High Beta Fusion Reactor

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cgray45
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High Beta Fusion Reactor

Post by cgray45 »

I know this was spoken of by Lockheed about two years ago-- has their been any further information on it? Also, is it an aneutronic reaction or not?
Check out my blog-- not just about fusion, but anything that attracts this 40 something historians interest.

asdfuogh
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Re: High Beta Fusion Reactor

Post by asdfuogh »

I don't think I've seen or heard any new information about it.. But in their video, it was stated to be a cylindrical device, high beta, a "different" kind of magnetic topography, and designed by Tom McGuire. In addition, the speaker makes a point about the "adjacent possible" which is the term he used for putting already known devices/techniques/etc. in different combinations to achieve different things.

Personally, the high beta and cylindrical design make me think FRC, but if you look up Tom McGuire's thesis from MIT, he was doing research on inertial electrostatic confinement. Also, apparently tri-Alpha Energy and Helion Energy were presenting at the same conference and the Google dude in charge found Lockheed Martin the most impressive. Since TAE and HE are doing FRC stuff, we probably can rule out FRCs for LM.. maybe.

Here is the PDF of his thesis:
http://dspace.mit.edu/bitstream/handle/ ... sequence=1

hanelyp
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Re: High Beta Fusion Reactor

Post by hanelyp »

I've presented some speculation at viewtopic.php?f=8&t=5314 of a polywell related device using a FRC based magnetic field.

As for anything from the skunkworks team, there appears to be nothing since the initial video.
The daylight is uncomfortably bright for eyes so long in the dark.

asdfuogh
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Re: High Beta Fusion Reactor

Post by asdfuogh »

They did have a pretty boastful claim of .. what, 5 years for a proof-of-concept device and 10 years for a commercial product? So, 3 / 7 years to wait and see, eh?

paperburn1
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Re: High Beta Fusion Reactor

Post by paperburn1 »

there is this on the MIT side and they are somehow aligned with the LM team
http://ssl.mit.edu/research/Fusion.html
I am not a nuclear physicist, but play one on the internet.

asdfuogh
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Re: High Beta Fusion Reactor

Post by asdfuogh »

Yes, Tom McGuire, purported designer of the LM device, did his PhD in the MIT aerospace engineering department.. Did you read that pdf? I can only assume that if there is continuing research on this, LM must fund them partially alongside some NDA.

mattman
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Re: High Beta Fusion Reactor

Post by mattman »

Tom's Grad school friend: Dr Carl Dietrich, told me he did not think any effort could beat Rider's work. He's exact quote was: "Tom thinks he's on to something." Carl is the co-founder of Terrafugia.

For new folks, you can read about Rider's 1995 paper: here (and on Wikipedia).

ladajo
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Re: High Beta Fusion Reactor

Post by ladajo »

I think it is fair to say they all 'think they are on to something'. At least unitl they figure out it doesn't work like they thought it might. ;)

A key point here is that high end plasma physics is a relatively small and incestuous community. All lot of the community knows each other and do talk.
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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