1. Excess heat, gamma radiation production from an unconventional LENR device —Tadahiko Mizuno, Ph.D., of Hokkaido University in Japan, has reported the production of excess heat generation and gamma ray emissions from an unconventional LENR device that uses phenanthrene, a type of hydrocarbon, as a reactant. He is the author of the book "Nuclear Transmutation: The Reality of Cold Fusion." (ENVR 049, Monday, March 23, 3:35 p.m., Hilton, Alpine Ballroom West, during the symposium, "New Energy Technology.")
Anomalous heat generation during hydrogenation of carbon hydride
Tadahiko Mizuno, email@example.com, Department of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kitaku kita13 nishi8, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan, Fax: 81-11-706-7835
We observed anomalous heat generation during the process of heating a small quantity of phenanthrene that was put in a cylinder with a Pt catalyzer and filled with high pressure hydrogen gas. It is very difficult to explain the total energy generation on the basis of a conventional mechanism that describes the chemical reaction chain, because almost all of the phenanthrene and hydrogen gas remained in the reaction chamber as if it was before starting the experiment. There were no reaction products such as other chemical compounds. The heat generation sometimes reached values of 0.1kW and continued for several hours. Moreover, we have confirmed gamma ray emission at the same time. In particular cases, we observed that both processes, heat generation and gamma ray emission, were running simultaneously as processes correlated to each other. We confirmed the same result that shows good reproducibility by specifically taking care of the temperature and the pressure control within the reactor.
2. New evidence supporting production and control of low energy nuclear reactions — Antonella De Ninno, Ph.D., a scientist with New Technologies Energy and Environment in Italy, will describe evidence supporting the existence of low energy nuclear reactions. She conducted lab experiments demonstrating the simultaneous production of both excess heat and helium gas, tell-tale evidence supporting the nuclear nature of LENR. She also shows that scientists can control the phenomenon. (ENVR 064, Tuesday, March 24, 10:10 a.m., Hilton, Alpine Ballroom West, during the symposium, "New Energy Technology)
It is time to envisage a research program with the aim to move from the proof of the principle directing the attention towards a working prototype able to produce sustainable cheaply available energy. Major problems still to be solved are: a) the reproducibility of the effect not yet suitable for use by representative users; b) the structural weakness of the cathodes and the inability to resist on several loading-deloading cycles; c) the design of a "reactor" able to collect most of the energy produced and to transfer it to an engine; and d) the existence of nuclear reactions different from d+d production, other nuclear fragments and its potential application. Even though many questions are still open and many problems are in need to be solved, the LENR research has made significant progress in the past that is to be regarded within the framework of scientific acceptance and as serious contribution to create an alternative energy source for our future.
An experimental "cold fusion" device produced this pattern of "triple tracks" (shown at right), which scientists say is caused by high-energy nuclear particles resulting from a nuclear reaction (Credit: Pam Boss, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR))
New experimental results bolster the case for Cold Fusion.
Pamela Mosier-Boss and colleagues at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) in San Diego, California, are claiming to have made a "significant" discovery – clear evidence of the products of cold fusion. Tracks of energetic Neutrons are being detected.
the results of Pd–D co-deposition experiments conducted with the cathode in close contact with CR-39, a solid-state nuclear etch detector, are reported. Among the solitary tracks due to individual energetic particles, triple tracks are observed. Microscopic examination of the bottom of the triple track pit shows that the three lobes of the track are splitting apart from a center point. The presence of three α-particle tracks outgoing from a single point is diagnostic of the 12C(n,n′)3α carbon breakup reaction and suggests that DT reactions that produce ≥9.6 MeV neutrons are occurring inside the Pd lattice. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the production of energetic (≥9.6 MeV) neutrons in the Pd–D system.
As with everything involving cold fusion there is still dispute about the latest research.
Steven Krivit, editor of the New Energy Times, has been following the cold fusion debate for many years and also spoke at the ACS conference. "Their hypothesis as to a fusion mechanism I think is on thin ice … you get into physics fantasies rather quickly and this is an unfortunate distraction from their excellent empirical work," he told New Scientist.
Krivit thinks cold fusion remains science fiction. Like many in the field, he prefers to categorise the work as evidence of "low energy nuclear reactions", and says it can be explained without relying on nuclear fusion.