HA HA HA!
Posted on 07/04/2012 8:23:16 AM PDT by Kevmo
EU Body Recommends Research in LENR, Hails Fleischmann & Pons Effect
July 3, 2012
The European Union’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation has published a 2012 document entitled “Industrial Technologies Material Unit Forward Looking Workshop on Materials for Emerging Energy Technologies” which identifies, summarizes, and evaluates a number of potentially useful energy technologies, and makes recommendations about them to the European Commission. The document was the product of a workshop held on October 28, 2011 in Brussels, Belgium with the purpose of identifying low-carbon energy solutions that could enter into the marketplace by 2050.
One section of the document (3.4) deals with Low Energy Nuclear Reactions in Condensed Matter. Surprisingly, the section starts out with a definition of the Fleischmann and Pons (FPE) and states without a hint of irony or qualification:
The Fleischmann and Pons Effect (FPE) is the production of large amounts of heat, which could not be attributed to chemical reactions, during electrochemicalloading of palladium cathodes with deuterium. Energy densities measured during excess of power are tens, hundreds, and even thousands times larger than the maximum energy associated to any known chemical process. On the basis of the present status of knowledge the large amount of energy may be ascribed to a nuclear process only . . .
The most intriguing feature of the phenomenon is the substantial lack of the expected nuclear emissions associated with the excess of power production ascribed to a deuteriumdeuterium nuclear fusion process.
Following a fairly detailed technical discussion of the FPE the section concludes with recommendations that LENR be a topic of future discussion and research, saying that LENR has “unlimited and sustainable future energy technology potential.”
Needless to say, this is quite a surprising report and recommendation to come out of an official scientific report of an EU agency, especially since it looks very kindly and positively on the work of Fleischmann and Pons who have for years been virtual outcasts in the scientific community. No mention is made here of any of the work involving nickel and hydrogen reactions — but it’s interesting to see this workshop was held on the same day that Andrea Rossi was carrying out the test of his first 1 MW plant in Bologna.
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3.4 Low Energy Nuclear Reactions in Condensed Matter:
The study of the Fleischman & Pons
Effect through Materials Science
Development
The Fleischmann and Pons Effect (FPE)
is the production of large amounts of
heat, which could not be attributed to
chemical reactions, during
electrochemical loading of palladium
cathodes with deuterium. Energy
densities measured during excess of
power are tens, hundreds, and even
thousands times larger than the
maximum energy associated to any
known chemical process. On the basis of
the present status of knowledge the
large amount of energy may be ascribed
to a nuclear process only. The effect
takes place with deuterium and not with
hydrogen; in this case the assumed
mechanism is a nuclear reaction
between deuterons into the palladium
lattice .
The most intriguing feature of the
phenomenon is the substantial lack of
the expected nuclear emissions
associated with the excess of power
production ascribed to a deuteriumdeuterium
nuclear fusion process. A
possible explanation is a modified
nuclear decay channel, for the D-D
reaction, into the condensed matter .
ENEA, SRI and NRL have been involved
within review programs in the US and in
Italy. The main task was to
demonstrate, on the basis of signals well
above the measurement uncertainties
and with a cross check, the existence of
the excess of heat production during
electrochemical loading of deuterium in
palladium cathodes. The target was
achieved and the existence of the effect
is no longer in doubt. The complete
reproducibility of the effect and the
amplitude of the signals are not yet
under control since this target will
require the definition of the
phenomenon. Recent data, in open
literature, shows that, into the
condensed matter (i.e. Pd, Ti, PdO), the
cross section of the deuteriumdeuterium
fusion reaction, at low
energy, is some orders of magnitude
higher than the expected value. In this
case the typical products of the reaction
are observed but a new screening effect,
in the order of several hundreds of eV, is
observed .
Now in order to take into account the
variety of phenomena, the discipline
under investigation can be defined as
Low Energy Nuclear Reactions in
Condensed Matter (LENR) and
Condensed Matter Nuclear Science
(CMNS) .
The role of materials research in
emerging energy technologies
The experimental evidence highlighted
that material science is crucial for
24 Forward Looking Workshop on Materials for Emerging Energy Technologies
developing such an energy technology .
A better control of the effect has been
achieved by means of a material science
approach. Material design, even if at a
preliminary level, led to an improved
control in the reproduction of the
phenomena. The status of the material
increasing the probability to observe the
effect can be summarized in three
points:
•The excess of power production is
a D concentration threshold
effect. For such a reason a proper
metallurgy has been identified to
enhance the deuterium mass
transfer and solubility into the Pd
lattice to achieve the threshold
atomic ratio D/Pd = > 0.9 .
•The crystal orientation (100) on
the surface of the palladium
cathodes was also correlated to
the occurrence of the effect .
•The proper morphology, defined
by means of the distribution of
surface roughness is also
correlated to the probability of
having the effect .
These features have been identified as
necessary conditions for observing the
phenomenon. The evidence that
identical observations of an excess of
power have been conducted by different
institutions by use of the palladium
cathodes (belonging to the same lots of
material) increased the level of attention
for such an approach. Material science is
the key for understanding since some
material characteristics are supporting
some processes and others are not. The
main advantages of the LENR
technology are:
•Energy source is unlimited and
available everywhere .
•High power density .
•Absence of environmental impact .
Fig.3.4.1 is showing a 500 mW excess of
power produced by a designed material .
The plot of temperature evolution shows
a bump in the increase of the electrolyte
temperature correlated to the
occurrence of the excess of heat
production revealed by the calorimeter .
The delay between the excess of power
burst and the electrolyte temperature
increase is due to the calorimeter time
constant .
Fig.3.4.2 shows the surface morphology,
after etching, of a designed sample
(mostly 100 oriented) .
Fig. 3.4.1 500 mW excess of power
given by a designed material
25
Fig. 3.4.2 Surface morphology of a
designed sample
Technical and non-technical needs
and bottlenecks
Technical needs:
•ENEA and NRL have identified some
conditions characterizing the status
of the material necessary to
increase the probability for
observing the effect. Further
research on material science
concerning the structure and the
nano-structure of the materials
should be carried out in order to
define both the mechanism and the
trigger .
•Materials characterization before,
during and after the occurrence of
the effect is crucial to achieve the
full control of the phenomenon
through its understanding. The
definition of the phenomenon will
open the research field to other
metals or to specifically designed
materials .
•Proper diagnostics and a systematic
approach are required to study how
the status of the material modifies
both the mass transfer into the
lattice and the electrochemical
interface .
•X ray diffraction, SEM, TEM and AFM
microscopy, XPS, Mass
Spectrometry, are appropriate for
investigating and characterizing the
samples. Electrochemical
spectroscopy is, instead,
appropriate for identifying, “in situ”,
the status of the electrochemical
interface to be correlated with both
the material and the surface
features able to produce the effect .
•The effect takes place only with D in
Pd, therefore a search for ashes
(mainly He and Tritium) have to be
included into the research program
as a further task in order to define
the effect .
Non technical needs
The research is currently limited by
economic and technical reasons,
particularly in Europe. Funding the
research should be the target to achieve
a critical mass on a multidisciplinary
level. There are only few academic
institutions working on this research
field and an increasing number of these
institutions need to be involved, along
with a network, particularly in Europe .
26 Forward Looking Workshop on Materials for Emerging Energy Technologies
Opportunities, synergies and
common themes
The research is multidisciplinary and
involves remarkable synergies and
complementarities with other
technologies for energy. The study for
electrodic kinetics on porous or
patterned catalytic materials has a
general interest for applications in the
field of fuel cells in addition to other
electrochemical processes. The control
of the hydrogen isotopes mass transfer
and solubility in metal hydrides also has
an extraordinary link with hydrogen
storage and palladium based membrane
separation technologies. In addition it
should be considered that such a
technology, in perspective, may give, a
heat source at about 100 °C and this
opens a possible link with other
emerging energy technologies such as
thermoelectrical materials and
thermoacustics jointly with piezoelectric
materials. Common themes are
catalysis, electrocatalysis, nanostructured,
nano-photonic and sintering
materials. Modelling and simulation,
mostly based on first principles
calculation, have a very important role
because of the importance of developing
a theoretical frame explaining the effect .
Recommendations to the
Commission
•Include LENR in FP7 calls as
research on materials as it has
unlimited and sustainable future
energy technology potential .
•Support the study in material
science as a strategic approach to
achieve the control of the
technology .
•Support workshops, meetings,
visiting exchanges in Europe and
between European and US research
institutions .
•Focus on the fundamental research
aspects because of the synergy with
other disciplines.
The Cold Fusion Ping List
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/coldfusion/index?tab=articles
Original reference article was found on ECat world
http://www.e-catworld.com/2012/07/eu-body-recommends-research-in-lenr-hails-fleischmann-pons-effect/
If they are now going to dig up the F & Pons corpse, why not Lysenko, and then witch doctors?
F&P are still alive. So if you want to advocating digging up their corpses, you’ll need to kill them off first.
LENR ping!!
A government body endorses E-Cat in any way, shape or form? I’m not sure I’d be announcing this too proudly, as government bodies tend to endorse things like Solyndra.
This is an endorsement of LENR, not "E-Cat". And it is an endorsement of the need to do real science on the topic, instead of succumbing to the knee-jerk negative maunderings of the skeptopaths.
If we were to spend ONE PERCENT of what has already been spent on hot fusion ($250 BILLION), we would know one way or another SCIENTIFICALLY if LENR can be made to yield practical amounts of power. Instead, we have jerks like the MIT Professor(s) who interfered with the investment of even a few thousands of dollars of PRIVATE funding to investigate LENR at MIT.
But the process is known even if kept secret. And the E-Cats are ready to roll off the robotic assembly lines. Any day now, this year for certain or the next at least the practical, proven E-Cats will be heating water and producing electricity around the world.
I like your optimism!
LENR, COLD FUSION, FOCUS-POCUS, now consists of one failed unit sitting in a warehouse.
Note the word "scientifically" above. Even if Rossi's device turns out to be all he says, it is unlikely that it will be the final word on the technology.
More likely is that it will turn out to be the equivalent of the Newcomen steam engine (or even Hero's).
I very seriously doubt that a pure nickel nanopowder will be the best fuel formulation. I suspect that a combination of ceramic and metallic particles will yield significantly higher operating temperatures.
Note also that the LENR phenomenon has been found to occur in tungsten, which has a FAR higher melting point than nickel.
I have always considered P&F to have been shafted by their university deans and such. The news conference that was foisted upon them was clearly premature. If the usual review process had been allowed to take place, the experiments would have been re-worked by P&F.
Instead of ridicule and banishment, P&F would have been hailed as great discoverers. The whole field of “cold fusion” and variants would have avoided two decades of suffering, and instead have attracted a generation of scientists, much as the discovery of high temperature superconductivity inspired many departments in great universities. This still has not occurred for this field.
Sad - mishandling probably set back research in this area by over 30 years.
Needless to say, I am very skeptical of the E-cat scam.
Just look at the bureaucratic gibberish used for the title.
The European Union’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation has published a 2012 document entitled “Industrial Technologies Material Unit Forward Looking Workshop on Materials for Emerging Energy Technologies”You would think someone would know better than to post that garbage on FR from a blog named after an energy scam.
P&F were given a considerable amount of money and resources by a wealthy member of the Toyota family for a number of years in the 1990's. They still turned out to be failures.
Rossi's device is a scam, and Rossi is a scammer. It's unlikely it will be the final word on energy scams, though.
Do NOT post to me.....ever. I have no interest in your lying maunderings.
Fine. I’ll respond to your lame posts, but I’ll leave your username out of the reply field.
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