projects I'm working on.

[Eratosthenes (Peter)]

AlexN,

I was looking at the concentric electrode geometry in a typical Fusor and the applied electric field is zero inside the inner electrode mesh cylinder - ie where the reactions occur.

[bert (Brett)]

Originally Posted by Bassnut

I got belted by 10kv DC, drew an arc 1 foot long and things got very strange very quickly. My arms thrashed around randomly totally out of control and when it all stopped I had no idea where I was or what I was doing there for a good 10mins. DC is far more dangerous as AC arcing tends to be self extinguishing. Be very careful. On the other hand, you can do some mad shiet with high voltage high amp DC. I made an electromagnetic gun with stored 1kv DC at 1kA (for milliseconds), shot bolts through walls. Also, feeding 10kv DC at some 5kA (with large stacked aluminium plate capacitors, easy to make) into a coil (very thick copper welding cable), you can create plasma balls. The coil instantly vaporises, but metallic stuff you put in the coil transforms in very interesting ways.

I always wondered why your hair looked like it does.

[Eratosthenes (Peter)]

...still waiting for your design drawings and experimental plan.....I hope you are still with us Alex.....

[AlexN]

Definitely still here. It's going to take some time between two kids and 65hrs a week + at work I'm basically squeezing this and online university into my late nights and weekends.

[Eratosthenes (Peter)]

...feeble excuses, Alex, you do realize that there are 168 hours in each and every week?
What are studying online if you don't mind me asking?

[AlexN]

I've just started again actually. Rebooting my brain with short course in applied mathematics then onto astronomy/astrophysics once I get my brain back into gear. I sort of, fell off the education bandwagon about 7 years ago. Feels good to be thinking again. And that beautiful feeling of being truly perplexed.. This is really the impetus behind my fusor project.

[Eratosthenes (Peter)]

Originally Posted by AlexN

I've just started again actually. Rebooting my brain with short course in applied mathematics then onto astronomy/astrophysics once I get my brain back into gear. I sort of, fell off the education bandwagon about 7 years ago. Feels good to be thinking again. And that beautiful feeling of being truly perplexed.. This is really the impetus behind my fusor project.

I gathered there must have been a link between the two (although there is a lot of physics and engineering involved in these "fusor" projects).

Education (whatever that may entail) tends to be a twin edged sword. One edge pushes you deeper towards discipline, conservative thought and rigidness whilst the other edge should open up the mind, and encourage creativity and questioning. (the latter heavily depends on the individual and to some extent on the teacher who can deliver lectures in an open and creative way or could also go the other way and hinder imagination and creative thought). Universities these days are often dictated to by Political and government ideologies, and contaminated by the corporate ethic of profit and power. Very sad to see fundamental research take a back seat these days, and research projects that potentially can deliver large profits for investors being favoured over other projects.

Anyway, over the past few years I have been experimenting with an old technology called "heat pipes" or thermal diodes - messing around with vacuums and the latent heat involved in the vaporisation/condensation process. Basically I have been trying to develop wickless heat pipe systems and moving away from standard tube geometries - panels and odd geometries so that efficiency and application can be enhanced

http://www.1-act.com/advanced-technologies/heat-pipes/#sthash.znzxz2cU.eHIs14rT.dpbs

[AlexN]

The big problem with online learning is it's all left to the individual.. Without your own sense of curiosity and your own motivation to apply what you learn in your own chosen way or to expand upon what you learnt and ask the how's and the why's then you will fall into that structured, disciplined, conservative learning style where by you can become what I call "text book smart" but you may never reach your real potential. I miss sitting in lectures, especially when your professor relished the opportunity to be challenged on an idea, or have other ideas brought to light to expand upon a discussion. Something sorely lacking from online learning.

[ChrisM]

Alex, some ambitious projects there!

You may get some ideas or further inspiration from the website of a guy in WA who loves playing with HV: http://tesladownunder.com/

And in relation to electrical safety, it's the volts that jolts, and the mills that kills. (that is 'mills' as in milliamps)

Chris