Talk-Polywell.org

Anything? It's been years since Dr. Bussard passed on.

http://www.emc2fusion.org/


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

Fusion R&D Phase 2 - Design, build and test larger scale WB-8 Polywell Device
2 years / $7M, In Process


Your Contributions Will Help Us Design The
WB-D Polywell Device


Send your supporting contributions to:

icarus wrote:http://www.emc2fusion.org/


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

Fusion R&D Phase 2 - Design, build and test larger scale WB-8 Polywell Device
2 years / $7M, In Process


Your Contributions Will Help Us Design The
WB-D Polywell Device


Send your supporting contributions to:

Phase 2 was supposed to be a year and a half to two years and began with Obama taking office. We are now at a year and a half down the road, we should be nearing the end of this phase.

IntLibber wrote:

icarus wrote: Fusion R&D Phase 2 - Design, build and test larger scale WB-8 Polywell Device
2 years / $7M, In Process

Phase 2 was supposed to be a year and a half to two years and began with Obama taking office. We are now at a year and a half down the road, we should be nearing the end of this phase.

Actually, I believe it was ~18 months from the start of the contract. It started in September 2009. Thus they should know by ABOUT March 2011. I suspect they will beat their target.

Wish I had the links, I'm sure someone can find them,

We've deduced in the forum WB-8 has a large probability of being up and running since April 30 (validation part of the phase).

Seeing as we're a little over 2 months from that date, deductively Rick probably knows how well the scaling works and a good bit besides that. This is under the assumption very little has broken or burned out unpredictably and needed replacing.

I like to think that right now or exceedingly soon there are about 10 people in the whole world who know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Polywell will revolutionize energy production.

or not.

I do not think they are as far along as you think.

Pure supposition, but I guess that with WB7, EMC2 was testing plasmas in January, but it was April or May before they did fusion. That is about 3-4 months between when they had the machine up and running, and the time where they were willing to push to fusion testing. I suspect WB 8 is even more complex, and needs even more preliminary testing and tweaking before advancing to fusion, which presumably is the last tests on their itinerary. So, I doubt they have reached firm conclusions yet, but a couple of months from now...
On the other hand, the actual fusion results are probably anticlimactic. The answers will come mostly from answering plasma density, loss, and thermalization questions.

Dan Tibbets

My point exactly. Thanks.

Most likely we will not hear anything until spring or summer of next year.

Havent been around much, is it safe to say that WB-8 has had first plasma?

Probably not yet.
We will see in two weeks or so when Recovery.gov updates again. My guess is more ambiguous non-news.

When do we think the navy will give a "GO" to the next contract option? Of course, if it is a "NO GO" we probably won't hear.

The precedent set in the schedule of WB-7 of 3-4 months before first fusion isn't really applicable to WB-8 IMO as the machine was totally new to all the operators aka WB-8 is now the second polywell RNebel has worked on making it probably significantly easier to work on. I suppose the counter argument could be made that WB-8 is also more complex than WB-7 so 3-4 months is still real. Tough to say.

I should clarify my statements are best case scenario idealist speculation while still aiming to be realist (grain of salt too because I'm no expert). Sorry if that's unclear before now.

bennmann wrote:The precedent set in the schedule of WB-7 of 3-4 months before first fusion isn't really applicable to WB-8 IMO as the machine was totally new to all the operators aka WB-8 is now the second polywell RNebel has worked on making it probably significantly easier to work on. I suppose the counter argument could be made that WB-8 is also more complex than WB-7 so 3-4 months is still real. Tough to say.

Actually, WB-7.1 was constructed after WB-7. IMWO it is a small version of WB-8 and used the same chamber as WB-8. I think there is a chance for a quick start up with all the diagnostics already performed on 7.1, there could be smooth sailing provided WB-8 offers no surprises. I have to remind myself though that the reason for doing the test is to unearth surprises. Hopefully, any surprises are good ones. I am holding out for a Christmas present. So, that is my rosy scenario...

I have no idea, given every indication recently, why you guys seem to think we will hear anything anytime soon?

Bussard was silenced for 15 years, effectively, and he really didn't have that much to report besides "we are working on a new twist on an IEC fusion concept".

If this contract goes to phase 3 we probably won't hear anything until 2015-18 at the earliest.