Month: February 2020

We call it “the sensor destroyer”, as it destroys all unfortunate sensors that try to survive to its powerful plasma ball.

After hard work, it was repaired the Pulsotron-3. Only 2 tests were performed because the sensor optical front-end was removed in the second test and must be repaired.

In the 3rd test campaign, it was made two tests, with great success as it was measured the storage of magnetic energy in the target to allow use it to compress the target to make fusion.

As can be seen in the attached plot in the yellow line it was measured the capacitor bank voltage drop. It can be seen how its discharge 1/2 of the voltage (about a 75% of the energy) in the target before it begins to emit energy es can be seen in the other channels that represents the light acquired by an array of photodiodes pointing using accurate optics to the center of the target and also two longer distances. it can be seen how the plasma ball increasing starting about 1 microsecond after the beginning of the discharge

It was similar to the results obtained in the following 3005 test. Both tests were done with the help of new High Voltage probes.

Also, a better electromagnetic design reduced a lot of electrode erosion.

The new Pulsotron actually generates electromagnetic waves of up to 13 kiloteslas, unfortunately, the waves evaporate insulation parts of the Pulsotron-3, so during the charging of the capacitor bank during the test number 3006, several blasts in three different parts so we had to turn it off. Thanks to several security systems, no one was injured. The main power supply, the measurement systems, and the control system were not affected because we designed a High Voltage unit resistant to short circuits.

In the attached images it was seen in the previous test how a cloud of fire is generated that burns eroded plastics of the internal parts.

Also, it was obtained from a laboratory camera an image of one of the internal blast

Actually the team is working hard to make Pulsotron-3 in service as fast as possible. This problem and the problems we had before allows us to learn and improve a lot the z-pinch technology use to build a working  electric generator as fast as possible

Targets 3001-3003 were tested. The main idea is to check if the plasma ball is contained inside the reaction chamber enough time to make ignition. Also, it was checked two sensors.

It was built carefully an array of photodiodes and electrical power of them carefully inserted in optical parts aligned with the plasma ball to measure accurately the expansion of the plasma ball. The whole system was mounted inside a small structure made in a 3-d injection machine. To maintain that instrument close to the plasma ball a structure was mounted, we name it  “diagnostic tower”. Unfortunately, in the first shot, the 3-d injection enclosure was destroyed and blown away in less than 50 microseconds, as can be seen in the high-speed video captures:

But it was a disaster as we needed the plasma ball expansion data, so we had to improvise, so we used a similar instrument made for Pulsotron-2, fortunately, its batteries still worked, then a new diagnostic tower was made in a hurry cutting extruded aluminum profiles. In the shot 3002, the old sensors were exposed to a lot higher light levels than the Pulsotron-2, so they were saturated, so it was increased the scope scale and tested again in test 3003 that was successful.

After the tests several megabytes of sensor data are now being processing

A new borosilicate body arrived at the laboratory. It was built in a Sevilla specialized company. Actually we are building coils to be attached to the new reactor body. The coils will be connected to the main capacitor bank using some of the most powerful Silicon Carbide SCRs built especially for us in a Chinese company

It was tested charging and discharging, measured the capacitance.

Also, it was made an unloaded target shot that was performed at 100% of the capacitor bank capacity.

The image resolution is low due it was taken using a high-speed camera. It can be seen the detonation of the reactor after the compression. In the early tests of the Pulsotron-1A and 1B Z-pinch machines, some confinement chamber survived to the discharge and could be reused, but it was impossible after overcoming 60 gigapascal pressure.

In the test it was checked some safety systems and also it was acquired the shot performance but the time scale must be modified next time. A lot of jobs must be done before making a loaded test as install radiation sensors, another acquisition system to have enough channels. Also, it will be needed to check the simulations.

Some scientists pointed out the possibility that the discharge could be performed in air, so we usually install optical and electromagnetic sensors that measure the plasma ball dimensions during the discharge. These sensors must be installed in the new machine.

A specific energy sensor is designing now to allow measure the radiated energy including alpha, photons from infrared to ultraviolet and low energy X rays