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DIY School project - build a nuclear fusion reactor in your bedroom

U

Uncle Al

Jan 1, 1970
0
Gregory said:

Take a Geiger-Muller tube, replace the fill gas with deuterium and a
percent of methyl bromide, hook it up backwards (reversed polarity
electrodes), ramp up the voltage past plateau (~800-950 V), add some
ionizing radiation. You get very nice deuterium fusion at the central
wire. Going into the discharge region chews on the tube - but you
will get a nice neutron yield while it lasts.

This was actually considered by the DOE for tritium manufacture until
somebody who could do arithmetic figured the cost/curie vs. nuclear
reactor conversion of lithium-6/aluminum alloy. One presumes the poor
bastard was fired on the spot (the one who did the accurate cost
analysis).
 
E

Eugene Rosenzweig

Jan 1, 1970
0
Harry Conover said:
"Gregory Toomey" <[email protected]> wrote in message

Notice the lack of shielding in the kid's apparatus. This tells the story!

Harry C.

Notice that the article notices the lack of shielding and explains that the
neutron emission is low. Its in the story! ;-)

Eugene.
 
M

Mark Harriss

Jan 1, 1970
0
Harry said:
Notice the lack of shielding in the kid's apparatus. This tells the
story!

Harry C.


The x-rays emitted from these things are more of a problem than the
neutron flux which is significantly lower than nearly every other
commercial neutron source.

Most of his work is based on the efforts of these guys:
www.fusor.net
 
A

Andrew Resnick

Jan 1, 1970
0
In said:
Notice the lack of shielding in the kid's apparatus. This tells the
story!

I was one of the judges at the Intel science fair mentioned at the end
of the story, and Mr. Wallace was one of my assigned students. The kid
has a lot of mechanical aptitude, that much is obvious. The trick is to
harness that enthusiam and ability to produce a useful scientist/
engineer rather than discouraging him and ending up with a crackpot
tinkerer producing the next generation Orgonne Accumulator.
 
H

Harry Conover

Jan 1, 1970
0
Eugene Rosenzweig said:
Notice that the article notices the lack of shielding and explains that the
neutron emission is low. Its in the story! ;-)

Eugene.

Eugene, hate to break this news to you, but neutrons are not the
primary radiation hazard created by devices like this.

Harry C.
 
C

Chris Carlen

Jan 1, 1970
0
Andrew said:
I was one of the judges at the Intel science fair mentioned at the end
of the story, and Mr. Wallace was one of my assigned students. The kid
has a lot of mechanical aptitude, that much is obvious. The trick is to
harness that enthusiam and ability to produce a useful scientist/
engineer rather than discouraging him and ending up with a crackpot
tinkerer producing the next generation Orgonne Accumulator.


Why did the kid get only second place? I mean, this is impressive.
Lack of theoretical understanding?

I certainly hope he does acquire the theoretical foundations to enable
him to participate in the advancement of science.

My hat's off to this kid!


Good day!


--
_______________________________________________________________________
Christopher R. Carlen
Principal Laser/Optical Technologist
Sandia National Laboratories CA USA
[email protected] -- NOTE: Remove "BOGUS" from email address to reply.
 
E

Eugene Rosenzweig

Jan 1, 1970
0
The first place project turned lead into gold. :)
But seriously, I've found the winners:
http://www.sciserv.org/isef/results/grnd2003.asp, its under 'Physics -
Presented by Intel Foundation '
Amongst others the fusion reactor got pipped to the first place by a project
called: "Is Eating Blueberry Pie Bad for You?"
I do agree with Andrew Resnick's post though.

Eugene.
 
E

Eugene Rosenzweig

Jan 1, 1970
0
Yes its just that since the neutron emission is very very low (just above
the background) so would be the radiation produced.

Eugene.
 
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