Talk-Polywell.org

Tom Ligon wrote:I just checked Cosmic Log, Alan Boyle's blog on MSNBC. Nothing new. Worth watching. Rick has used him as a portal before, and they apparently have a relationship of trust.

http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/

Who here has Alan's ear?

Alan Just got back to me. He will probably have a piece Friday.

Simon

Edit: fixed typo.

KitemanSA wrote:

Tom Ligon wrote:The WB-8 drawing looks like a good 3D CAD rendering, maybe SolidWorks or a comparable package. I don't think that is for show, I think it from actual engineering drawings. I suspect it is a pretty decent representation of what they are running.

But it is missing a WHOLE lot of stuff. A small scale unit with 8x field almost certainly needs cooling, and there is no indication of that. No support systems. Looks like either 8 electron guns or maybe 8 ion guns. I don't see the ports you claim are aligned with the funny cusps.

It is a pulsed machine. Conduction cooling might be enough - with longer waits between shots.

In the picture Betruger posted above, note the point cusp at the upper magrid corner, and also note the dark lines along the axes of the two nearest coils.

If you have trouble seeing it, right-click and save that picture, open it in IrfanView (freeware) and do
"Image-->Auto adjust colors" and then
"Image-->Swap Colors-->RGB->GRB".

You may need to display it as actual pixels (Shift+O) to avoid aliasing, depending on your resolution.

Looks like 14 point cusps and no line cusps.

MSimon you got linked to on Hobbyspace's blog for this news.. Grats.

Betruger wrote:MSimon you got linked to on Hobbyspace's blog for this news.. Grats. :)

Thanks! I hadn't seen that. Do you have a link?

BTW my job is to see the experiments to completion if results warrant. I figure I owe it to my country and the world and of course on a more personal note to the US Navy which gave me a fine education in nuclear power. And let me add that I am so PROUD that the Navy funded Dr. B and refunded the project just before Dr. B. died.

And of course I owe Tom Ligon a great debt because he took the time to train me in Polywell and correct my misconceptions. And I can't forget Eric at Classical Values who put up the Google video that got me interested in Dr. B's work.

And just to spread it around, all the friends I have made at Talk-Polywell. Who are in my estimation some of the brightest people I have ever had the honor to associate with.

And of course I can't forget all the folks who have had to put up with my somewhat less than genteel personality (possibly an understatement).

Stand firm, ye boys of Maine, for not once in a century are men permitted to bear such responsibilities! - Joshua Chamberlain

I'm a very lucky man. And to think my mate puts up with me.

These are the news I like to read when I wake up in the morning!

I just wonder if WB-D will be a thermal device or a direct conversion device.
Notice in WB-D image the hot and cold water(?) lines coming in and out of the device.
Will that be thermal management of the coils or extraction of produced heat?

Very interesting stuff nevertheless. Can't wait to see if there will be more info from the FOIA.

These are the news I like to read when I wake up in the morning!

Me too! I was giggeling with excitement when I read the news. In fact that has been the best news item for me in the last year or so

MSimon wrote: Do you have a link?

This item:
http://www.hobbyspace.com/nucleus/index ... emid=19380

KitemanSA wrote:

ltgbrown wrote:Notice the m in MW is capitalized! Very exciting.

But also notice they are calling it WB D not WB9 as in the current contract. This might suggest that they are indeed seperate machines.

So what would WB-D and WB-9 exclusively demonstrate, with respect to each other?

3.1.6 The contractor shall deliver a conceptual design for a follow-on fusion demonstration device, WB-9. Conceptual studies will focus on the feasibility of extending the WB-8 results to this device and determining the suitability of this concept as a fusion reactor. This design will be delivered at the end of the contract.

MSimon wrote: It is a pulsed machine. Conduction cooling might be enough - with longer waits between shots.

Maybe so, but not thru vacuum. There is NOTHING attached as far as I can see.
Do you think this thing is magnettically suspended?

Betruger wrote:So what would WB-D and WB-9 exclusively demonstrate, with respect to each other?

I don't know if there is any real difference except what the Navy is willing to pay for in one block. If they try for 100MW, they trod on DoE's toes. If they try for 100mW, it is still research.

The small "m" may be a typo. I'm not convinced.

So EMC2 would use a low power WB9 to prove the design and take those results (data) to then do the 200M$ WB-D on venture funding?

I can't see nubs or supporting structures either. Seems odd to show such a schematic with essential pieces missing, but then it could be just a communication sketch with some pieces ommited for whatever reason.

Notice the m in MW is capitalized! Very exciting.

It always has been, except for some gov't lawyer who didn't know the difference when he wrote up the contract.

KitemanSA wrote:The small "m" may be a typo.

Overwhelmingly likely, unless someone is being silly. Again, 100mW net is practically undetectable at the MW levels necessary to reach Q>1. 100mW gross is achievable at something between WB-7 and WB-8; it wouldn't cost $200M.

Tom -- it's nice, isn't it? We should get some great data at .8T. BTW Nebel said they had detailed reactor designs a year ago, but I would imagine there is a lot of tweaking to be done.

MSimon wrote:Alan Just got back to me. He will probably have a piece Friday.

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to this! Thanks for sharing.

And of course I owe Tom Ligon a great debt because he took the time to train me in Polywell and correct my misconceptions. And I can't forget Eric at Classical Values who put up the Google video that got me interested in Dr. B's work.

And just to spread it around, all the friends I have made at Talk-Polywell. Who are in my estimation some of the brightest people I have ever had the honor to associate with.

And of course I can't forget all the folks who have had to put up with my somewhat less than genteel personality (possibly an understatement).

Hmm...somebody involved in the project is already channeling Academy Award speeches. Me like

You know, suspicious timing in this update to the EMC2 homepage. I did check EMC2 earlier this week with no change noted. Given the FOIA final reoslution is due today, it does seem like an unlikely co-incidence.

I am really getting my hopes up on the FOIA release content. Finally some data to chew on...

"Fusion R&D Phase 1 - Validate and extend WB-6 results with WB-7 Device: 1.5 years / $1.8M, Successfully Completed"

Nothing yet, I will post to the FOIA thread as soon as I get something.

Of note on the EMC2 site, Dr. B's email has been replaced with Rick's. And it is Rick@emc2fusion.com vice .org. Granted this could be a typo, but just for fun I checked out: http://www.emc2fusion.com/
and got "Site under construction". Hmmmm.

Edit: corrected email address and sentance structure.