Converting Proton Kenetic Energy to Electicity

MonroeIns

Hello,
What methods are there to turn a moving proton or any positively charged ion into electricity. Does a positively charged ion, when moving, create an electromagnetic field like an electron will? If it moves through a negatively charged field of similar strength, slowing it down in effect, can that engergy be converted into electricity? Thanks!

Simon Bridge

For photons: photo-electric effect.
For +Q: any moving charge is an electric current already.Yes1. Electric fields don't have charge.
2. You generate energy from fields that accelerate the object - not slow it down.
Consider: do you get electricity from water by squirting it uphill or by letting it flow down-hill?

If you happen to know a beam of protons is passing by some place then you can harvest energy from it by putting something in the way to catch them. Normal conservation of momentum applies. However - the "something" will also get more and more positively charged. If you hook a wire from the ground to the "something" then electrons can flow from the ground attracted by the positive charge - presto: electric current.

MonroeIns

Maybe I didn't ask the question correctly. I read this in a paper:

Alpha particles, which are helium atoms stripped of their two electrons, have a charge of +2. Each of the particles produced by this reaction has a kinetic energy of around 3 million electron volts. An electron volt is the energy a particle of charge 1 will pick up when accelerated through a field of 1 volt. The reverse is true, too. To slow down a 3 MeV particle with a charge of +2, simply decelerate it with a +1.5 million volt electric field. The particle will just kiss into the charged surface, and draw two electrons from it, producing current at high voltage.

This is what I am trying to better understand and see whether something similar is being used in any current applications.

Simon Bridge

Which paper?
The quoted section basically says what I did.
What is it you don't understand?There are many applications using the phenomena mentioned.

MonroeIns

I read it a paper describing how to build an amateur fuser. Can you read it here:

http://www.fusor.net/newbie/files/Ligon-QED-IE.pdf

Page 15 is where I got the quote from.

I have no plans to make a break even fusor, but I have bought all the parts to assemble a fusor, and I thought it would be interesting/challenging to pull electricity (as little as I may get from it) back out of the system. So, was pondering a design to do that.

I am trying to understand exactly how it would be done in application. If I had a stream of moving ions/helions, how to convert that to electricity.

Any advice? Thanks!

Simon Bridge

The simplest way to get energy from a stream of ions is to put a bit of metal in the way like I said. Ions hit the metal and make it charged. The charges make electrons in the metal move - that's an electric current.

The fusor's are intended to be fusion reactors - the energy output is supposed to be heat.

You would extract energy from a working fusor via a thermocouple or a steam engine... or something more exotic. AFAIK: all the effort is directed at getting one going.

Have you seen fusor.net?
Though you should be careful reading about fusors since there is a lot of rubbish around.

MonroeIns

I understand that is the traditional way to get energy from a fusor, but I wanted to do something different, in the interest of science and fun. Yes, I have spent hours on that site.

Any other ideas?

Simon Bridge

It is not a question of tradition - reality is dictating what is possible.
You can only get energy off what comes out of the fusor. There's not a lot of variation and I have already given you examples of each kind available. You should be able to go from there.Imagination and innovation is not cheap. If you'd prefer a rundown, in detail, of the technological options - I'll be happy to send you a shedule of my fees. Free ideas you'll have to come up with yourself. Sorry.

Enthalpy

It has been done with alpha emitters, to produce electricity at a high voltage directly.

Very impractical though, so people use thermocouples to convert heat into electricity. One research project finally wants to build a real thermal engine around the radioactive source - but with pistons instead of turbines, stupids.

Simon Bridge

NTG's have been around for a while - and one of the earlier designs had a Stirling Engine (a heat engine with pistons) calling the designers "stupids" seems a bit harsh... you thinking of the ASRG?