Sorry if this is a repeat question .. I've been skimming mail lately due to
homework!
So the question is: Has anyone reproduced the experiment/device? I realize
Rossi is applying for a patent and is therefore somewhat protective, but U of
Bologna is quite respectable, the oldest university in europe.
So UofB must be interested in protecting their reputation .. thus would like a
duplicate made by independent researchers under some sort of protective
agreement.
-- Owen
On Apr 7, 2011, at 11:30 PM, Rich Murray wrote:
> Rossi mini reactor 2.5 mo. at 10 kW gives 18 MWh using up 100 gm Ni
> and 2 gm H, Sven Kullander interview 2011.04.06: Rich Murray
> 2011.04.07
>
> "Kullander: The powder has reportedly been used for 2.5 months
> continuously with an output of 10 kW (according to Rossi). It
> corresponds to a total energy of 18 MWh, with a consumption of up to
> 100 grams of nickel and two grams of hydrogen. If the production had
> been done with oil, two tons of oil would have been required.
>
> Ny Teknik: What analyses have you done on the powders?
>
> Kullander: Element analysis and isotopic analysis. At the Ångström
> Laboratory in Uppsala, Sweden, element analysis has been made using
> X-ray Fluorescence (XRFS). Dr. Erik Lindahl undertook the
> investigation. At the Biomedical Center in Uppsala, both element
> analysis and isotope analysis has been done through Inductively
> Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Associate Professor Jean
> Pettersson has made the measurement.
>
> Ny Teknik: What results have you obtained from the analyses?
>
> Kullander: Both measurements show that the pure nickel powder contains
> mainly nickel, and the used powder is different in that several
> elements are present, mainly 10 percent copper and 11 percent iron.
> The isotopic analysis through ICP-MS doesn’t show any deviation from
> the natural isotopic composition of nickel and copper."
>
> http://www.nyteknik.se/nyheter/energi_miljo/energi/article3144827.ece
>
> Swedish physicists on the E-cat:
> “It’s a nuclear reaction”
> Av: Mats Lewan
> Publicerad 6 april 2011 07:30 10 kommentarer
>
> In a detailed report, two Swedish physicists exclude chemical
> reactions as the energy source in the Italian ‘energy catalyzer’. The
> two physicists recently supervised a new test of the device in
> Bologna, Italy.
>
> (Click on the images). Three E-cats without insulation and one
> insulated. Text in blue indicates hydrogen inlet, main heater,
> auxiliary heater and water inlet. Foto: Giuseppe Levi
>
> Close view of the main resistor surrounding the copper tube, which in
> turn surrounds the steel reactor. Foto: Giuseppe Levi
>
> Vertical part of the E-cat with outlet for hot water through a black
> rubber hose. The insulation and the lead shielding can also be seen in
> the picture. Foto: Giuseppe Levi
>
> Temperature of the hot water at the outlet. At 60 degrees centigrade
> the temperature increase is escalated, although the electric power fed
> to to the device is constant. Foto: Giuseppe Levi
>
> And here are 36 more questions – with Rossi's answers
> E-cat inventor in live chat with the readers
> This is how Rossi is financing his E-cat
> Cold Fusion: “You have to embrace this”
> Cold Fusion: 18 hour test excludes combustion
> Cold fusion may provide one megawatt in Athens
> Cold Fusion: Here's the Greek company building 1 MW
> Cold fusion: Observing researcher wants more tests
> Kall fusion – nu ska den vara klar för produktion
>
> Download the report by Kullander and Essén (pdf).
>
> Cold FusionE-catEnglishFusionKall fusionLENR
>
> Tipsa
> Skriv ut
> Större text
>
> (Swedish version here, Italian translation here).
>
> “In some way a new kind of physics is taking place. It’s enigmatic,
> but probably no new laws of nature are involved. We believe it is
> possible to explain the process with known laws of nature,” said Hanno
> Essén, associate professor of theoretical physics and a lecturer at
> the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology and chairman member of the
> board (chairman until April 2) of the Swedish Skeptics Society.
>
> Essén and Professor Emeritus at Uppsala University Sven Kullander,
> also chairman of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences’ Energy
> Committee, both participated on 29 March as observers at a new trial
> in Bologna of the so-called ‘energy catalyzer’, which could be based
> on cold fusion, or LENR, Low Energy Nuclear Reaction.
>
> Participants included the inventor of the device, Andrea Rossi, his
> scientific advisor Professor Sergio Focardi, and physicists Dr. David
> Bianchini and Dr. Giuseppe Levi from Bologna University who both
> supervised the first public demonstration of the E-cat on 14 January
> 2011 in Bologna, Italy.
>
> The new trial was conducted in much the same way as the trial in
> January, and lasted for nearly six hours. According to observations by
> Kullander and Essén, a total energy of about 25 kWh was generated.
>
> In a detailed report (download here), they write:
>
> “Any chemical process should be ruled out for producing 25 kWh from
> whatever is in a 50 cubic centimeter container. The only alternative
> explanation is that there is some kind of a nuclear process that gives
> rise to the measured energy production.”
>
> The power output was estimated to about 4.4 kW. It’s barely half the
> power compared with the two previous documented experiments in January
> and February 2011, because the trial was made with a new and smaller
> version of the energy catalyzer.
>
> The new trial was the first officially documented with the smaller
> version which, according to Rossi, is more stable.
>
> “With the smaller version we avoid the power peaks that occurred at
> ignition and switching off,” Andrea Rossi told Ny Teknik.
>
> He also stated that the smaller version will be used for the planned
> installation of about one megawatt for the pilot customer Defkalion
> Green Technologies in Greece.
>
> According to Rossi, a total of 300 reactors connected in series and
> parallel, will be used in the installation. Originally 100 reactors of
> the version that delivered 10 kW of power during earlier trials, were
> supposedly planned for the one-megawatt installation. Rossi still
> expects the inauguration to take place in October 2011.
>
> At the trial in Bologna, Kullander and Essén could investigate the
> energy catalyzer with the surrounding insulation and the lead
> shielding stripped away. The exterior design is described in their
> report.
>
> The reactor itself, which is loaded with the nickel powder and secret
> catalysts pressurized with hydrogen, has an estimated volume of 50
> cubic centimeters (3.2 cubic inches). The reactor is made of stainless
> steel.
>
> A copper tube surrounds the steel reactor. The water to be heated
> flows between the steel and the copper. In operation, the construction
> is also surrounded by insulation and a lead shielding with a thickness
> of approximately two centimeters (0.8 inches).
>
> Before starting, Kullander and Essén calibrated the water flow and
> estimated it at 6.5 kg per hour. The power required to heat the
> flowing water from 18 degrees and convert it completely into steam was
> calculated to 4.7 kW.
>
> They also filled the reactor with hydrogen at a pressure of about 25
> bars. The reactor was according to Rossi loaded with 50 grams of
> nickel powder.
>
> As in previous trials the process was ‘ignited’ with an electrical
> resistance. Input power was 330 watts, of which about 30 watts were
> required to operate the electronics.
>
> A phenomenon that Kullander and Essén noted was that the curve for the
> water temperature at the output showed a steady increase up to about
> 60 degrees centigrade, after which the increase escalated.
>
> “The curve then became steeper, it clearly had a new derivative. At
> the same time there was no increase in power consumption, it rather
> decreased when it got warmer,” said Essén.
>
> In their report they note that it took nine minutes to go from 20 to
> 60 degrees centigrade, which corresponds to the heating from the input
> electrical power. Going from 60 to 97.5 degrees centigrade, by
> contrast, just took four minutes.
>
> Throughout the experiment Kullander and Essén had the opportunity to
> examine the equipment.
>
> “We checked everything that could be checked, and we could walk around
> freely and have a look at most of the equipment,” said Essén.
>
> “We looked specifically into the big control unit (with electronics)
> and it contains mostly rectifiers and passive components – there was
> nothing of interest in it,” said Kullander, which is in line of what
> Dr. Levi previously noted.
>
> Kullander and Essén had their first contact with Rossi in mid
> February, at the time of a discussion of the physics in the energy
> catalyzer, organized by Ny Teknik. After getting answers from Rossi to
> several questions, they expressed a cautiously optimistic opinion
> about the technology.
>
> At a first meeting with Rossi at the end of February they were given
> access to a sample of the pure nickel powder, intended for use in the
> energy catalyzer, and another sample of nickel powder which, according
> to Rossi, had been used in the reactor for 2.5 months.
>
> Their analyses showed that the pure powder consists of essentially
> pure nickel, while the used powder contains several other substances,
> mainly 10 percent copper and 11 percent iron.
>
> “Provided that copper is not one of the additives used as catalyst,
> the copper isotopes 63 and 65 can only have been formed during the
> process. Their presence is therefore a proof that nuclear reactions
> took place in the process,” Kullander said (see further details
> below).
>
> The meeting in February in turn led to their involvement in the new
> trial in Bologna.
>
> “My belief that there is an energy development far beyond what one
> would expect has been strengthened significantly as I have had the
> opportunity to see the process for myself and perform measurements,”
> said Kullander.
>
> “Everything that we’ve found so far fits together. There is nothing
> that seems to be strange. All people seem to be honest and competent,”
> Essén added.
>
> In line of what they expressed during the discussion in February, they
> believe that the physics of the energy catalyzer may possibly be
> explained by a combination of atomic, molecular, nuclear and plasma
> physics. At the same time they are skeptical of detailed and
> hypothetical theories suggested at this stage, and stressed instead
> the need for more data.
>
> They describe that Focardi and Levi have the same approach, and
> support their viewpoint.
>
> Focardi, who has been working with Rossi during the development of the
> energy catalyzer, is Emeritus Professor at the University of Bologna,
> while Levi will now be responsible for researching the energy
> catalyzer at the Physics Department of Bologna University,
> commissioned by Rossi, who pays 500,000 Euro according to an agreement
> between his company Leonardo Corporation and the university.
>
> Kullander and Essén are not involved in this project.
>
> During their visit to Bologna they met with the Rector of the Bologna
> University, Professor Ivano Dionigi, and had a discussion with him,
> Rossi, Focardi, Levi and Bianchini on the project. According to
> Kullander and Levi, future collaborative research is possible.
>
> - - - -
>
> The used powder contains ten percent copper
> Analyses of the nickel powder used in Rossi’s energy catalyzer show
> that a large amount of copper is formed. Sven Kullander considers this
> to be evidence of a nuclear reaction.
>
> For copper to be formed out of nickel, the nucleus of nickel has to
> capture a proton. The fact that this possibly occurs in Rossi’s
> reactor is why the concept of cold fusion has been mentioned – it
> would consist of fusion between nuclei of nickel and hydrogen.
>
> A term that many consider to be more accurate, however, is LENR, Low
> Energy Nuclear Reaction.
>
> Ny Teknik: For how long has the powder supposedly been used in the process?
>
> Kullander: The powder has reportedly been used for 2.5 months
> continuously with an output of 10 kW (according to Rossi). It
> corresponds to a total energy of 18 MWh, with a consumption of up to
> 100 grams of nickel and two grams of hydrogen. If the production had
> been done with oil, two tons of oil would have been required.
>
> Ny Teknik: What analyses have you done on the powders?
>
> Kullander: Element analysis and isotopic analysis. At the Ångström
> Laboratory in Uppsala, Sweden, element analysis has been made using
> X-ray Fluorescence (XRFS). Dr. Erik Lindahl undertook the
> investigation. At the Biomedical Center in Uppsala, both element
> analysis and isotope analysis has been done through Inductively
> Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Associate Professor Jean
> Pettersson has made the measurement.
>
> Ny Teknik: What results have you obtained from the analyses?
>
> Kullander: Both measurements show that the pure nickel powder contains
> mainly nickel, and the used powder is different in that several
> elements are present, mainly 10 percent copper and 11 percent iron.
> The isotopic analysis through ICP-MS doesn’t show any deviation from
> the natural isotopic composition of nickel and copper.
>
> Ny Teknik: How do you interpret the results?
>
> Kullander: Provided that copper is not one of the additives used as
> catalyst, the copper isotopes 63 and 65 can only have been formed
> during the process. Their presence is therefore a proof that nuclear
> reactions took place in the process. However, it’s remarkable that
> nickel-58 and hydrogen can form copper-63 (70%) and copper-65 (30%).
> This means that in the process, the original nickel-58 should have
> grown by five and seven atomic mass-units, respectively, during the
> nuclear transmutation. However, there are two stable isotopes of
> nickel with low concentration, nickel-62 and nickel-64, which could
> conceivably contribute to copper production. According to Rossi copper
> is not among the additives. 100 grams of nickel had been used during
> 2.5 months of continuous heating with 10 kW output power. A
> straightforward calculation shows that a large proportion of the
> nickel must have been consumed if it was ‘burned’ in a nuclear
> process. It’s then somewhat strange that the isotopic composition
> doesn’t differ from the natural.
>
> Ny Teknik: What further analyses are you planning?
>
> Kullander: We have not planned anything definite. If it’s possible to
> refine the isotopic measurements, further isotopic measurements would
> be important mainly to get a better accuracy in the field of 60 to 65
> atomic mass units. We have also discussed with Rossi installing an
> energy catalyzer at a laboratory in Uppsala to perform more detailed
> measurements. These could be part of a scientific collaboration with
> the Bologna University.
>
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