CrossFire Fusor - Aneutronic Nuclear Fusion Reactor

[mferreirajr]

Note: take a look at "Phase-shift Plasma Turbine" and "Relativistic Phase Displacement Space Drive" watch?v=GSkxPghXTCg

[JonThm]

Nature is fusion driven

[JonThm]

Nature does nuclear fusion from water

[JonThm]

All nature and gamma wave radiation as it does molecular nuclear fusion

[badboybilzer]

elegant simple great for a earth bound power plant

plasma eddies will afect acceleration and defeat thrust

weldone a archatype for all fusors

bremsstrahlung losses will be overcome by electrostatic optics

pressured and high pressured vessels possible /probable

an electrostatic torus spinning with a pulsed dc or a beta A.C waveform amplification could spin a bell type propulsion type without any jetsom flotsom thrust design.

one wonders what type of propulsion we have in waiting?

[JonThm]

A hydrogen plasma does nuclear fusion

[badboybilzer]

@JonThm fusion of paired hydrogen overcoming vanderwall forces and aligning and resonating and absorbing aditional heat energy (bremsstrahlung heat force) (aka bremsstrahlung heat loss is a small reactor)

causing a alchemical change in the paired hydrogen and releasing newly formed helium and heat .

more radioisotope energised isotopes of hydrogen make the process easier and dangerous as these isotopes of hydrogen are radio emission assymetrical (ie. h2,h3,,,,h10)

[Taper0000]

OH YEAH !!!!! well I use to own a BIGWHEEL when I was a kid.

[davepamn]

The screen shots are too fast to read and too technical to understand. I would like an explanation that I can understand.

[EngineerFoLife]

@mferreirajr:

Who is it that you work for, or how is it that you get your funding? And is this the product of team work, or is it a one man show? I ask as a fellow fusion propulsion researcher.

[mferreirajr]

@EngineerFoLife

This fusion concept comes up with my personal researches, after analyzing drawbacks of previous fusion approaches. There is no funding yet to build a first proof-of-concept.

[fusorman]

Ok, did you do any basic calculations for the expected levels of bremsstrahlung, or things like confinement parameters? As far as bremsstrahlung is concerned, just having highly reflective x-ray/ UV mirrors won't do much, because at these low plasma densities, little of the radiation will be reabsorbed, and with each reflection some of the energy would be lost as heat. Cool idea though, best of luck!

[mferreirajr]

@fusorman

An X-ray mirror made of multi-layers of boron carbide and tungsten (W/B4C), it is not much, but, for now, it is the more suitable that can be done.

[fusorman]

@mferreirajr Yes, I did read that on your site, it may prove beneficial. But only to an extent, because even the best mirror would have slight losses, and since the plasma would reabsorb only a small fraction of the high frequency radiation, chances are that most of it would be absorbed by the walls anyways. Good luck though.

[Caroliano]

@mferreirajr You didn't answerd the fusorman question. I'm very sceptical that you can keep the plasma hot by simply using mirrors. What makes you think that the plasma will absorb any significant portion of the X-ray that it releases by bremsstrahlung effect? I didn't saw any calculations on this in your "calculations" page.

[mferreirajr]

@Caroliano

It isn't only mirrors.It consists of electrostatic acceleration, steady-state magnetic and electrostatic containment, continuous ion injection with predefined charge/mass ratio. And as I've said "An X-ray mirror made of multi-layers of boron carbide and tungsten (W/B4C), it is not much, but, for now, it is the more suitable that can be done". Megavolt electrostatic, low charge/mass ratio. After all that,just increasing electrostatic acceleration to compensate bremsstrahlung losses.

[Caroliano]

@mferreirajr: "not much" <-- Are you sure it isn't "close to nothing"?

- There are holes in the structure

- If the plasma is transparent enought to let the x-rays escape, it may need thousands or millions of reflections till it be absorbed by the plasma again.

- Only a tiny percentage of the reflection will bounce back straight to the plasma. The rest will take all types of angles.

- In each reflection there is some energy loose (say, 0.1%), that adds up quickly because the above.

[mferreirajr]

@Caroliano

Again, I reaffirm, X-ray mirror made of multi-layers of boron carbide and tungsten (W/B4C) is better than nothing.

If you have a better engineering for fusion machines, keep it yours. Thanks.

[Caroliano]

@mferreirajr: My questions are:

- How much better than nothing?

- How much better than capturing the X-ray energy using the photoeletric effect?

- Will your machine be able to heat the particles faster than the energy dissipated by bremsstrahlung effect?

Those are critical questions that need to be answered... And you unfortunatedly need numbers to answer them.

I want that you have success with your fusion reactor.

[mferreirajr]

@Caroliano

photoelectric effect? it is less efficient than thermo electric conversion; hence let remaining bremsstrahlung be converted into heat and then use steam turbine to recover 30% or more.

Sorry, there are other fusion reactors, and all of them are unable to answer with confident calculation break-even questions.

[Caroliano]

@mferreirajr: Photovoltaic panels for sun light is different than hundreds of photoeletric layers for x-ray capture. The former can reach more than 40% efficiency in laboratories, but those are not economical for capturing disperse sunlight. I'm no expert on the latter, but focus fusion people expect up to 80% efficiency, with a baseline of 20%.

And I assume that the 20~80% loses are heat, and you could use an steam turbine for even higher efficiency, if you can afford it.

[mferreirajr]

@Caroliano

Interesting your information. Heat recovering with 80% of efficiency from x-ray capture, this can assure a net gain for focus fusion and also for other fusion reactors.

[Caroliano]

@mferreirajr: yep, focus fusion people are betting on at least 20% efficiency on x-ray capture, or else they would need costly heat conversion equipament to reach real break-even, acording to their calculations (pending experimental confirmation of course).

At the same time, this is undeveloped/unproven technology, as no-one has ever needed to extract electricity from x-rays, even though science behind is quite standard. The same with alpha beam to eletricity.

[Caroliano]

@mferreirajr: In the thread: t=2965 on talk-polywell forums they discuss that and more. It seems much more efficient to use the photoeletric effect to turn those loses in energy.

But still, you need the calculations on the expected bremsstrahlung loses on your reactor, and how they grow as you try to heat the plasma more to compensate for it. You can't do enginering only with pretty words. You need lots of pretty numbers too, and I see too few of them in your page.

[mferreirajr]

@Caroliano

Calculations are not many, but at least, they are simple, direct and understandable, on the contrary of other concepts such as polywell, ITER, and so forth, that uses nebulous formulas.

By the way, who are you to state whether someone can do engineering or not?

I tell you, most of the inventions were made by people who hadn't pretty numbers, e.g., thermo machines, heavier-than-air flying machines, and so on.

If you have pretty numbers for fusion machines, keep it yours. Thanks.

[Caroliano]

@mferreirajr: Well, if you don't have pretty numbers by calculations, then you need to build many prototypes and empirically test your ideas. How far have you got with it?

If you need external funding to do it, the potential financers will need to be reasonably confident that it can work. I'm sorry, but abstract ideas only go so far... They will ask for the pretty numbers that predicts that it will work and will not fail in predictable ways. So, you will probably need them...

[mferreirajr]

@Caroliano

There will be no longer needed of too many prototypes, reactor's core is well-defined. It will be needed at least one with superconducting magnets having 4 Teslas or more. The apparatus is not so abstract. It is already mature; it is in stage to be built and tested. Settings and variations can be done without needed of newer prototypes.

[Caroliano]

@mferreirajr: Fair enough. But I guess you need financing for the prototipes.

IMHO, you should at least have some grounded expectation on bremsstrahlung loses, as an aneutronic fusion project. But you only say that those loses "are considered a fail of the [reflective] coating", and yet you haven't quantified it. I suspect that the reflective loses are higher than 99%, for the reasons I said earlier.

Talvez fosse melhor ter feito essa dicussão em português...

[mferreirajr]

@Caroliano

Qualitatively, the crossfire concept is fine. Quantitatively, there are just the basics enough for defining the initial conditions for fusion. Maximum gain for p-B11 is by 70, if losses are prohibitive, crossfire is flexible, hence it can be tested with p-Li6/7, He-3, and in fact, even deuterium-deuterium.

Se você não se importar, preciso praticar meu Inglês.

[Caroliano]

@mferreirajr: Qualitatively, all current fusion reactors concepts are fine... the devil is in details...

Well, here is my advice: gang together with one or two plasma physicists, make some more calculations and elaborate an small-scale proof of concept experiment. Something like 1/10th full scale, where you estimate that you can already get some neutrons out of D-D fusion. Try to hit some sweet spot in costs, cheap, where you don’t need superconducting magnets, etc.

PS: Fine with me.

[mferreirajr]

@Caroliano

I really don't understand why people insist on tiny tabletop version, even basic calculations prohibiting it. Testing it with DD for detecting neutrons, electrostatic acceleration by itself can produce fusion reactions emitting neutrons. Just taking in mind basic calculations, we can be sure that a small-scale version using conventional magnets will be a waste of time and money. I think, if we want a fusion reactor working, we need at least to respect the basic calculations.

[Caroliano]

Is there any other place that we can discuss? This 500 character limit on youtube drives me crazy. Besides the prohibition on posting links...

[Caroliano]

Then the hard part: try to get financing and support from somewhere: universities, FINEP, FAPESP, angels, etc, for your small-scale proof of concept.

After you get the money, build it, test it, tune it, and have good results, you may proceed to the next step. This may be already a full scale experiment, backed by the scaling laws you developed. Then, if you get Q>1, maybe a first in the word, it will be much easier to raise money to the next and most costly step: a complete prototype.

[mferreirajr]

@Caroliano

My problem is that I'm honest; I will not cheat someone else with a small-scale proof of concept supported by complex and nebulous calculations as it has been done by other fusion concepts. By the way, crossfire is already relatively well-scaled; it needs to be built and tested. The concept is to be as it is, simple, direct, no cheats.

Anyway, I'm very grateful to you for your advices.

[Caroliano]

@mferreirajr: Not sure if this is already your plans.

[mferreirajr]

@Caroliano

I have the intention of building a workable prototype, but it must have superconducting magnets to make it closer to surpass the break-even point. Conventional electromagnets will consume much energy producing insufficient magnetic fields; hence, I will ever insist on it having superconducting magnets with at least 2Teslas 50 cm bore.

[ZachBlade]

Oh no, JonThm... you where serious about the heartbeats weren't you?

[ZachBlade]

Oh my, that conversation just ended.... SO spectacularly. I am savoring it all, it was undoubtedly an epic battle of witts, but JonThm definitely won. Trolling at its best.

[JonThm]

A steam plasma turn H2O into heat, with no applied current.

[MrFrancisH]

I would be very cautious to assume a vacuum will give electrical insulation. The X ray tube and radio valve (tube) are highly evacuated but facilitate electron movement. In my personal experience high pressure, dry gases, are used to insulate High Voltage test equipment.

[JonThm]

Your heart does nuclear fusion, every time it beats

[MrFrancisH]

Dear JonThom, I'm not quite clear why you refer to nuclear fusion when I was pointing out the risk in assuming a vacuum would give High Voltage Insulation. Early work (1920/30s) illustrated that cosmic radiation can initiate disharge in evacuated glass envelopes.

In relation to my heartbeat, I assume you mean 'cavitation', which is not Fusion.

[JonThm]

@MrFrancisH The besting heart, green crops in the light, water falls and breaking waves all do molecular nuclear fusion: Google it, i have written up on it!

[MrFrancisH]

Sorry, cannot agree with you. I notice you also quote Ozone at the seaside, in one of your uploads, as being a product of fusion. Ozone, chemical formula O3 is highly toxic. Ultra violet light can produce Ozone according to its intensity. Working as a development Engineer with printing Inks (U.V. sensitive), I developed the Mother of all headaches after 5 mins. exposure. The 'Ozone' at the seaside is an old wives tale. Just the smell of seaweed, rotting fish etc.

[JonThm]

@MrFrancisH We get 18O and 3He at the seaside - results of nuclear fusion from high pressure water

[MrFrancisH]

Yes, and I'm sure we also get traces of Xenon, Argon, Krypton and Neon. Gold is also present in sea water. I await you referring to accredited research papers which prove your comments. Wikipedia pages are informative but not 'Gospel'.

If Matter were so unstable such that Fusion occurred at the 'drop of an hat', the Universe would not exist. Imaginative speculation I, and no doubt others, will accept, but not 'believe me because I am a Doctor'.

[JonThm]

@MrFrancisH Hot smokers inject gold int odeep water. My stuff on 3He comes from New Scientist and my M.Eng. at Sheffeild University

[MrFrancisH]

@JonThm. Yes, I have no doubt hot smokers do inject many chemicals into sea water. Neither your reference to 'New' Scientist or M.Eng. at 'Sheffield' impress me enough to agree with you re. Fusion. The 'New' Scientist needs little comment, ask researchers into stem cells. Also, please do not patronise me with details of your education, you have obviously no knowledge of mine.

As far as I am concerned this conversation is finished, I shall not reply.

[JonThm]

Use a Geiger counter on a waterfall, breaking waves, crowing crosp or your own heart, They all do MNF

[steelefist]

Are the approximate journey times quoted at the end in consideration of accelerating and decelerating the craft? Would the acceleration be a long process due to the 500 ton weight? If so, wouldn't this type of craft suit missions with much much more distant targets?

[mferreirajr]

Time of acceleration phase can be almost equal to deceleration phase.

At halfway, the spacecraft must steer 180º to begin the deceleration process.

The main targets are Moon and Mars.

[unambitious]

Nice vid. The fusion reactor is very nice. I like the idea of neutralizing the charge of the hydrogen, but I thought about and have a question. Wouldn't the electron shell act as a barrier to the nucleus? I thought that's why plasma was essential in fusers: no electron shell barrier means you can get the nuclei closer for the strong nuke force to take over despite positive charges, right? Please direct me to the info if possible.

[mferreirajr]

All you need to get the nuclei closer is electrostatic acceleration.

Calculations for this type of reactor must take account: reactant mass (Kg), specific energy (J/Kg), specific ionization (Coulomb/Kg) and other parameter for dimensioning magnetic and electric fields.

The reactants (boron hydrides or helium-3) need at least 123KeV of kinetic energy for fusing; however, 600KeV is considered the best. That is easily achieved by electrostatic acceleration.

[mferreirajr]

Low specific ionization (Coulomb/Kg) signifies plasma in a quasi-neutral state which requires stronger magnetic and electric fields, superconducting magnet costs more expensive.

[unambitious]

Wait a second, are you injecting electrons on the exhaust plasma used for thrust? If so, I was under the impression you neutralized the plasma as it entered the reactor. Anyway, this setup seems almost identical to a farnsworth fusor (or bussard polywell reactor). What about it makes it better? Still a good vid. Oh, any ideas about how to harness the energy? Surely a steam plant would be too heavy for a ship.

[mferreirajr]

Fuel (reactants) is ionized, accelerated electrostatically, confined by magnetic and electric fields until a fusion reaction takes place. Then the fusion products overcome armature electric fields to the exhaust. After that the ionized products must be electrically neutralized.

This setup differs substantially from Farnsworth Fusor and Bussard Polywell.

[mferreirajr]

Neutralization is a complementary operation of Ionization.

Some steps to try to understand:

1) Fuel: number of electrons = number of protons.

2) After ionization: Plasma: nº electrons less than nº protons Ground (hull): nº electrons greater than nº protons.

3) After neutralization: Exhausting plasma: nº electrons = nº protons

At neutralization step is possible to convert kinetic energy to potential energy, then to electric energy.

[unambitious]

I see the difference now between the other fusers and yours now. Subtle, but very important steps to improving efficiency. I like your means of reducing bremsstrahlung radiation. Reading the article on the crossfire was easier to follow than the vid and explained the electrical conversion. Still not fully understanding, but I work on jet engines. Not quite the same are they :) . Seems a few steps above the Farnsworth and Bussard. Im impressed. I'll watch anymore vids posted later.

[inyaface1111]

You do know that you need extreme heat for nuclear fusion to occur.(Close if not to the heat of the sun itself).

[mferreirajr]

Heat and temperatures are different concepts. Temperature is the average kinetic energy of the molecules of a substance. Heat is a measurement of the total energy in a substance.

Electrostatic acceleration can reach high temperatures: 600KeV = 7 billion °C

The fuel consumption is only 3 milligrams/second and calculations are done for the magnetic and electric fields to confine the ionized plasma, keeping it away from the chamber walls, high temperature and low heat.

[quantumOflux]

What is the holdup here? Why aren't these things flying yet?

[mferreirajr]

due to lack of funding.

[stickkevin]

oh, but overall the dimensions and time proposals are awesome, if it really works that would be exciting.... does it really work? have you tried it? you should, we can go colonize an island and sell drugs and run guns to fund our private space program, and before the anunakki arrive we can leave earth and meet the plaedians in sirius!

[stickkevin]

i like your ideas and what not, but your video is kinda lame, I didnt have enough time to examine anything in detail.... I want to know more about all of it, but i dont have the time to learn it right now. where can i read more or learn something from this video?

[mferreirajr]

In the website there are short descriptions.

[ResinRat2]

Mr.Ferreira, do you think it would be possible to design a small prototype that could demonstrate just the working fusion theory? Thanks for the video.

[mferreirajr]

For a simplified version of a power plant using conventional superconducting magnets of 4.5 Tesla for the core (FIG. 9A & FIG. 9B), more essential components like insulators and neutralizers, would be about 5 meters of height.

However, using advanced superconducting magnets of 20 Tesla or higher, the design and calculations may give 1.5 meters or less.

[herlitzcorp]

Y cómo desaceleras la máquina para que alcance la órbita de Marte? sería posible complementar a la velocidad de vuelos flyby? Interesante tu proyecto :/

[mferreirajr]

At the midway, the spacecraft must rotate 180º to start the decceleration phase.

[herlitzcorp]

right, sorry! ^^

congratulation for your proposal.

[ThePowerFullMaster]

Great!!!

[marcello88888888]

cara, vc e meu idolo