From: Daniel Rocha
Ø Why not heating it with magnetic induction? Induction makes sense – at least for the entry level experiment, based on these considerations 1) Cost – 1500 watt microwave oven costs $150 – whereas 1800 watt induction cooktop is $75 2) Efficiency – microwave is nominally 75% efficient and cooktop is 84% efficient 3) Ease of access - microwave has door that must remain closed and cooktop is open 4) Coupling of energy – this is the big unknown. Microwaves couple well to hydrogen due to the 21 cm resonance line. Induction couples well to nickel as it is ferromagnetic. In either case, using a kitchen appliance for a power source is not practical if one is convinced that temperature of 1200 C is needed. There is plenty of evidence, going back to the early nineties (Thermacore) that high heat is not required, and decent thermal gain in Ni-H will be seen below the Curie point of nickel – so long as the power source remains efficient.
