The MFMP guys have a new air flow calorimeter that is being calibrated which they are going to use to verify excess power generated by the Celani cells under test. This device is most interesting and everyone hopes that it will be capable of capturing whatever heat is released during the experimentation.
For some reason it has been more difficult to calibrate than was expected so I decided to take a look at the mechanism outlined on their web site. I would categorize it as a good design with consideration given to just about every major problem that should arise. I think that eventually this unit will perform as needed and any questions as to whether or not excess power is being generated will be put to rest. I found one characteristic last evening that seemed a little strange, but nevertheless should cause an effect. The design has a built in heat pump activity that I find most interesting. The fan located near the exit point driving the air warmed by the device under test as well as any other sources of heat is a form of compressor. It is not a very efficient one, but it takes the restricted air that has entered the opposite end of the AFC and increases its pressure to atmospheric. This process adds a small amount of heat energy to the already warm air and exhausts the mix into the ambient. All of the heat that leaves the AFC is thus spread out within the room. Meanwhile, some stable ambient room air enters the AFC at the end away from the fan. There are several baffles and heaters and heat sensors lined up after this air entry point which are used to accurately filter and process the air that reaches the cell under test. Of course, the restrictions leading eventually to the fan input generate a drop in pressure that is exactly equal to that supplied by the fan (compressor) during its operation. It is well known that a gas undergoing a drop in pressure will exhibit a temperature drop. This reduction in temperature will thus allow more heat to be extracted by the air flow than just that associated with the convection. This constitutes the heat pump action that I realize must be occurring. The calibration process has relied upon an extremely accurate measurement of the temperature rise associated with a 1 watt internal source that is surrounded by baffles to even out the air flow. Now, with the heat pump action exposed, I suspect that the accuracy of that rise is being effected by the pump process and can be calculated out of the final determination. A heat pump of this type operates in a manner consistent with the reverse Brayton cycle. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brayton_cycle) Sometimes I find it amazing how simple devices can harbor such unexpected processes. The more I look into the measurement of LENR devices, the more I respect the work of the researchers that have labored in the past to resolve the many similar issues that have arisen as they pursue ever greater accuracy. Dave
