In reply to Edmund Storms's message of Mon, 02 Jan 2006 11:35:11 -0700: Hi, [snip] >The problem with a wet cell is that material is continuously being >transferred from the anode to the cathode, and Li is slowly dissolving >in the cathode. This can not be prevented. These changes will >eventually destroy the NAE. In addition, the higher the temperature, >the faster these reactions will occur. Also, D2O is harder to keep free >of H2O compared to keeping D2 free of H2. In short, more engineering >problems have to be solved when D2O is used. > >Ed [snip] CF actually *consumes* very little D or H. The rest is merely recycled. Perhaps if nano structured cathodes become available, the current can be reduced to the point where only enough D/H need be produced to replace that actually consumed. Then such cells may only require micro Ampere currents, and would last much longer, even at higher temperatures. By "nano structured" I mean cathodes that are composed almost entirely of active sites, by design. This of course assumes that we eventually discover exactly what constitutes an active site, and are capable of producing them at will.
There is also the possibility of using continuous "ribbon feed" anodes and cathodes. (Loops in the ribbon pass slowly through the cells, such that the anode and cathode are continuously renewed). Regards, Robin van Spaandonk http://users.bigpond.net.au/rvanspaa/ Competition provides the motivation, Cooperation provides the means.
