New Insight into Gridded Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) Fusion Devices

Gridded inertial electrostatic confinement (IEC) devices use a 10-200 kV voltage difference to accelerate ions through a 0.1-10 mTorr background gas in a spherical or cylindrical geometry. The detailed investigation of a gridded IEC device using DD fuel has resulted in several surprises that have greatly altered our perception of how these systems operate. It was found that there are at least 4 major misconceptions that have been in place for over 15 years on how such IEC systems operate. These misconceptions range all the way from what energetic ion is causing the majority of fusions, to the energy and charge state of the reacting ions. Experimental results will illustrate some of the surprising reactions that are taking place in DD gridded system.