Fusion Skunkworks
The Fusion Skunkworks will take place as part of the Innovative Confinement Concepts Workshop,
from Tuesday, June 24 through Friday, June 27, 2008 at the University of Nevada, Reno. We
are looking for folks who like to invent fusion schemes -- from the seasoned diehard to
the novice. Fusion has so many possibilities that some new idea or a radical twist on
an old idea could still prove to be the key.
The skunkworks will consist of a "breakout" session within the ICC 2008 Workshop for oral presentations and discussions, along with one or more poster session. A program committee will set the agenda for oral presentations. All papers are welcome at the poster session.
Titles and a brief one-paragraph abstract for potential talks should be submitted NO LATER THAN Monday March 31, 2008 to Simon Woodruff at skunkworks@fusionnow.org
Ground rules:
- A skunkwork talk can include significant new twists on old ideas, combinations of ideas that together offer a qualitative advantage, or completely new ideas and new opportunities created by technology advances.
- A skunkwork talk should introduce the concept in relation to other existing ideas, or briefly summarize the history of the concept if it is a twist to an old idea. Explain the nature of the concept: magnetic or inertial, hybrid, pulsed, steady-state, or in terms of the driver for compression. A concept sketch with major system components detailed would be very useful.
- Ideas must pass the physics, technology and economic plausibility tests (not rely on unrealistic convergences, or impossibly strong magnetic fields). Explain with some basic modeling how the concept works (analytical models are fine).
- Some explanation of how to attain gains of interest to energy production is important (how does the concept scale? How will break-even be obtained?)
- Steady state devices must pass the zeroth order economics test: estimate the weight of the high-tech portion of your concept and multiply by $80/kG. If the answer is > 1B$, then the idea loses to standard concepts. Similarly for pulsed devices - try to answer the Kopek problem (estimate the cost per pulse).
- No low temperature fusion unless you can demonstrate either unambiguous results or plausible barrier penetration schemes!
Skunkworks
A skunkworks is a group of people whom, in order to achieve unusual results, work on a project in a way that is outside the usual rules. Skunkworks is often a small team that assumes or is given responsibility for developing something in a short time with minimal management constraints. Typically, a skunkworks has a small number of members in order to reduce communications overhead. A skunkworks is sometimes used to spearhead a product design that thereafter will be developed according to the usual process. A skunkworks project may be secret.
The name originated in the Lil'Abner cartoon strip; the "Skonckworks" was the place where Kikapoo Joy Juice was clandestinely brewed. The word, modified to "Skunkworks", became the nickname for Lockheed's Advanced Project Division in Los Angeles just after WWII where many innovative (and then secret) airframe designs were born, e.g., the U2 and the SR-71 Blackbird. We like what Harry Newton says in Newton's Telecom Dictionary: "Term for usually-secret high-pressure/high-tech research group in a company or government, often populated by people who don't see much sunlight or soap. Hence the name, skunkworks."
