To optimize spark performance, I recommend a spark rise time of under 50 nanoseconds with a very short duration to produce the most powerful plasmoid discharge and a proportional forceful compression of the gas.
It is not the energy that the spark carries in joules. It is how fast this energy is delivered to the gas. This is analogous to how explosives perform. Low explosives are compounds where the rate of decomposition proceeds through the material at less than the speed of sound. The decomposition is propagated by a flame front (deflagration) which travels much more slowly through the explosive material than a shock wave of a high explosive. High explosives are explosive materials that detonate, meaning that the explosive shock front passes through the material at a supersonic speed. To get a better shockwave, we are interested in Pulsed power. Pulse power is the science and technology of accumulating energy over a relatively long period of time and releasing it very quickly, thus increasing the instantaneous power. Instantaneous power is what is important. Steady accumulation of energy followed by its rapid release can result in the delivery of a larger amount of instantaneous power over a shorter period of time (although the total energy is the same). For example, if one joule of energy is stored within a capacitor and then evenly released to a load over one second, the peak power delivered to the load would only be 1 watt. However, if all of the stored energy were released within one microsecond, the peak power would be one megawatt, a million times greater. The release of all the power stored in the focus fusion capacitors should be released in 10 nanoseconds. The higher the voltage rating of the discharge capacitors, the faster is the speed of the spark discharge and the larger is the instantaneous power pulse. The capacitors that focus fusion should use should be rated at 3 million volts, the capacity in amps a not that important. Currently, the FF capacitors are only rated at 45,000 volts. The speed of the spark will kept the electrode material close to the electrode eliminated contamination of the plasma. By the way, the high voltage strategy (a few nanoseconds) is what Brillouin Energy is using to kept there wire from melting. On Mon, Dec 16, 2013 at 11:50 PM, <pagnu...@htdconnect.com> wrote: > > (Audio Interview) Eric Lerner on 'TheSpaceShow.com' on 12-15-2013 > Lerner discusses aneutronic fusion at Lawrenceville Plasma Physics. > > http://www.portaltotheuniverse.org/podcasts/eps/view/298553/ > > > A new item - > > > > December 13, 2013 > > > > Senior Fusion researchers give major endorsement to Lawrenceville Plasma > > Physics Dense Plasma Focus Fusion Work and say they expect feasibility > > will be shown within two years with adequate funding. > > > > In a major endorsement of the fusion energy research and development > > program of start-up Lawrenceville Plasma Physics (LPP), a committee of > > senior fusion researchers, led by a former head of the US fusion program, > > has concluded that the innovative effort deserves “a much higher level of > > investment … based on their considerable progress to date.” The report > > concludes that “In the committee’s view [LPP’s] approach to fusion power > … > > is worthy of a considerable expansion of effort.” > > > > Lawrenceville Plasma Physics has been developing an extremely low-cost > > approach to fusion power based on a device called the dense plasma focus > > (DPF). In contrast to the giant tokamak machines that have been the > > recipients of most fusion funding, a DPF can fit in a small room. LPP’s > > final feasibility experiments and planned commercial generators will use > > hydrogen-boron fuel, which produces no radioactive waste and promises > > extremely economical clean energy. > > > > > http://nextbigfuture.com/2013/12/senior-fusion-researchers-give-major.html > > > > Lawrenceville Plasma Physics > > - Homepage: http://lawrencevilleplasmaphysics.com/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >