Talk-Polywell.org

Does anyone remember the details of the review schedule? With the first of these three solicitations announced on September 4, there doesn't seem to have been any pussyfooting around at all. In fact, maybe the WB-7 results were so encouraging that the solicitation process started during the review. The review was in August, and the presolicitation was announced 4 days later. How long would it take the Navy to prepare and approve the presolicitation paperwork? Maybe the results were less nuanced than we have been led to believe. The Sept. 4 date certainly does underscore the statement that the Navy is going all out.

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Aero

This isn't a big deal. This is small, interim funding. It's called staying alive until they make a decision.

Thanks Dr. Sounds like you get to do some shopping for doo dads to hook up to Wb-7.

Ok, I'm chillin....

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I like the p-B11 resonance peak at 50 KV acceleration. In2 years we'll know.

Thanks for clarifying Rick. Good to hear it's being kept alive, anyway, even if they haven't made a major decision yet.

oh....i thought it was going full throttle ahead .... but still good news i guess

We're rooting for you! thanks for the info.

It is certainly a relief to see this moving forward, even if it isn't pedal to the metal.
Congratulations!
Maybe slowly is best. I've been rushed into mistakes all too often by unrealistic management or customer schedules.
Hurry slowly. But enough money makes all the difference.

Does anybody know what the "A--" prefix means on the solicitations?
Is this a priority or something?

Does the China Lake dateline just mean that is from where it is administered?
Or is the Navy physically moving the project into their main research center?
Moving a rig like that could set the project back by weeks or months.

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-Tom Boydston-
"If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be called research, would it?" ~Albert Einstein

Looks like procurement /provisioning, It just happens to be from that office of the Navy, who's has their procurement offices there.

It's in "keep-alive" mode, but it sounds like some interesting experiments and measurements are taking place still. --Good!
If they need to move the whole thing "outta the garage", then it'll seem it's pedal to the medal.

Now why is "China Grove" the tune that comes back into my head?

I am still thinking that this is more than stand around and wait money. The two new contracts don't say, "At Ease!" they say:
"Attention to this detail!"

Research of Electrostatic "Wiffle Ball" Fusion Device. The contractor is to specifically investigate the required instrumentation to achieve spatially resolved plasma densities and spatially resolved particle energies.

Now, Simon, a question for you and Dr. Mike. Dr. Nebel said this was keep alive research, but could it be construed as orders to "Give me a WB-100 design." That is, what size magnets, power supplies and so forth are required to maintain a 140 KVe potential well at 10^16 plasma density. And don't anyone copy my numbers because I have no idea how deep the well or the needed density. That's the question for Dr. Mike and Simon. And my comment is that the Navy certainly does not need a description of WB-7.

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Aero

I agree that this is not "at ease" but it ain't "forward march - double time" either. It MAY be needed to decide which direction is to be "forward" should the "march" command ever come!

My point is I don't see them buying more magnets in any of these efforts. Did I miss it?

As I see it - We know that Dr. Nebel et al have not yet gone home. This is how people can stay in place, and the 3 specific contracts are for useful work of the sort we would expect at the current stage.

It tells us that the project has not yet been canned. It does not say that WB-7 indicates clearly that net power is possible for WB-100. It does not say how much funding the project will receive in the future.

Still - not yet canned, with decision being made after results have been evaluated, is better than canned, and positive.

Best wishes, Tom

Can the move to China Lake depend on a need for a safe place for experiments with D+D fusion and tritium production?

I think its safe to say that putting $200 million into a garage in Santa Fe is not really prudent from a security point of view. China Lake offers all of the facilities and security necessary to conduct experiments of this magnitude and more. You know, machine shops, electric shops, laboratories, guards and so forth. In other words, it is probably the ideal spot to create a WB-100.

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Aero

Plus, dry lake beds for weekend recreational bombing runs! Yee-haw!

C'mon. China lake is the location of the provisioning/procurement offices, and maybe only the mail routing at that.