon-Catalyzed fusion possible with room temperature, gaseous Deuterium?

mfb

Engineering issues. It is hard to get significant amounts of fusion.

Right.

Take a wire, heat it (with a current flow inside), and some electrons will leave the wire. This is used in CRT monitors, for example. It requires some energy, but this is negligible compared to the energy scale of fusion processes.

It is easier to use some metals to get electrons and have a separate deuterium ion source.

While the binding energy per nucleon has a maximum at iron, this is not true. There are many possible fusion processes, and usually they release energy, but this does not mean you can simply fuse anything with anything. Fusion two He-4-nuclei would yield Be-8, which (nearly) instantly decays intwo two He-4 nuclei again. It is possible to fuse 3 He-4 nuclei to C-12, but this process is extremely rare.


1. Mainly magnetic fields
2. See above
3. I would expect to have mainly D+, produced with electric arcs.
4. You can control charged objects with magnetic fields. See CRT monitors how beams of charged objects can be created.
5. I do not think the question makes sense.
6. Testing.
7. How should they be "in the way"?
8. Engineering issue
9. If fusion processes are rare, probably
10. With formulas for Bremsstrahlung probabilities and probably a simulation of the setup to get electron/ion density and movement
11. Simulation of the setup or experimental tests
12. Many electrons in a small region => large charge in a small region

Lelephant

So only opposite poles would experience the effect of a magnetic field radiant (as they approach the opposite pole that is the electromagnet)? I'm having a little bit of trouble understanding this from what I've found so far.

I found how electron guns work, but not how magnetic fields control these charged objects. All I read just said that electron guns light up the phosphorus on a screen.


Okay, assuming these minor problems will be relatively easy to work out and understand, what would be my first steps toward creating a small model (WB-2 style) Polywell? How can I learn to make the electromagnet coils myself, how do I run voltage through them, and what should the MaGrid be constructed from?

Drakkith

A charged particle experiences a force that is perpindicular to it's direction of motion and the magnetic field. This means that a moving charge will spiral around a magnetic field line in a static magnetic field that has no gradient. See the Lorentz force law.


This is beyond the scope of this forum to teach. A fusion device is capable of killing or injuring you and others and without knowing the basics of electrical safety and the hazards of radiation I highly recommend not attempting this project. And I believe forum rules prohibit discussions of building hazardous devices. I mean seriously, if you don't even know how to run current through an electromagnet you have zero chance of doing this. You need to learn about electromagnetism, electrical circuits, radiation safety, along with a few other things that I can't remember at the moment.

Lelephant

I need to learn about electromagnetism, electrical circuits, radiation safety, along with some other things. Yes. I just want to build a WB-2 in a vacuum chamber in my garage. I don't understand how this is so dangerous, amounts of neutron radiation would be minuscule, especially with proper safety procedures.

I just don't understand how voltage is run through the electromagnets while the electromagnets are in a sealed vacuum chamber.

From what I understand, I would have a small, preferably spherical vacuum chamber with the Magrid mounted in the center of the vacuum chamber (held up by the joints between the electromagnets?). An electron gun would point to the center of the MaGrid. Somehow, the electromagnets would be exposed to electricity. The electron gun would be turned on and, after a certain amount of time, a proton gun would be turned on.

My questions:
1. Could the chamber simply be filled with deuterium gas after the electrons have been injected?
2. How do I know how long I have to run the electron gun for?
3. How can I measure the electric potential in the middle of the MaGrid (to measure the negative potential well)?
4. How can I detect neutrons in order to test the efficiency of fusion/make sure it works/keep myself safe?
5. How can I run voltage through the electromagnets while they're inside the vacuum chamber?
6. Are turns and current of the electromagnets simply determined through trail and error?
7. Do I have to make my own iron or stainless steel cases for the coils? It seems like Bussard has an infinite supply of perfectly tailored cases. Are these things that can be bought somewhere?

I agree, currently it's unsafe for me to assemble this. I want to learn what I don't currently know in order to safely construct this device and to be able to perform halfway legitimate testing.

Drakkith

I suggest heading to fusor.net and starting with building a basic "demo" fusor first. You WILL need the skills you learn when building that device to go further. Hit up their forums and looks around for FAQ's on stuff. Read up on everything I've said and try to stay safe.

Lelephant

I have very little funds and am going to be pushing it with the money I'll need to build the WB-2. I honestly don't know how, but I'm going to have to majorly cut some corners -- scrounging, borrowing, making, etc. I read "The World's Simplest Fusion Reactor" and am going to read more, but most of my questions still stand. Most prominently, why are they called electromagnets if there is no actual magnet? I read about induction and the like, but they all involved the use of actual magnets being moved in or out of a coil of wire. How are these things powered?

Edit: Though, I have learned a lot so far just by googling every term I didn't understand in the pdf. Still, the electromagnets are baffling me. Everything else I'm within the grasp of understanding, though admittedly a little far from implementing.

Drakkith

It's called an electromagnet because it generates a magnetic field through the use of an electrical current.

CWatters

Might be cheaper to just watch the antics of others in the field. Mr Andrea Rossi is one of the more entertaining at the moment. Claims to have numerous kW scale LENR reactors based on Nickel and Hydrogen working. Has given limited demos including a whole bunch of them in a shipping container that he claims amounts to a MW plant. Last time I looked his patent application appeared to be going nowhere as he doesn't appear to have made the full disclosure needed to get a patent approved. Overall his credibility is quite low but he has some supporters who should be capable of detecting a scam. Time will tell.

Simon Bridge

"Cutting corners" for a fusion reactor? I'm with Drakkith.It is not a name for what it is so much as a name for what it is used for - i.e. to be a magnet that you can switch off. The same setup, in other uses, is called a "solenoid", an "inductor" or even "a reel of wire". It's roses and other names.By anything that moves ... you have to do work to generate electricity. BTW: we'd normally move the coils and fix the magnet in place rather than move the magnet.

A generator is basically an electric motor with some process to crank the shaft so you can take electricity where you normally supply power. You could hook the shaft to a water-wheel or a windmill for eg. or some sort of engine (diesel, petrol, steam, Stirling ...) Surely you've noticed this before?

Surely you googled "electromagnet" and ended up with pages like:
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu...ic/elemag.html

Any wire with an electric current also has a magnetic field.

Lelephant

Ah, I was thinking of moving the magnet because of the Faraday videos (bar magnet into coil of copper) and an explanatory video which included a shakeable flashlight (magnet passes in and out of a coil when you shake).

When I say "cutting corners," I don't mean I'm going to leave anything out. I'm just not going to be able to afford a 46 port spherical vacuum chamber with an automatic Welch pump. Things like that.

Edit: how are the MaGrid covers charged?
It says here: http://www.polywellnuclearfusion.com...ingElectr.html
That the MaGrid covers should be charged to 50 kV. How is this accomplished, and how do I remove a charge after it's already been charged? Would touching a cover after it has been charged once shock me?


Edit: found my answer to the question below at this website -- http://www.polywellnuclearfusion.com...ingElectr.html

Yes, I found that site, and I understand that any electric current induces a magnetic field. I don't understand how the electromagnets in the MaGrid (which is in a sealed vacuum chamber) are powered. The MaGrid itself is basically comprised of solenoids, right? How is current run through the solenoid without any cables feeding through to each ring and without magnets in each ring?

Simon Bridge

Yah - superconducting coils can be "spun up" by induction and just left like that. It's a bit more complicated in practice. Since the polywell calls for superconducting coils it may be a bit beyond your means... though I seem to recall seeing some very small ones...

Touching the magrid once charged will give you an electric shock - yes.

You could charge it with a Van der Graaf generator, say, or just hooking it to a 50kV DC supply. Rubbing it on cats may take a while :) You could discharge it by earthing it - or you could wait for the charge to bleed off through the air.

I think we've wandered far enough off muon fusion now - your original question has been answered and we are basically just shooting the breeze on the general topic of backyard fusion devices: wandering from one kind to another.

Work out what your constraints are and do more study.
Above all - have fun ... nil carborundum etc.

Lelephant

Hahaha rubbing it on cats.

Fair enough, thanks all for your help, if I need more help I'll start a new thread.