I would like to propose examining this binary (yes/no) hypothesis: "A reactor loaded with LENR fuel produces excess (non-chemical) heat". To test this hypothesis, one has to run an experiment to test exactly that: is the reactor with fuel hotter? Is it hotter for a long enough period of time so as to eliminate chemical explanations for the excess heat?
To eliminate most variables (if not all) that are not relevant to the test, I am proposing the following methodology that, if employed in a live experiment (MFMP style), should prove once and for all that the hypothesis above is correct. I have being discussing this methodology with some of you in this list for some time and I am summarizing it here in this new topic to allow more scrutiny. Methodology: 1. Make two identical reactors according with the latest specs of Parkhomov/MFMP. 2. Load one reactor with the LENR fuel and leave the other completely empty. 3. Build a serial electrical circuit to power the heaters of the two reactors at the same time. 4. Power the circuit with filtered DC or low frequency pure AC (50/60Hz), i.e. do not use TRIAC switched AC. In case of DC, use a high quality power supply; and in case of AC, use a variac. 5. Measure the voltage on each heater and the current in the circuit periodically (at least once per second). To eliminate eventual doubts about the voltage measurements (we will need two voltmeters that some may argue are not calibrated), present complementary measurements with a hand voltmeter periodically as well (a couple times in important moments of the experiment should suffice). 6. Setup the whole system in the same room, far from the room walls, with the reactors close together (say, 50cm apart). It is somewhat important to put the reactors close to the center of the room. 7. Vary the current on the circuit and measure the temperature of the reactors periodically at the same time (at least once per second). The set of temperature sensors should be installed in the same places on both reactors. The hypothesis will be proved true if the reactor with fuel becomes hotter for a period of time long enough to eliminate chemical explanations. If the COP is as high as Parkhomov has seen (> 2), the difference of temperature will be large (hundreds of degrees) and easy to measure. Some may argue that the resistance of the heater of the reactor with fuel will vary due to LENR, bringing complications. But this resistance can be measured and accounted for with the above methodology (R = V/I) in such away that we can still prove the hypothesis valid or invalid. Please note that any variation of the heater resistance outside the manufacturer specifications might indicate new physics, and should be examined (with perhaps a different methodology). Once it is proved that we have excess heat, one can then go to the trouble of doing precise calorimetry. That is important to sell a product (how much I will save in my heating bills if I use this technology). What we need now is to prove that we have abundant (COP > 2) excess heat. If we have that, we will see large differences (hundreds of degrees) in temperature between the reactors. If not (note that the null hypothesis cannot be proven true by this experiment, it can only be proven false, so, no harm done to the field of LENR), the methodology can still be used for testing new types of fuel. Alberto.
