I don't know why you think it would be less safe to run LiAlH4 by itself in the reactor. As the temperature rises and H2 is released, the liquid Li is also being released. If there is oxygen present, it will form LiOH which doesn't decompose until over 900C. This is the first stage of O2 gettering. Also, as the aluminum melts (660C), it will also, and extremely stably, getter the oxygen to form Al2O3. When the LiOH decomposes and releases the O2, it will immediately be gettered by the molten Al. Further, molecular H2 doesn't thermally split until over 2400C, so when the catalysts are not present to split the H2 (Ni, Fe), the pressure could be lower. Once the Li and Al are molten, I think the molten alloy becomes saturated with with hydrogen, probably monatomic H, causing a net reduction in pressure, but that is just a hypothesis. When the Ni is present, there is only a minor take-up of H - it doesn't fit easily into the lattice - so there will only be H very near the surface and only a small volume will be taken up by Ni. As I understand it, at very high pressures H is taken more deeply into the metal, but still not very deep.
There may be some danger if there is a leak, but only a small one. The actual volume of H2 generated from the amounts of LiAlH4 being used is fairly small (<0.5 liter STP) and if there is a leak it will come out gradually as the LiAlH4 decomposes. If it explodes, the small STP volume limits the chemical energy release to a mildly dangerous explosion (Bang!), that is easily shielded. But it must have a shield! It is also going to be a loud implusive pop, so one safety item to consider is ear plugs. Plan for it to explode (but design it not to explode). Of course, the amount of LiAlH4 you put in the reactor volume to decompose will determine the peak pressure in the reactor. This LiAlH4 mass to volume of reactor ratio is an important one to get the pressure in the right range for LENR. Any leaks, and the pressure will quickly go down by orders of magnitude and the LENR will likely not occur. I say this, but we all know that Rossi historically worked at lower H2 pressure and got LENR at lower temperatures. So with the right catalyst, it may not need as much LiAlH4 for the same volume and LENR could begin at a lower temperature. Yes, Dennis is a very creative and experienced researcher. Bob On Mon, Mar 2, 2015 at 10:42 AM, Jack Cole <[email protected]> wrote: > That's useful information Bob. Very creative techniques by Cravens. > > You probably already know this, but I would urge caution running with > LiAlH4 alone. Expect that it will explode. Nickel and other materials > (e.g., Fe2O3) in the cell attenuate the risk of explosion, but with only > hydrogen producing materials in the cell, it is extremely likely > (particularly if the oxygen has not been removed). >
