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Point out news stories, on the net or in mainstream media, related to polywell fusion.

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Tom Ligon
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Post by Tom Ligon »

RobL, that's a piece of history new to me, but I don't doubt it. Kelly's not around to enforce it any more. The F35 is a joint services fighter, and dealing with the Navy was certainly a complication (it sure was for the F111). A version for the Marines even more so.

I was looking over those rules recently, thinking of posting them on the walls of my new lab, and they made me feel even more confident about striking out on my own again.

MSimon
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Post by MSimon »

Mike_P,

You make the first one as big as it needs to be to make proving the concept easy. Then once you understand the "knobs" you engineer the smallest device that is feasible once you have explored some of the design space.

You do not build your program around putting CP-1 in a submarine first time around.

Go big or go home.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.

MSimon
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Post by MSimon »

I picked this at random (it was near the top) so I have no idea about the links at the site, but here are the rules:

http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/u-2a/u-2 ... _rules.htm

This has the originals minus # 15.

http://www.astech-engineering.com/syste ... works.html

It looks like "the rules" are a cottage industry.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.

bennmann
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Post by bennmann »

I guess changing the geometry would be harder work than developing an egun?

Can an engineer weigh in on that idea? We know the geometry is not optimized in WB8 yet...

I really really really hope WB9 comes after DEMO...

Ivy Matt
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Post by Ivy Matt »

DEMO isn't due to begin operations until 2033 at the earliest. I suppose you meant WB-D (a.k.a. WB-100) instead?
Temperature, density, confinement time: pick any two.

bennmann
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Post by bennmann »

Yes, I made WB-D into WB-DEMO and then shortened it. I can see how that was incredibly confusing.

Mike_P
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Post by Mike_P »

MSimon wrote:Mike_P,

You make the first one as big as it needs to be to make proving the concept easy. Then once you understand the "knobs" you engineer the smallest device that is feasible once you have explored some of the design space.

You do not build your program around putting CP-1 in a submarine first time around.

Go big or go home.
I understand what your saying and it exactly the approach I would have taken after WB 7. And yet the folks down at EMC2 have not listened to our "sage" advice. It kind of makes you wonder if they have the same end goals as the rest of us.
Eschew Obfuscation or at least "Push the button, Max!"

polywellfan
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Why did they invest in...

Post by polywellfan »


mvanwink5
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Post by mvanwink5 »

I wonder if lack of a patent has put polywell at a disadvantage for attracting the high risk go big venture capital. Just a novice muse.

Moreover, I also wonder if N&P thought they could get enough data with WB-8 to know WB-D design details instead of just wondering if it will work. For instance, ion gun design, controls, instrumentation, or if higher order polywells are advantageous for WB-D, etc. For instance. we suspect they learned to eliminate the nubs.
Counting the days to commercial fusion. It is not that long now.

Skipjack
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Post by Skipjack »

I wonder if lack of a patent has put polywell at a disadvantage for attracting the high risk go big venture capital. Just a novice muse.
Well, I know that this is one reason why Helion has not been funded yet.

Skipjack
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Post by Skipjack »

I wonder if lack of a patent has put polywell at a disadvantage for attracting the high risk go big venture capital. Just a novice muse.
Well, I know that this is one reason why Helion has not been funded yet.

TallDave
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Post by TallDave »

MikeP wrote:Lastly, if NAWC is involved then the final use for the power must be airborne. If so then going big is not an option, sorry Ladajo.
Ahem.
Image
mvanwink5 wrote:I wonder if lack of a patent has put polywell at a disadvantage for attracting the high risk go big venture capital. Just a novice muse.
I'm sure it didn't help Bussard when the Navy funding was cut that he was saying he didn't want to just make someone rich. OTOH, now that they have Navy funding again, they probably don't much care.
DrStantz wrote:You don’t know what it’s like out there! I’ve worked in the private sector… they expect results!
n*kBolt*Te = B**2/(2*mu0) and B^.25 loss scaling? Or not so much? Hopefully we'll know soon...

MSimon
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Post by MSimon »

TallDave wrote:Ahem.
Image
DrStantz wrote:You don’t know what it’s like out there! I’ve worked in the private sector… they expect results!
I'd like to get me one of those. For week-end cruises.

Stanz,

If the payoff is big enough and the end is in sight the private sector is willing to take some very big risks.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.

TallDave
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Post by TallDave »

"Independently powered" e-guns raised my eyebrows a bit.
n*kBolt*Te = B**2/(2*mu0) and B^.25 loss scaling? Or not so much? Hopefully we'll know soon...

ladajo
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Post by ladajo »

Yeah, I was wondering if that meant they were going to add another battery/cap bank or something. It seemed a little out of norm for what i thought I understood.

Tom?
The development of atomic power, though it could confer unimaginable blessings on mankind, is something that is dreaded by the owners of coal mines and oil wells. (Hazlitt)
What I want to do is to look up C. . . . I call him the Forgotten Man. (Sumner)

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