FAQ
Q: How do you know NanoFusion will work?
A: We don’t. That’s why we call it an experiment. There are a number of inherent advantages unique to NanoFusion.
Q: How will you know if NanoFusion works?
A: We will see neutrons from multiple detectors.
Q: What is your background?
A: I’m an inventor self taught in chemistry and physics. I read a lot of books.
Q: What experience do you have applying high energy density physics to create fusion?
A: I’m first.
Q: What makes you think you can do fusion without having a PhD?
A: What is generally called fusion is really ion collision fusion and is relatively easy. There a lots of regular people doing real fusion on a tabletop with Fusors. The problem with fusion is that reaching break-even with ions is hard.
Q: If NanoFusion works will it achieve break-even?
A: The main goal behind NanoFusion is to lower the minimum input energy required to do fusion. The chemical synthesis of NanoFusion is still very expensive.
Q: Isn’t NanoFusion just another name for cold fusion?
A: No. Cold fusion attempted to do fusion by electrolysis of heavy water on palladium without an additional energy source to heat/pressurize the fuel. NanoFusion uses very high powered lasers to heat nanoscale cages filled with deuterium.
Q: Doesn’t deuterium need to be ionized in order to to have enough energy to fuse?
A: No. Neutral fusion takes place in nature in Muon catalyzed fusion and also in Pycnonuclear fusion.
Q: Why do you want to fuse neutral deuterium?
A: It is shown in Pycnonuclear fusion that the electrons screen the nuclei from their coloumb repulsion thereby greatly increasing the fusion reaction rate once a suitable density/pressure is achieved.
Q: If it’s so much easier to do fusion with neutral deuterium why isn’t it more common?
A: Until NanoFusion there hasn’t been a way to impart energy on a dense target of deuterium without ionizing it first.
Q: Wouldn’t it be simple to just model NanoFusion out on a computer and determine if it will work or not?
A: NanoFusion is a very complicated multipart problem. First off we can’t find an answer for what pressure is required to do fusion of a single molecule of netural deuterium. Secondly temperature and pressure quantify the energy of multiple molecules bumping into each other. Inside of our fullerene we have repulsive forces of the container on the deuterium so the effect is better described as Coulomb or quantum pressure and not as regular pressure. We don’t know the quantum pressure within the fullerene once it contains a deuterium molecule. And we still haven’t taken into account how to model energy input sources like lasers/x-rays.
Q: Why not use nanotubes to shoot deuterium ions at each other.
A: Because ionized deuterium requires more energy to fuse than neutral deuterium.
Q: Who is helping you test NanoFusion?
A: We’re working with a few really brilliant award winning scientists in the areas of chemistry, physics, and fusion.
Q: What is the NanoFusion fuel?
A: D2@C60. A molecule of deuterium inside of a molecule of fullerene.
Q: Can you make the NanoFusion fuel D2@C60, is it stable?
A: Yes we have made the fuel and yes it is stable.
Q: How do you know there is D2 inside of the C60?
A: NMR.
Q: Why doesn’t NanoFusion use DT instead of D2, since the DT reaction requires only 1/10th the energy to do fusion?
A: We would if we could. (Contact us if you can make this happen.)
Q: Why not use some other cage like BN or Dodecahedrane?
A: The chemistry required to encapsulate D2 within other chemical cages is still unknown.
Q: What do you need to test NanoFusion?
A: Time on a fast, high powered laser (like the Texas Petawatt) or X-Ray source (like Berkeley’s ALS or Stanford’s LCLS) or C60 ion beam.
Q: Why don’t you work with LLNL and/or test at the NIF?
A: We’d love to.
Q: Won’t the laser deposit energy unevenly, causing the C60 to crack open and spill the deuterium?
A: We’re working with incredibly high speed lasers that deposit energy over a few femto-seconds. The fullerene is energized before it can fly apart.
Q: NanoFusion won’t work because the encapsulated atoms don’t feel any pressure/temperature from the walls.
A: When carbons lose their electrons they are very positively charged and repel other atoms. This repulsive Coulomb force is felt by all atoms including the neutral deuterium. When you remove the electrons that make up a spherical container, the ions explode outward. According to Newton’s third law there will be an equal and opposite force pressing inward from all directions upon the fuel.
Q: NanoFusion won’t work because you simply can’t produce enough pressure/temperature to do fusion.
A: NanoFusion doesn’t require nearly as much energy as traditional fusion systems because the deuterium is neutral, contained, and optimized.
Q: You’re wasting all of the beam energy heating the carbon cage that could be used to heat deuterium directly.
A: That is the only way to protect the fuel from ionization and still impart energy on it.
Q: Why not use an X-Ray tuned to the resonance of the C60 or D2 directly?
A: Great question.
Q: So assuming this works you source material is 60 carbons and 2 deuteriums and yet you only only produce one neutron per molecule. It doesn’t seem like NanoFusion fuel is dense enough to matter.
A: We only have to do fusion to make a discovery. We can tune our target afterwards to increase the density.
Q: Laser fusion techniques are too inefficient to ever reach break even therefore any laser target is a waste of time.
A: Once we understand the minimum input energy required to do fusion we can tune our inputs and target to be more efficient.
Q: How are you financed, can I invest?
A: We are a small privately held company. We are not looking for funding but we are open to discussions with technical and accredited investors.
If you would like to help with NanoFusion or have a questions not covered by this FAQ please Contact Us.