Why Hydrogen Needs to be Compressed for Fusion - the Proton-Proton Reaction

Previously I said that two head-on deuterium plasma jets could be used to create fusion energy by directly fusing deuterium into helium. I have found that the process/device I have patented (http://www.ipaustralia.gov.au/patents/search_index.shtml Invention no. 2009100970) also can be used to create energy by fusing hydrogen at an even lower velocity. However a much higher plasma density is required (the same plasma density as at the core of the sun - but using this device easy to achieve).

Deuterium fusion, as in Tokamacs, has a coulomb barrier of 4 x 10^8 Kelvin. This is a measure of the repulsive force of two deuterons before they penetrate the electrostatic repulsive force, the coulomb barrier, and fuse into helium.

However the coulomb barrier between two protons (hydrogen nuclei) is far less. It is 1.5 x 10^7 Kelvin. 30 x less.

As is generally known the steps towards hydrogen fusing into helium are as follows:

1. A pair of protons fuse, forming a deuterium nucleus, a deuteron.
2. The deuteron fuses with an additional proton to form Helium 3.
3. Two Helium 3 nuclei fuse to create Beryllium 6, but this is unstable and disintigrates into two protons amd Helium 4.
4. The reaction also releases two neutrons, two positrons, gamma rays and a great deal of heat energy.

Thus it takes 30 x less energy (relative velocity) to initiate fusion of two hydrogen nuclei (protons) than it does for deuterium. This releases sufficient energy for the fusion process to continue until Helium is created, if the density conditions are right.

What conditions are necessary? A very high density of the plasma. The various different nuclei need to be numerous enough and close enough together to raise the probability that sufficient numbers of the correct nuclei collide so that a sustainable reaction is created. In effect there is a critical or minium density of the hydrogen plasma required. This is the same density as in the core of the sun, where this fusion reaction creates the neccessary heat and light which reaches Earth.

At this point most scientists turn off and say that this density is impossible to achieve on Earth. However this density is exactly what the plasma accelerator I have invented is designed to achieve.

Very high acceleration causes very high pressure and density in the plasma. The higher the acceleration the higher the plasma density which is produced. There comes a point where the critical plasma density necessary for hydrogen fusion is created.

If two hydrogen plasmas with the necessary high density and necessary high velocities collide, hydrogen fusion would be initiated. Conceptually very simple.

A further benefit is that, while this device could also create deuterium fusion, a much lower relative veolcity is required for hydrogen fusion. There is a trade-off between the higher velocity required for deuterium fusion against the higher acceleration and lower velocity required for hydrogen fusion.

As hydrogen is a lot more common than deuterium, the easy achievement of hydrogen fusion is a major benefit. As described below electricity generation using this device is technically and conceptually feasible. Cheap unexhaustible energy is now achievable!

The race is on for the Nobel Prize!