Search found 14334 matches

by MSimon
Sat Jul 21, 2007 5:07 am
Forum: Implications
Topic: Environmental impact of p-B11 fusion?
Replies: 46
Views: 44083

There may well be trade restrictions on which countries the technology could be sold to, which could have a dramatic effect on who has it, and who does not. Not likely. Unlike fission, you cannot use fusion reactors to make weapons. Well, as a neutron source, maybe. Once you have a good neutron sou...
by MSimon
Sat Jul 21, 2007 5:02 am
Forum: Implications
Topic: Environmental impact of p-B11 fusion?
Replies: 46
Views: 44083

Taking a sociological look at energy and other limits on human population, it seems that if energy becomes cheap/plentiful enough to do insanely energy-intensive things like watering deserts and making up enough ethanol to run the world's cars, trucks, ships etc, our population will go up again, as...
by MSimon
Sat Jul 21, 2007 4:33 am
Forum: Networking
Topic: Iran
Replies: 45
Views: 78765

Depending on our enemies

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Iran Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2005-10) The five-year economic development plan also calls for generation of 6,000 MW of electricity through nuclear technology by 2010 to meet its increasing demand for energy. My understanding is their oil re...
by MSimon
Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:57 am
Forum: Networking
Topic: Al Gore
Replies: 33
Views: 63764

Well sure. Except there will be a lot of plutonium floating around in such a regime. What if some of it get "lost". You need a very special type of incompetence to lose a 40 ton, radioactive case that always is escorted by police. Even if a gang of terrorist overwhelm the escort, they would quickly...
by MSimon
Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:46 am
Forum: Networking
Topic: Al Gore
Replies: 33
Views: 63764

Control rods

Zixinus,

I had no idea the Chernobyl rods were tipped with carbon. Not only will this cause a reactivity spike as they are inserted, they also increase the local differential activity causing excess thermal stresses.

Idiots.
by MSimon
Wed Jul 18, 2007 11:20 pm
Forum: Design
Topic: Experiments with solid-state magnets
Replies: 51
Views: 38430

OK, I think I've got this figured out. In a typical cylindrical permanent magnet, with N at one end and S at the other, the dipoles are all in line with the axis and the equivalent electrical current would be one that goes around the outside of the cylinder, the round way. But we want a magnet whos...
by MSimon
Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:59 am
Forum: Administration
Topic: Logo needed
Replies: 8
Views: 25918

Favicon Looks nice!

You might want to think about colors.

Maybe just a purple dot in the middle.
by MSimon
Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:55 am
Forum: Design
Topic: Experiments with solid-state magnets
Replies: 51
Views: 38430

Magnetic fields go around coils.

Joe,

Magnetic fields go around coils. They go through magnetic material.

Look up the field around a single wire vs the field around a magnet.
by MSimon
Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:35 am
Forum: Design
Topic: Experiments with solid-state magnets
Replies: 51
Views: 38430

Permanent magnets are no darn good

One could do an experiment similar to the Levitated Dipole, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levitated_Dipole . However, it would have a loss cone similar to a mirror machine because the magnetic field lines go through the solid magnet. The earth is a dipole and has a plasma around it called the Va...
by MSimon
Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:20 am
Forum: Theory
Topic: Objections from Paul Dietz
Replies: 15
Views: 17352

Densities

Where the electrons are in high density but low energy (center) their energies will thermalize. However since the energy is low this tends to re-peak the distribution. For ions this happens near the anode (shielded grids). It is good enough that the ions fuse before their energies completely spread ...
by MSimon
Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:51 pm
Forum: General
Topic: Fission
Replies: 31
Views: 29472

Actually that waste can be reprocessed without fusion, fusion would merely do the job best. Reprocessing would turn about 95% of the waste into usable fuel. Plutonium my man. Plutonium. A plutonium economy is unwise. I say this as a qualified Naval Nuke. If it was up to me I'd make nuclear power st...
by MSimon
Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:48 pm
Forum: General
Topic: Fission
Replies: 31
Views: 29472

I for one would prefer to avoid fission ... it has a bad name among some section of the populace, and certainly has a difficult act to perform with cleanup. However, when we are facing the imminent demise of regular fuels, it may be that fission is better than freezing. Regards, TB Yep we will run ...
by MSimon
Tue Jul 17, 2007 7:40 pm
Forum: Networking
Topic: Al Gore
Replies: 33
Views: 63764

The problem with fission is plutonium. If we start building a lot of nukes every one will want one. That's what fast breeders would like to solve. Well sure. Except there will be a lot of plutonium floating around in such a regime. What if some of it get "lost". As I said. I've heard the arguments....
by MSimon
Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:41 am
Forum: Administration
Topic: Logo needed
Replies: 8
Views: 25918

Favicon

You need to do a Favicon too!

Here are some links:


The focus is on Blogspot, however with the page as a resource you should be able to do it here:

http://powerandcontrol.blogspot.com/200 ... vicon.html
by MSimon
Tue Jul 17, 2007 3:21 am
Forum: Theory
Topic: Fusion litelature and website suggestions
Replies: 37
Views: 42560

I have a bunch of useful links on the sidebar:

http://iecfusiontech.blogspot.com/

From Physics to how to code for Greek characters like Σ and math symbols like √ in HTML.