Progress

Samples S3052 and S3053 loaded with H-B11 thermonuclear fuel

It was made tests S3050 and S3051 that do not uses capacitors to load recovered energy

Also, it was loaded samples S3052 and S3053. It was installed the well known 7 pipes electric recovery coils to try ignition.

It was calculated that 10 times more magnetic field would be needed but we tried ignition in two tests, using the alpha particles shield to protect the laboratory and using also “un par de cojones”

Results will be verified

S3052, first ignition attempt in Europe

Targets charged with thermonuclear fuel and S3048 & S3049 tests

To charge the targets with thermonuclear fuel, an argon gas chamber was used with the help of a binocular loupe. The targets will be tested in the Pulsotron-3 fusion reactor, where the 50 mega-amp barrier is expected to be overcome in a month.Loading Targets with Fusion Fuel

Also, it was made the tests S3048 and S3049. in both tests one of the coils was damaged and repaired. The electric energy recovered was higher than before but less than using larger coils

Test number S3048

Tests S3045, 46, 47 and HV power supply coil tests

It was tested again the 7 coils energy recovery system, where the short coils were modified in order to increase energy recovery as long as the large ones can’t fit inside the alpha particles shield.

In the S3045 the recovered energy was almost the same as the large coils, but we lost data from oscilloscope connected to the coils in the S3046 test, so the test must be repeated.

In test S3046, it was measured 62 kiloteslas, but 25.3 kiloteslas remained during 6 microseconds as can be seen in the scope plot. It is like the plasma ball generates its own magnetic field after the discharge was finished

S3046 magnetic field oscilloscope plot

In the test S3047 we reinforced the arc recovery system using 6 times more thick wire, but it was damaged again. The recovered energy was half of the 7 coils system.

Test number S3047

It was made a test of the coil to be used in the high voltage coil to be installed in the Miranda reactor, HV configuration.

In the configuration of one turn primary coil, it was generated a secondary voltage of 166 times the primary one

In the second configuration with a primary coil length larger, only a 143x gain was achieved, and in the third using 2 coil system the multiplication factor was 284x that could lead in 500kV pulses

Tests 3041-3044 and magnetic field test

It was tested using short energy harvesting coils to be fit in the Ignition Chamber. As a result, they collect about 20% less energy. it was tried to change coil shapes in tests S3043 and S3044 but with unsuccessful results.

The magnetic sensor-3 obtains high levels of the magnetic field: between 225-238 kiloteslas in the 3041 test and between 219-242 kiloteslas in the second test.

The TOF measurements show that the plasma ball was broken sooner than in other tests but at least 88% of the capacitor bank energy was discharged inside before breaking.

It was demonstrated that as more energy is collected, more powerful is the voltage transient during the current injection, so a higher magnetic coupling is performed between the bank capacitor and its transmission lines to the energy recovery coils

S3041 test

It was Abuilt a small prototype of the high voltage Miranda power supply, but the test failed when trying to couple primary and secondary magnetic fields.

The 90% of a halfcoil was blown and it was tested a 7 short coils system

We worked in the new Argon glove box in order to manage poisonous or dangerous materials but left some time to test old and new coils.

It was repeated the tests over a coil named “half-coil” using two impedance networks that recovered a lot of energy but less than expected. When dismounting we saw that some holes appeared in the external part but the internal part was really damaged and almost all of it simply disappeared because it was burned and or blown.

Test S3039

Also, we installed a new coil system by using shorter coils to reduce the overall size to fit in a truck. The new coil survived without damages but it collected 52% of the energy of the larger coils system

Test S3040

Tests 3033-3036, holes in coils and Miranda new parts

It was made 4 tests:
First all it was repeated the test 3033 but it was reduced the capacitive load. As a result, the recovered energy was increased a 210%. The discharge current was also well over the 1 mega amp with an error of 8.3%. The frequency of the magnetic field at the new magnetic sensor was reduced from 139MHz to 109MHz which is too high.
The 3 magnetic sensors detected the plasma ball explosion at 5.86microseconds with a time of flight of 28ns between passing sensor-1 to 3 giving 321km/second
It can be seen clearly the phase change when the EM pulse reaches the sensors in the following oscilloscope plot

S3035-2 B field Phase change

The magnetic field is at 50% to reach ignition conditions
Unfortunately, after that, the EM pulse reached one of the oscilloscope channels giving an erroneous signal
in tests 3034,3035 and 3036 Also, it was tested a new recovery energy coil that reduces losses due to reflecting particles. There are now less reflecting energy but the particles make holes in the coil!

One of the tests

The test 3034 was failed the magnetic field recovery due the EM wave reached the scope probes, so it was solved in the 3035 test, where the discharge current increased 211% and the magnetic field was doubled with respect test 3033. This time the breakdown of the plasma ball was done at 8.62microsecond, that is 1.47 times longer due to the increased magnetic field

In test 3035 it was doubled the capacitors used to store recovered energy. As result the magnetic field was increased 29% and also the plasma ball confinement time was increased by 63%. Now we have to check the energy recovered at the capacitor but lots of megabytes must be processed.

In another way, it was finalized the sealings of the argon gas and a secondary coil is building. We hope to reach 650kV with it and pulses of several megawatts

The Argon Camera

New magnetic sensor array

A new sensor array is installed close to the target.
We made 3 tests, in the first test 28 kilotesla was reached, in the second test only 5.6 kilotesla, but in the third 74 kilotesla was reached, but also sustained during 500 nanoseconds!.
The new sensor array allows a redundant check of the generated magnetic field and more information of the plasma shape but a lot of calculus was involved
In the 3rd test it was used a new system with seven energy recovery coils Energy generation is around the corner Also, we mounted a new globe box to mount inside fusion fuel to begin to generate energy (actually only 2-5% of the energy is recovered) to increase >5x energy generation The electrodes were severy damaged in the last tests but not changed, we had no SD card to record images, but we prefer not to take videos instead erase the SD with hard rock music at the playback equipment that is more needed to work than have some images. In another way, we are building a 20x more powerful capacitor as long as existing ones are not powerful enough

Magnetic mirrors tested and Energy Recovery System improvements

In this test campaign, it is checked using magnetic mirrors and enhanced energy recovery systems.

Miranda’s seals have been received for inspection. On the other hand, some parts of the following Pulsotron device are being designed.

S3030 Test Setup

Regarding the tests, 3 different tests were carried out on the Pulsotron-3 machine working at 90% of the maximum voltage.

S3030 Test Sequence

The use of passive magnetic mirrors was tested as well as electrical energy recovery tests. In addition, some components have been added to the Pulsotron to improve performance and reduce energy leaks, for which it was partially dismantled, but the thunder chamber that was severely damaged after the last test campaign was definitely broken. Fortunately, this setback was planned and a new more robust one was built and installed, although it was also partially damaged, verifying that the notable increase in discharge was much higher, even greater than in the previous test, proving that it was not due to currents leak In the last test, the recovery of electrical energy was tested in differential mode with the return of energy in a star configuration resulting in that it received even more energy than before.

This is the first time that we have not had major breakdowns, neither in the Pulsotron nor in the sensors and also the results have been better than expected, but at the end, it was checked that the electrodes inside the combustion chamber were damaged and should be replaced

Combustion Chamber

 

 

Pulsotron-3 damaged after high inrush transient

In order to check the parts after the high power ray received back during the last tests, it was dismounted and tested every capacitor to look if they work. Their capacity was right, but it is clear they can not withstand working at full power, so it was decreased the working voltage to 87% of the maximum
The Electric Energy recovery system was upgraded by increase the cross-section of the power lines ten times, also it was installed 50W slow discharging resistors instead of the old 5W ones.

The new energy recovery system

Also, it was designed a new electric recovery coil named “thunder chamber”
Tests number 3026 and 3027 were successful but in the high-speed camera, it was detected sparks leakages under two capacitors, so isolation must be improved.
The thunder chamber was severy damaged but withstood to both tests

Now we have to decide if repair the Pulsotron-3 or build a new Pulsotron, as long as we have a plan on the deck that uses extreme discharging capacitors in order to improve to ten times the injected power.

In another way, during the tests, the energy recovery system works well, it was installed differential probes to avoid error measuring voltages due to common-mode error due current load along the ground lines

Also, it was tested a new device that increases the discharging current 33 times and produces a reduction of discharging time to 20%. Obviously the magnetic field is increased 33 times and the magnetic compression the square of it.

Test number S3027

Electric generation setup blown

In this week’s tests, it was intended to improve the electric recovery setup by making some modifications to check the electromagnetic transmission of energy.

It installed a second DC-link capacitor but before connecting, it was shortened the length of wires and tested.

In the third test, the coupling was very good and an extremely high current was flown inside the DC-link capacitor blowing its wires and also a 47-kiloohm 5W resistance installed for slow discharge the DC-ling capacitor between tests, but the capacitor was discharged at the beginning.

Here is the photo of the blown resistance:

Resistor blew at DC-link capacitor

Capture made during test number S3023:

 

Capture made during test number S3024:

Test number S3024

It is clear that a new transmission line must be installed between the electric energy recovery coils and the dc-link capacitors