In reply to Bob Higgins's message of Thu, 19 Feb 2015 15:08:57 -0700: Hi, Note that the alumina tube will expand somewhat with heating.
> >Alan Goldwater is working on a complete description of this that is being >reviewed. One thing I recently added was the 2-volume, 2-temperature >calculation, which, even with the ideal gas formula cuts the theoretical >pressure to about 60%. I think Alan may be planning to discuss with you >the 2-volume, 2-temperature calculation extended with the van der Walls >formulation. So, Alan created a document walking through the volumes and >mass calculations for the fuel and it is being reviewed at this time - it >still is not ready with all of the effects. However, there is no reason >not to give you what he is starting with to see if you come up with the >same pressure estimates. The primary heated volume having the fuel was >calculated to be 0.844ml, and the cooler dead volume was 0.611ml. The best >estimates of the fuel (by Alan) was 0.565g of Vale T255 Ni + 0.105g of >LiAlH4. The initial fuel volume displacement estimate was 0.177ml which >reduces the internal volume of the heated area. > >The alumina tube ID was 3.81mm, and the OD of the rod taking up the dead >space was 3.17mm. The OD was slightly under 6.35mm (1/4"), leaving a wall >thickness of about 1.25mm. The sintered Ni rod that remained was about >3.15mm diameter. The Li-Al film on the ID of the tube is estimated to be >25-100 microns in thickness. Aside from the dimensions, there is no way to >estimate the proximity of the OD of the sintered Ni and the ID of the >alumina. > >Bob > >On Thu, Feb 19, 2015 at 1:33 PM, Mark Jurich <jur...@hotmail.com> wrote: > >> Hi Bob: >> >> Thank you so much for the rather concise/informative update involving >> the Dog Bone Explosion Run. I have a couple comments and questions to ask >> and I am hoping you know the answers to them or can direct me or this note >> to someone who might know. >> >> The hoped (or planned) weight % of Ni Powder in the fuel/charge was >> indeed 90%. My current estimate puts it at slightly above 84%. I realize >> that when you wrote 90% the implied error is +/- 10%, but I believe we are >> narrowing in to this value. Of course, this is based on the latest MFMP >> Information and is still subject to review. We are all anxiously awaiting >> the next update concerning the fuel/charge amount. >> >> Do you know what Alumina Tube Inside Diameter and Wall Thickness is? I >> would like to verify these values and attempt to determine whether the >> Hydrogen Gas Pressure (or what Hydrogen Gas Pressure) might cause the >> Alumina Tube to fracture. A link to the Alumina Tube Material Data Sheet >> would be extremely helpful. >> >> If you follow some of the links here at Vortex-L, my current estimate for >> the maximum pressure is 9641 psi +/- at least 10% error. >> >> Do you know what the Outside Diameter of the Sintered Ni Rod was? I know >> it may have been mentioned before. I am curious if there was any >> noticeable gap between the rod and the Alumina Wall. >> >> FYI: >> >> Here are the links to the fuel/charge materials used in this experiment, >> as far as I know: >> >> >> http://www.vale.com/EN/business/mining/nickel/NickelProducts/T255%20-%20Premium.pdf >> http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/aldrich/199877 >> >> Thanks, >> Mark Jurich >> >> >> *From:* Bob Higgins <rj.bob.higg...@gmail.com> >> *Sent:* Thursday, February 19, 2015 10:35 AM >> *To:* vortex-l@eskimo.com >> *Subject:* [Vo]:Explosion May Be Out of Control LENR >> >> I received the broken shards of the alumina tube from the MFMP >> Parkhomov-like experiment from Ryan Hunt. The intent was to have analyzed >> the metal film on the inside of the alumina to see if it is Li-Al alloy and >> to try to re-assemble the pieces to form at least one full circumference of >> the tube. So far, piecing the tube together has been unsuccessful; >> however, I have found 2 pieces each having a large portion of the >> circumference - in one case 94 degrees of an arc and in another 106 >> degrees. In both cases, the ID of the alumina tube is completely covered >> with the metal film with no visual evidence at the boundaries of the metal >> tapering in thickness. Statistically, there is nothing to suggest that >> these pieces were centered on the bottom of the tube. Also, none of the >> shards show any transition from covered to uncovered with metal. >> >> Based on this, I surmise that the interior of the tube at 1057C had a >> complete circumferential ring of liquid Li-Al in a thin continuous layer. >> It appears that the liquid Li-Al wetted to the alumina, perhaps with the >> hydrogen and high temperature cleaning of the alumina surface. With the >> wetting, the surface tension of the liquid metal, and the high interior >> pressure, I believe the liquid metal was forced to cover the inner >> circumference of the tube while it was liquid. The chemical effect of the >> Li on the alumina may also have been instrumental in the wetting of the >> metal solution to the ceramic. There is no supporting evidence for a >> gravity fed river of liquid Li-Al metal at the bottom of the tube. >> >> Visual examination under the microscope shows the supposed Li-Al film to >> be developing small white crystals, well distributed upon its surface. >> These are probably LiOH from exposure to the humidity in the air. Alan >> Goldwater is being sent sample shards with the metal coating to do a >> microscope video of an etch in water. >> >> The Vale T255 Ni, that was 90% by weight of the fuel, sintered into a >> porous rod the shape of the interior of the tube. After the explosion, the >> sintered rod of Ni was found intact in the remains of the SiC heater. >> There is no evidence that this Ni was ever bonded or immersed in the Li-Al >> metal. Though contact was likely, it appears that the molten Li-Al did not >> wet to the Ni. >> >> The samples will also be examined in the SEM and with XRF. >> >> Bob Higgins >> >> On Thu, Feb 12, 2015 at 5:59 PM, Bob Higgins <rj.bob.higg...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> I am going to re-assemble the pieces of the reactor tube to determine >>> more about the metal film deposited on the inside of the tube. In one >>> shard, it looks to be about 0.0037" in thickness and appears as a cooled, >>> once liquid metal. It is probably a Li-Al alloy. The liquid Li-Al alloy >>> may form a gravity fed river on the bottom of the reactor tube. >>> Reconstruction of the tube will tell us whether this was a gravity fed >>> river or if it was deposited around the complete circumference. Also, we >>> will be having, at minimum, XRF done on both the metal on the alumina, and >>> the sintered Ni rod that was left after the experiment (in combination with >>> SEM views). >>> >>> Another observation is that there is NO evidence of alumina chemical >>> erosion by the Li. There is no evidence yet that this was not a chemical >>> weakening of the tube - it appears to be a simple hot, high pressure >>> failure of the tube. This tube was notably thinner than Parkhomov's tube. >>> >>> Bob Higgins >>> >> Regards, Robin van Spaandonk http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/project.html
