Posts by Paradigmnoia

@Alan Smith
I have some 16 Ga already, thanks.
15 Ga was mentioned in one of the IH-Rossi patent applications, so I was looking for some of that size for a while.
Seems to be special order stuff. And a pain to use as heater in short lengths.
I was just attempting to see if a Lugano Coil as described in the application was feasible. I managed with 14 Ga, so it is.
Except for the 2.650 Ω/ft specifcation, which does not seem possible in wire of anything like 15 Ga.

Quote from Wyttenbach

What if Rossi was his own customer?

In the case that you propose, Mr Johnson, president of JM Chemical Products, and Lawyer, would have lied on his affidavit, which would have serious consequences, IMHO
See page 25, Exhibit B

This is the science thread, BTW.

@radombit
To summarize: The Optris is a type of spectral radiometer. It can use the spectral radiance it can see in its limited spectral bandwidth to calculate the blackbody equivalent temperature appropriate to the radiance detected in its limited bandwidth. A user function for ε is entered to adjust the calculated blackbody temperature to a greybody equivalent. This allows for correct determination of a surface temperature when the user function ε value, specific to the Optris and its spectral detection bandwidth, is correct for the spectral radiance in the same band of the object, and detected by the Optris.
Calculating the total emissive power of the same object requires knowing and integrating the total radiance in all IR bands, even those that cannot be "seen" by the Optris camera. In a perfect greybody, or a perfect blackbody, this value will be effectively the same as the value for ε used for the Oprtris to detect the same temperature.

In a blackbody, ε is 1.0, and each wavelength produces the maximum power possible for that wavelength due to a given temperature. A greybody produces a portion of the total possible, (less than an ε of 1.0), but at the same percentage of the maximum power in all wavelengths due to a given temperature. If the greybody ε is 0.5, for example, then the ε for all wavelengths is 0.5.

However, alumina is not a greybody or blackbody. It is a selective emitter, and therefore the radiance in each wavelength at a given temperature is not the same, (although they may be similar within local parts of the band immediately adjacent to any one selected area). This means that selecting a band of wavelengths, and determining the correct ε, this ε will not be same for other bands or wavelengths in a different area of the IR spectrum of the alumina. This in effect means that due to the spectral band that the Optris uses, the appropriate ε for determining temperature in that band cannot be applied to the total emissive power calculations. In the case of alumina, the spectral band used by the Optris sees a high emissivity region of alumina, while in shorter and longer IR wavelengths outside of the spectral detection range of the Optris, the alumina is more transparent to IR, and has therefore has a lower emissivity.

Using the emissivity value used for the spectral detection range of the Optris at a given temperature to calculate total emissive power of alumina will over-estimate the power radiated as a function of temperature.

Using the emissivity value required to correctly calculate the total emissive power of alumina (ie: Plot 1) to adjust the Optris calculations of temperature relative to the spectrally detected radiance (between 7.5 to 13 microns) will cause the Oprtis to overestimate the temperature.

Using an overestimated temperature, and the correct total emissivity value will over estimate total emissive power due to temperature.

In a selective emitter, it is possible for the total radiant power to exceed the total emissive power calculated with the correct ε and temperature, possibly substantially. The transmitted radiance must be measured separately in the bands in which it is effectively transmitted, and is dependent on its source IR emission spectrum. Transmitted IR energy can be radiated without heating the object, since it is not absorbed, and can occur outside of the detection band of a spectrally sensitive IR detector (like an Optris).

@Wyttenbach

The use of thoriated welding rods is being discontinued to due to long term occupational safety hazards.

While they generally have not been banned outright, discontinuation of production and diminution of supply by consumption and non-replenishment succeeds in the same overall effect of eliminating them from the market. The newer rare earth doped rods were not readily accepted by welders (who almost always oppose any change unless it definitely makes their work easier), but now dominate the market, and have been greatly improved in the past several years as the newer rod metallurgy and welding characteristics were optimized.

Thousands of welders originally resisted the change to wire feed welders, since they could not pause and have a smoke while changing to a new stick, and there was no reason to stop welding until a roll of wire was used up or whatever they were welding was complete (whichever comes first), so they felt they were being worked like slaves...

I have no desire to load up on thoriated rods.

http://www.twi-global.com/tech…ated-tungsten-electrodes/

I am not a fan of bullets, and less so of uranium-bearing bullets. In war, normal common sense goes out the window.

I thought 50 mm of rock wool was bog standard boiler insulation.

@Alan Smith
I wasn't thinking of electrocution hazard, although there is that potential... Standing back is a good idea, but does not help much for X-rays unless you stand waaay back.
The pinch effect of a spark can initiate X-rays with keV energies up to 3 times the kV potential that initiates the spark.
I know this has been tested at low kV potentials, but I don't know about high kV potentials. There probably is some upper limit.

Quote from Dewey Weaver

We have since found out why he needed to take that position.

Rossi was operating a robotocized factory and making Fluid Heaters or Quarks with the heat?

@Peter Ekstrom
The thorium improves the arc, arc striking, and current capacity of the tungsten while decreasing the wear on the electrode points. I think it reduces the work function. (Thorium oxide is used, not the pure metal).
I was told while purchasing pure tungsten rods, that if I was interested in thoriated rods, that I should load up before they are gone.

Edit: Quickly looking at work function values, W is 4.32 to 5.22 eV, while Th is 3.4 eV. Throriated tungsten has a work function of 2.63 eV. So that is a significant improvement.

Re: thoriated rods.
The thoriated rods are being phased out, and are banned in some jurisdictions. For the most part they are just being inventory depleted and no longer being made.

Lanthanated and ceriated rods have taken their place, and generally have better performance than the thoriated rods.

I am certainly interested to see what happens. A little worried, but excited.
I guess they know what they are making, and are preparing for it.
The conversion rate to X-rays is usually low, and the spark might not be as efficient as a dedicated electron beam, so maybe it won't be super nasty. But it sure has the, ahem, potential to be nasty.

Careful, or you will make an X-Ray tube.
4 kV isn't too bad.
20 kV and tungsten, and an X-Ray tube is pretty much guaranteed.
Edit: I just watched the video again. 400 kV! Yikes.

I am surprised that no one has come up with the conspiracy theory that the factory on the other side of the wall was busy boiling water and sending it back to the plant side of the wall....

Thanks to Omega Z for reminding me of this.
The Dots affixed to the HT2 reactor, where ε was determined to be between 0.76 and 0.8 . In this version, the device is painted black, and presumed to be a greybody. (Might want to double check the ε for total radiant power on that one. But seems not unreasonable in this case).

I'll need to think on this example a bit more, but the contrast from an ε of 0.95 for the Dots compared to the reactor body of ε 0.76 to 0.8 seems to favor something similar for the Lugano device.

I was suggesting an idea towards two things at once.

Possibly safety, in that nasty fission products are more abundant or likely with higher Z elements, especially when radioactive things are stuck in or around a reactor to begin with.
Spewing things that are already known to be radioactive around in an accident is also a possibility.

That for accounting purposes, keeping fission products as energy consumers, and fusion products as energy releasers, that the overall energy balance might be easier to work out. Maybe not. But keeping things simpler might help.

Just something to consider. Discard the idea if you prefer. (I'm not going to argue here for it or anything).

Like privacy, there is something to be said for brevity.

I find that if I only read the first sentence in Hank's paragraphs, (I almost can't help it after déjà vu kicks in), that is enough to read what he means to say.

I suggest to your materials to a Z of less than 28, mass of 64. At least until you are certain you know what is going on.

Woodford owns IH. They have enough shares to replace the board and do a change of business to anything. Maybe even rehabilitating goldfish saved from illegal release in ponds and waterways.

It seems to me that the Kullander materials were called "new" and "old", rather than "fuel" and "ash".
Although that may be a purely semantic distinction, it might instead be a more accurate distinction.

Here's multi MW boilers in a basement.
http://www.supaflex-agencies.c…t-london-bridge-city.html

My grandmother used to say that the longer you throw dung, the more the smell sticks to your hands.