Report of the Bussard machine from the company itself

Zixinus · Post by **Zixinus** » 2008-01-21 05:23pm

Just a quick fly by: I recently found this document from EMC2, discussing the WB-6 tests series. These tests are what make the idea that Polywell might actually be a future energy source.

The report itself: http://ecow.engr.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/getbi ... nl0107.pdf

I know there are some physicists in the forum. So, what do you people say?

To me, it looks like the whole damn document was done in a bit of a hurry.

Kanastrous · Post by **Kanastrous** » 2008-01-30 10:19pm

I just skimmed, quickly, but...

...isn't this basically a Farnsworth Fusor?

Gullible Jones · Post by **Gullible Jones** » 2008-01-30 11:12pm

No, it is definitely not a Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor.

Kanastrous · Post by **Kanastrous** » 2008-01-30 11:34pm

Must read in detail...

Zixinus · Post by **Zixinus** » 2008-01-31 05:03pm

It is a distant variant of it though. However, it is very much different in operation and design from ye oldie fusor.

Winston Blake · Post by **Winston Blake** » 2008-02-01 05:25am

I think it would exceedingly awesome if this technology saved the world from Peak Oil. I can dream, can't I?

Zixinus · Post by **Zixinus** » 2008-02-01 10:32am

Well, the Navy is developing it with some funding. WB-7 is built more-or-less and tests are now starting. The researchers are keeping a more-or-less low profile to avoid political debate at this early point.

Feel free to join and look at the links in my sig if you wish to expand that dream a bit or to see whether or not it is just a dream and nothing more.

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2008-02-05 05:28am

Winston Blake wrote:I think it would exceedingly awesome if this technology saved the world from Peak Oil. I can dream, can't I?

Whatever this is, it isn't even in its infancy. More like pre-prenatal. The energy crisis isn't a problem of technology, it's a problem of infrastructure. We have all the uranium we'd ever realistically need (if we're still here when THAT runs out, we deserve to die). But it will take decades to get all the new reactors online and all the new railroads built. Decades we don't have.

Zixinus · Post by **Zixinus** » 2008-02-05 10:45am

Well, actually Bussard himself once talked about how the Polywell would help there as well: he mentioned in his Goggle talk that the first Polywells can replace furnaces in coal/oil (perhaps even in existing nuclear) power plants (I don't know if he planned to use D-D or D-T fuel) and essentially use the Polywell as a heat machine. The reactors he has planned ought to be about that size that they can easily fit, and since the fuel materials are far, far less dangerous, the whole building wouldn't have to be rebuilt. Fuel for several weeks can be easily supplied by one truck, or even the engineers themselves (as deuterium is not radioactive).

This way no new plants have to be built, but existing plants upgraded. That's the idea anyway. I don't know how serious he was about it.