

Bussard’s Polywell Fusion Passes a Major Test - nkurz
http://newenergyandfuel.com/http:/newenergyandfuel/com/2014/06/10/bussards-polywell-fusion-passes-a-major-test/

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ScottBurson
A group doing focus fusion is raising money on Indiegogo [0]. Looks like
they're well along to their $200k goal. They're trying for an aneutronic
hydrogen-boron reaction.

I think the Polywell people should try crowdfunding too. I don't have a clear
sense of which is more likely to succeed, though focus seems farther along in
development.

[0] [https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/focus-fusion-
empowerthewo...](https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/focus-fusion-
empowertheworld--3)

~~~
RogerFox
The next step for EMC2 is likely a Proton Boron11 machine. they have
previously set a record for plasma density that exceeds that of Tokamaks. EMC2
could even use WB-8 with new e-guns and fuel injectors to make P-B11 runs.
Lerner at Focus is still far from an actual P-B11 reactor.

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sounds
I've been following the wiffleball for a while too. It seems to have the best
chance of getting out of the woods and into commercial production. They just
need a little more funding!

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throwaway_yy2Di
Flagged. This is a terrible source -- other articles write credulously about
blatant crackpottery, i.e. cold fusion, "hydrinos". I'm not at all dismissing
Polywell fusion; but this article isn't written by people who can credibly
exposit it.

~~~
nkurz
I don't necessarily disagree, although I don't find anything objectionable
about this article, and I'm not sure that flagging based on source is a good
policy. I considered submitting the paper directly, but thought it didn't
offer enough context. Then I searched for media coverage, and this was the
best of the public oriented articles I found.

An NBC news article was similar: [http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-
news/low-cost-fusion-...](http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/low-
cost-fusion-project-steps-out-shadows-looks-money-n130661)

And there is a fairly good Daily Kos article by Roger Fox:
[http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/08/1305412/-Best-
Polyw...](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/08/1305412/-Best-Polywel-news-
since-early-2006)

If you are looking for something more technical, the discussion on "talk-
polywell" is high quality: [http://www.talk-
polywell.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5425](http://www.talk-
polywell.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5425)

Personally, I think Polywell Fusion is a long shot, but a smart long shot to
pursue.

~~~
throwaway_yy2Di
" _I don 't find anything objectionable about this article, and I'm not sure
that flagging based on source is a good policy._'

I think it's generically the right policy for just that reason: if an article
were objectionable, I might not realize it, because I'm not knowledgeable
about the subject!

 _And there is a fairly good Daily Kos article by Roger Fox:_

Wow that looks terrible. The critic they're ridiculing, Todd Rider, wrote his
PhD thesis at MIT on the subject he's talking about. And they're trying to ad-
hominem him as someone "not in the field". Okay..

[http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/11412](http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/11412)

~~~
sounds
Please look up Tom Ligon, it's essential to understanding the following quote:

    
    
      > Tom Ligon:
      >
      > Todd Rider's objections were not just for the Polywell, but for hot
      > fusion generally. The heart of his objections are essentially that
      > everything will thermalize and spew bremsstrahlung radiation.
      > Dr. Bussard could never get thru to him and quit trying. If Rider
      > is right, no fusion project will ever work.
      >
      > The continued sincere efforts my multiple research efforts suggest
      > that a lot of good people in the field disagree.
      >
      > And Rider is NOT in the field. Nor should he be. He's a clever enough
      > person and is making good contributions in his chosen field. Good
      > thing his chosen field is NOT fusion, since it would be a real downer
      > to spend a career working on something you think is folly.

~~~
RogerFox
Sounds, you are correct. Knowing who Tom Ligon is, is essential. BTW Riders
objections are based on an IEC wire gridded machine (fusor)that has a narrow
or spiked potential well, Polywell has a broad or table top potential well as
seen on a chart, a very different environment that is less likely to create
brem, in addition the ratio of Proton to Boron11 envisioned is not what Rider
described. And the EMC2 paper includes Brem measurements which hints at good
things.

