Reprinted from the LPPX August 11, 2011 Report.

Complete switch system fires simultaneously 18 times in a row with no misfires or prefires; New switches pass all tests at 35 kV and 40 kV.

Reprinted from the LPPX June 2, 2011 Report:

Uneven tungsten pins likely cause of asymmetric firing, lower fusion yields.

Continuous knife-edge cathode base, previously produced, is ready for installation in June and expected to bring increase in yield. Soot contamination also to be improved.

From LPP’s December 30, 2010 report.  On the last day of firing this year, we finally achieved reliable firing with 10 capacitors—all fired together six times in a row with no pre-firing.

This post breaks down the design of FoFu-1’s twelve spark gap switches, which release current from the twelve capacitors to the main electrodes.  The switch plates and spark plugs are undergoing “ruggedization” to overcome the challenges discussed here.

It looks like there is a very real way some technically inclined folks could help out the LPPX right now.

From LPP’s October Report.

From LPP’s September Report.

This update on the switch situation from the LPPX July Focus Fusion Report:

Murali and Alex discuss the effects of decaborane on the vacuum system.

LPPX is starting to plan for the modification of the chamber to use the decaborane gas.  For this purpose, the chamber has to be heated and has to be maintained at 100-120oC to keep the decaborane gas from condensing.  A separate chamber is needed to store the solid decaborane.  Several other design modifications are required such as protection of the pumping system against fouling by boron particles.

Below is an email string that addresses issues related to decaborane handling.

[From Eric Lerner’s LPP report of February 23 - sorry for the posting delay]

We have continued to make progress with the switches. 

This month we succeeded for the first time in getting all 12 capacitors to fire during the pulse, firing at 24 kV.  However, we cannot yet do this reliably and repeatably. 

At the same time, we have also created conditions in which most of the bank, 7-9 switches, will fire without pre-firing, allowing us to perform the experiments described in the first section. 

What we still need to do is to get repeatable and full-bank firing together.

[Report from LPP]  We continue to make progress in solving the switching problems, but have not yet cured them.  Eight switches have been fitted with the new copper plates and we have tested them with the new Argon-SF6 mixture.  Now we can get all eight switches to fire during the pulse, which we were not able to do before.

Luckily for all of us, Eric Lerner writes updates, too.  Here’s an update on the switch issue from Eric.  Thanks Eric!