Search found 27 matches

by Mikos
Wed Mar 05, 2008 3:57 pm
Forum: Theory
Topic: Virtual Polywell
Replies: 468
Views: 195448

I got xfig to run, but as soon as I hit any of the menu buttons, it chokes and dies. I couldn't figure out how to draw straight lines either, although it could do tangets and that might have been good enough. But I can't save, so there's no point in it. Linux is ok, but for fancy stuff like graphic...
by Mikos
Thu Feb 28, 2008 10:19 pm
Forum: Theory
Topic: The CBFR is an IEC scheme, right? Your help solicited
Replies: 23
Views: 11870

Heh, that must be the deletion Carlson was referring to. It was in January iirc. The CBFR definitely utilizes electrostatic confinement of a sort. One could certainly argue it's not a fusor, but then neither is Polywell, and obviously the CBFR is non-Maxwellian so I would say it qualifies. We'll ju...
by Mikos
Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:36 am
Forum: Theory
Topic: Virtual Polywell
Replies: 468
Views: 195448

I will be pretty happy with 125 GFLOP double precision at $1000! 15 years ago I was thinking about building that level of processing power for a million dollars. Even if AMD is late on what they thought they could do initially, it will be worth waiting for. Why don't you just buy Sony PlayStation 3...
by Mikos
Fri Feb 22, 2008 8:33 am
Forum: Design
Topic: [DUMB??] Design Question: Concentric polyhedral magnets
Replies: 17
Views: 21702

I have used belnder before, but it takes a LOT of work to learn and a lot more to master. I have used it before too, it took me less than week to learn it and do what I needed (3D model and simple animation), there are great tutorials for Blender. Blender UI is really stunning (you can't learn it w...
by Mikos
Fri Feb 22, 2008 1:45 am
Forum: Design
Topic: [DUMB??] Design Question: Concentric polyhedral magnets
Replies: 17
Views: 21702

Blender

Blender is the way to go for 3D modeling! It is the best 3D modeling software I know, in my opinion much better than 3D Studio MAX (or similar expensive proprietary software) and it has really well-thoughtout user interface. And best of all, it is opensource! If you are looking for simple 2D CAD so...
by Mikos
Wed Feb 06, 2008 1:10 pm
Forum: Implications
Topic: Replacing furnaces with Polywells in coal/oil power plants
Replies: 16
Views: 15290

Neither of WB-7 nor WB-8 are expected to be even Q=1. Not that there aren't a lot of things that could be learned from those machines, but until any Polywell device gets close to unity gain, it's all so much chicken-counting. Frankly I would be impressed if they can get to Q=0.3, considering Nevins...
by Mikos
Wed Feb 06, 2008 12:40 am
Forum: Implications
Topic: Replacing furnaces with Polywells in coal/oil power plants
Replies: 16
Views: 15290

scareduck wrote:Neither is Polywell D-D fusion. Q=1 with D-D is the first step, if that can even be reached.
I am fairly confident that at least D-D fusion with Q > 1 will be reached. Polywell concept in combination with POPS looks very promising, much more promising than tokamaks.
by Mikos
Tue Feb 05, 2008 5:37 pm
Forum: Implications
Topic: Replacing furnaces with Polywells in coal/oil power plants
Replies: 16
Views: 15290

p-11B fusion would in theory be very cheap because you could have direct conversion of the byproducts to DC. Even running D-D fusion, Bussard projected that a Polywell could easily and cheaply replace a coal or natural gas furnace. Yes, but p-B11 fusion is not sure thing. And you already have big c...
by Mikos
Tue Feb 05, 2008 12:02 am
Forum: Administration
Topic: Back up forum's contents?
Replies: 16
Views: 21866

dch24 wrote:To clarify, it would have to be a dump of only a few tables. I don't want people's passwords, email addresses, etc. Just posts.
Of course :-)
by Mikos
Mon Feb 04, 2008 11:58 pm
Forum: Design
Topic: A really powerful design tool for free
Replies: 8
Views: 8282

BRL-CAD

Just use BRL-CAD . It was developed and used in production by the U.S. military for more than 20 years, now it is open-sourced. It is powerful CSG (Constructive Solid Geometry) modeling system. And it is not only used for engineering, but one of primary purposes is also support of ballistic and elec...
by Mikos
Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:56 am
Forum: Administration
Topic: Back up forum's contents?
Replies: 16
Views: 21866

I also hope that this site is backed up. Backups (in form of regularly created comprimated SQL dumps) distributed on servers around the world would be great. I can offer you space on my server for backups (server is in Czech Republic).
by Mikos
Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:42 am
Forum: Implications
Topic: Spaceship Design
Replies: 16
Views: 18704

Somehow that doesn't make sense to make. Personally, it sounds like technobabble, or at least something that might not work effectively in the vacuum of space. I know they can use laser cooling to make Borns-Einstein Condensatum (spelling?) but that is done by getting rid of the "hottest" molecules...
by Mikos
Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:30 pm
Forum: Implications
Topic: Spaceship Design
Replies: 16
Views: 18704

In essence, it most likely would violate thermodynamics. Thanks for these links. I have read something else (but of course it could have been wrong). I _think_ (but I am not sure, it was long time ago) it was NASA scientific paper and it showed that there would be no thermodynamics violation in tha...
by Mikos
Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:36 am
Forum: Implications
Topic: Kick the tires, light the fires...
Replies: 27
Views: 23015

For Polywell start up and operation, I think that Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) battery would be great option. You already would have cooling system for Polywell reactor, SMES have really great round-trip efficiency (greater than 95%), power is available almost instantaneously and v...
by Mikos
Fri Feb 01, 2008 12:14 am
Forum: Implications
Topic: Consumption and efficiency of 10 GW Polywell fusion reactor
Replies: 10
Views: 9440

Didn't Dr. Bussard somewhere said that p-B11 Polywell reactor with direct energy conversion could have 90 - 95% efficiency? Or am I mistaken? Or was he wrong (or perhaps too optimistic)?