Thursday, February 19, 2009

Surplus

The below video is a test firing of a surplus laser. Here is a picture of the laser:

Diode Laser

And the video of the laser firing:


Fire the Laser! from famulus fusion on Vimeo.

It is amazing what people are doing with industrial and government surplus these days. It is amazing what we can do with materials. Like high powered diode lasers. What is even more amazing is that famulus fusion is setting up his laser welding facilities not because he is interested in laser welding per se, but because he wants a laser welding tool to assist him in building a Polywell Fusion test reactor. There is a man with a dream and a will. And no small dream either. He is building a Polywell with Super Conducting magnets. If he gets a move on it will be the first such device in the world.

Why hasn't Polywell Fusion been funded by the Obama administration?
Bussard's IEC Fusion Technology (Polywell Fusion) Explained

Cross Posted at Classical Values

5 comments:

RavingDave said...

I applaude the idea but I find it hard to believe this man is undertaking a serious effort. I cannot see how a laser welding system is essential when it seems to me an ordinary welding system (mig,tig) would work just fine.

Seriously, the bigger problems in my estimation are making a vacum chamber with air tight feed throughs, pulling a hard vacum, and making decent magnets. I don't see where needing a laser (that barely burns wood) even shows up on the list.

David

M. Simon said...

People not under compulsion and with more time than money often do things in ways that interest them.

In the end he may not get what he wants - but he will get an education.

Hoots said...

Which reminds me...
Don't forget to look into plasma arc gasification technology. I heard just enough to get my curiosity going and it seems to have been around for six or eight years now. Wikipedia has an article. But for some reason it isn't on any of the media radar screens I have seen.
As I said, just curious. And you're as close to a technical expert as I know.

M. Simon said...

Hoots,

The idea of plasma reduction of waste is an old one. I was hearing about it in the 60s.

The question is: is it economical for large scale waste processing? We won't know until we have some large plants running for a few years.

Hoots said...

Thanks. It's an old idea but new to me.
That explains why it's not being talked about.
Now I know.
I'll be keeping an eye on a project now under development in North Georgia.