From that I read abut DPF there become no neutrons if the polarity not is right.
The middle electrode must be positive. Due to Witalis this comes from the rotation of the plasma, induced by the Halleffekt. It was not clearly said that this is a result of a particular direction of the plasma rotation. But from this it’s logical to be a natural direction of the plasma rotation.
How well do this agree with how its real works?
From that I read in the “Preliminary Evidence of Angular Momentum Effect” there really is a preferred vortex direction.
I have heard there have been lots of unpredictable results from DPF experiments.
It’s supposed that the earth magnetic field can induce rotation of the plasma.
If so, the focus devises orientation towards the earth magnetic field can explain some of the unpredictability. The devises have not been intentional direct threw the earth magnetic field.
Is this a reasonable idea?

http://focusfusion.org/index.php/site/article/159/

As far as I know the current (and only known) issue with LPP is switch pre (or mis) firing.

The patent is built around this coil’s projected ability to control plasmoid diameter, thus evening out yield variations of as much as 10:1 on shots that look like identical starting conditions. The initial angular (spin) velocity magnifies to the 4th power, so even an air conditioning compressor and fan could account for such large variations when the coil isn’t connected.

Energizing the AMC coil seems to have stabilized yields by overpowering all local fields. Hopefully it won’t be too difficult to get at least 256 programmable plasmoid diameters.

As far as I can tell, in the next year or two, LPP will be in the process of finding the optimal magnetic field strength, and the optimal plasmoid diameter for energy generation.  Determining the reliability of shots in terms of spark-gaps all firing at the same time is a preliminary challenge before focus fusion optimization for energy generation can be fully explored.  LPP might also be having some in-depth conversations with the manufacturer to verify whether the spark-gap components are actually up to the necessary timing precision (if this was the case, then it wouldn’t be a theoretical challenge as much as an technical/engineering one).

There’s another issue with the plasma that’s been bothering me: the exit port for the alpha beam is open to the plasma, so the solenoid is essentially part of the vacuum chamber. Since plasma is electrically conductive, it would seem to me that there are problems in preventing shorting of the current in the coil to the plasma itself. I vaguely recall some reference to this issue.

Ideally, one would have a kind of magnetic trap door at the opening to the solenoid channel, preventing access of the plasma, which would nevertheless admit the alpha beam (helium ions). I don’t know if that’s feasible, even in theory.

Brian H - 04 April 2010 02:22 PM

There’s another issue with the plasma that’s been bothering me: the exit port for the alpha beam is open to the plasma, so the solenoid is essentially part of the vacuum chamber. Since plasma is electrically conductive, it would seem to me that there are problems in preventing shorting of the current in the coil to the plasma itself. I vaguely recall some reference to this issue.

Ideally, one would have a kind of magnetic trap door at the opening to the solenoid channel, preventing access of the plasma, which would nevertheless admit the alpha beam (helium ions). I don’t know if that’s feasible, even in theory.

I can see the drift tube and coil set(s) as an integral part of the vacuum housing, where the drift tube is open to the fill gas. But the plasma begins with the spark from the cathodes’ bases to the anode, and is confined to the current sheath +/- a little, if I understand it correctly. If this is true, then we’re developing positive charge in the coil(s) every pulse, and that converter has to be insulated from the grounded drift tube.

So I’m hoping that we don’t need to add any moving or magnetic parts, dragging down an elegant device.

Aeronaut - 04 April 2010 02:55 PM

...

I can see the drift tube and coil set(s) as an integral part of the vacuum housing, where the drift tube is open to the fill gas. But the plasma begins with the spark from the cathodes’ bases to the anode, and is confined to the current sheath +/- a little, if I understand it correctly. If this is true, then we’re developing positive charge in the coil(s) every pulse, and that converter has to be insulated from the grounded drift tube.

So I’m hoping that we don’t need to add any moving or magnetic parts, dragging down an elegant device.

No, I don’t think that’s true. The “fill gas” is a hot plasma to begin with; it’s electrically charged, or the torus would never form. It is almost certainly a positive charge (electrons stripped off decaborane molecules). 

The charge matters less than the conductivity, I think. If the coil is shorting to the gas it will be inefficient.

You are right Brian—shorting out the coil can be a problem, But it is not shorting it to the plasma—we can have a ceramic insulator around it, and the magnetic fields that induce the current will penetrate the insulator. But the plasma itself could carry the return current—the electrons moving in the same direction as the ions. We have to make sure that this return current has higher resistivity than the coil and moves outside the coil. That could involve manipulating the plasma density by putting a magnetic mirror at the entrance to the drift tube. Since the background plasma in the chamber is not very hot, it is much easier to control than fusion plasma.

Lerner - 04 April 2010 05:26 PM

You are right Brian—shorting out the coil can be a problem, But it is not shorting it to the plasma—we can have a ceramic insulator around it, and the magnetic fields that induce the current will penetrate the insulator. But the plasma itself could carry the return current—the electrons moving in the same direction as the ions. We have to make sure that this return current has higher resistivity than the coil and moves outside the coil. That could involve manipulating the plasma density by putting a magnetic mirror at the entrance to the drift tube. Since the background plasma in the chamber is not very hot, it is much easier to control than fusion plasma.

Yes, I see. I had already begun to think about simple insulation for the coil, but still wondered how the alpha beam would behave in the plasma, and what the overall “circuit” would look like. (Clearly the helium ions would be neutralized in the receiver chamber, but I couldn’t visualize the overall electron flow.) So I assume the m-mirror would be negatively charged to exclude free electrons? Or is it a more complex device?
Edit: I’ve looked up m-mirror, and see that it is like an onion of mag fields that pinch and reflect ions.  There’s a fusion design based on them. I’ll add a link to the Fusion Alternatives thread!