FIRST PLASMA

29 08 2009

YES! Check this business:

IMG_4015

Here it is with the color levels adjusted so you can see more:

IMG_4013

This is really really exciting.

First thing I learned is you need some gas in that chamber to start a plasma. I started at pressures around  1 e-6 torr and got nothing. What you really need is pressures above 1 e-3 torr. My gauge doesn’t work in this range, so I was flying blind.

I had to install a valve to leak air into the chamber to keep the pressure where I needed it:

IMG_4018

Just playing with this device for 10 minutes gave me more of an intuition for plasma than most of the reading I’ve done on the topic.

I’m now one small step away from first fusion. FUCK YEA.


Comments : 6 Comments »

Categories : FUCK YEA!, Fusor, Plasma

Grounding

29 08 2009

Spent the last two days throughly grounding the entire system.

We start by attaching a ground line directly to the overhead sprinkler system. First we scrape off the paint:

IMG_3987Then we attach this purpose made ground clip:

IMG_3986

Here it is installed:

IMG_3988

We are using 12 AWG insulated stranded copper. In addition to this pipe ground, we are also using outlet ground from two different circuits:

IMG_3992

Ground each piece of rack equipment, and the rack itself:

IMG_3989

Ground several points on the chamber, sled, and pump:

IMG_3990

Here is the high voltage connection point with high voltage divider inside glass insulation:

IMG_4000


Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Electrical Engineering, High Voltage

Standoff for Superconducting Magrid

29 08 2009

I’ve been doing some brainstorming on the standoff for the superconducting magrid. This is a messy problem! You need a cryogenic feedthrough that is also a high voltage standoff. Then you need to pass in the YBCO superconducting cables, and wiring for the persistent switch.

Yesterday I realized that we can get most of the way there by welding together two off the shelf components:

standoff_feedthroughThis diagram refrences parts 9812107 and 9611005 from insulatorseal which is a subsidiary of MDC Vacuum. I’ve sent this drawing to insulatorseal for a quote. One problem is that part 9611005 is only rated up to 6kV so we will need a custom variant to get to the 10kV to 40kV range.

The idea with this setup is that the high voltage could come through a standard HV feedthrough and connect to the insulated tip of this feedthrough via a connecting wire:

SC_magrid_feedthrough


Comments : 1 Comment »

Categories : cryogenics, High Voltage, Liquid Nitrogen, polywell, Superconducting Magrid


%d bloggers like this: