• Direct energy conversion - alpha particles to electricity

    From bob.montgomery.jr@gmail.com@21:1/5 to All on Fri Feb 21 12:09:12 2020
    The method of conversion is referenced in 'Kanngiesser Karl-Werner., D. Hartmut Huang,
    Hans Peter Lips and Georg Wild. HVDC Systems and their Planning Siemens EV HA 7, Siemens
    Monographien, München (1994)'.

    In the proposed spherical reactor, the shell is charged at -1.4MV while the central HB11 target is oppositely charged. "For conversion of most of the 2.99 MeV α-particle energy into electrostatic energy, the particles have to be slowed down by
    an electric field of −1.4 MV."; "On the basis of an avalanche process during up to 1 ns duration, the energy in the α-particles is more than 1 GJ (277 kWh)."

    (https://www.physics.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/LPB%202015%20Fusion%20Energy%20Laser%20Pulses.pdf )

    Generated alphas have ( H +11 B = 3^4 He + 8.7MeV) 8.7/3 = 2.9MeV of kinetic energy "slowed" ?contained? by the spherical -1.4MV E field, initially the alhpas/electrons are confined by the 10kT 'cylindrical', really somewhat of a stretched prolate
    toroidal field between two amperian loops, and would be 'shot' out one end of it as a dispersing cloud of electric charges in a plasma of Helium and unspent Boron fragments. The charged plasma might be somewhat contained by the spherical electrostatic
    counter-field.

    Using the provided 277kWH figure, (Also 1GJ = 0.28 MWH ) and iterating reactions at 1Hz intervals, the alpha particles initially at least have 2.99MeV of kinetic energy, and since KE=qV, energy of electrons in electron-volts numerically the same as the
    voltage between the plates of a capacitor, and W/V=A the instantaneous (per second) wattage of 277 KWH in ~1 sec is about 76 KW, divided by 2.99MeV = 25 milliAmps of current at 3MV would have to be drained from the sphere, and quickly, as fig 7. in the
    paper illustrates a rapidly-dissipating longitudinal E field, presumably accompanied by linearly inverse increases in current as voltage drops.

    The "714 Amp averaged between each fusion reaction" or 714 Coulombs/sec, or 714 * 6.2415 × 10E+18, or 4.45E+21 electrons somewhere between the outer reactor shell and the HB11 reaction assembly at it's center would likely have to be coaxed about
    magnetically in order for an initially anisotropic charge cloud to be confined, at least long enough to drain it's electric potential. The reaction vessel and external power-conversion electronics would need to be designed as a 714*whateverVoltage Farad
    capacitor to directly electroscatically capture the charge of the plasma.

    There are half-dozen ways of direct energy conversion from plasma, conveniently described in Wikipedia. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_energy_conversion ).

    Combined megavoltage potentials and high, greater than nanofarad, electrostatic capacitance is somwehat of an oxymoron implying large plate surface areas which have to be in close proximity yet not so close as to counter the tendancy of corona arcs
    across a conductive plasma. An ignited plasma at human time-scales is essentially a direct short, but again the W. article shows the high-energy physics crowd has tricks for charge extraction from plasmas.

    Whatever means used to drain the charge it seems would have to be effective in about half-cycle at about one or two GHz, before the E-field dissipates, to feed a switched inductor which in turn would feed a switched series-connected string of
    capacitors. Plasma+confinement vessel, external inductor and capacitor string all would have carefull matched impedances at the operating frequency to facilitate charge transfer e.g. of a few MV and a few 10s of mA of current within ns-scale frequency
    cycles (=GHz)

    Though there doesn't appear to be a source for the Kanngiesser Siemens reference, there appears to be a related patent

    ( https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/5f/3a/1f/b606f81a0c97a0/US4429357.pdf )

    Which just describes one aspect of industry-standard switched electronic power conversion, e.g. downconversion or cross-conversion of high-tension high-frequency power to mains poly(3)phase frequency.

    Essentially switches in the series-connected string of capacitors disconnect the capacitors from the plasma generator, and from each other,and each capcaitor, now at some megavoltage divided by numbers, perhaps hundreds or thousands of capacitors, and/
    or groups of capacitors are reconnected shorter strings and all strings in parallel, effectively dividing the voltage and multiplying the amperage, and that potential can be then switched in sync with mains waveforms to deliver power to the grid. 3MV@
    25ma = 75KVA = 0.68A @110KV = 6,250A@110V

    High frequency switching power converters are everywhere - in power cubes, PCs, handhelds, EV powertrains, and are scaling up to megawatt utiltiy distribution and transmission, soon will be replacing pole and EHV distribution transmission and regional-
    grid interconnect transformers. Google "Electronic power conversion" or "buck-boost" to open the door to further references.

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