Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor

The most successful fusion device ever created was developed by one of America s top inventors, Philo T. Farnsworth. In 1968, he and Robert Hirsch patented a functional hot fusion reactor called a Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor (patent 3,386,883). He conceived it in 1953 and built the first working model in 1959. Prior to the invention of this instrument, fuel such as deuterium or tritium was fired from small particle accelerators toward a central point where it fused upon... 

The Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor is different from previous fusion devices in that it consists of two spherical electrodes, one inside the other. The nuclei are drawn toward the exterior negative electrode but then captured within the positively charged interior vessel. Once inside, the nuclei can t escape because they are repelled by the positively charged interior sphere. By the late 1960s, Farnsworth had occasionally observed self-sustained fusion for as long as 30 seconds after the power was turned off. 

All attempts to scale up this device have failed for a variety of reasons. They never generate more energy than is applied. Today, the Farnsworth-Hirsch fusor is sold as a neutron-generating device. 

---

See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

---