2.5 lbs of powered nickel offers a great deal of surface area for heat of adsorption. Also the nickel powder had been sitting in a vacuum before the hydrogen gas was added so this would further enhance the adsorption of hydrogen.
harry On Thu, May 19, 2016 at 3:39 PM, David Roberson <[email protected]> wrote: > Jones, > > Is it possible to find another source to back up what you are describing > in this event? A second written record would be fine if available. > > I have not heard of that particular thermal run away reaction that you > have listed below but would find it interesting to follow up on. The > recent negative information that is coming out pertaining to Rossi is > beginning to concern me and your example seems like just the medicine > needed to cure that problem. > > It has been my intent to continuing standing by with an open mind until > the year long test data is released by Rossi or IH and analyzed. This is > not an easy position to maintain at this point with all the negativity > being expressed by Jed and others. > > Thanks, > > Dave > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Jones Beene <[email protected]> > To: vortex-l <[email protected]> > Sent: Thu, May 19, 2016 2:09 pm > Subject: [Vo]:Details of the Thermacore runaway in 1996 > > Most observers of the LENR/nickel hydride scene are unaware of the details > of the Thermacore, Inc. runaway reaction back in 1996. > Unfortunately, this was the last effort that this company made in the > field, and the main reason that they dropped LENR. The incident echoes > other thermal runaways, including P&F, Mizuno, Mark Snoswell in Australia > and Ahern. However, it was far more energetic than any of the prior > incidents. > This was to have been an powered experiment but they never had time to > apply input power. This was was a follow-on to a Phase one grant from USAF > (document in LENR-CANR library) and was simply intended to be an analysis > the absorption reaction of a large amount of nickel powder and hydrogen > at modest pressure. Instead, it was likely the most energetic single > event in the history of LENR. > Recently, Brian Ahern has been in contact with Nelson Gernert, the chief > researcher in the new Thermacore (having gone through two changes of > ownership) who was also in charge of the runaway. None of this has > appeared in print before. > Gernert added 2.5 pounds of nickel powder (200 mesh of Ni-200) into a 3 > liter stainless steel Dewar. The Dewar weighed 300 pounds. It was a > strong pressure vessel with a hemispherical volume. Thermacore evacuated > the nickel under vacuum for several days before adding H2 gas at 2 > atmospheres (apparently there was no potassium but this detail needs to > be verified). > The most amazing thing happened next. The powder immediately and spontaneously > heated before external power could be added. The Dewar glowed orange > (800C) and the engineers ran for cover. No external heat had been used > and no radiation monitors were running. The nickel had sintered into a > glob alloyed into the vessel and could not be removed. > The (then) owner of Thermacore, Yale Eastman was frightened that an > explosion was imminent and that someone could be killed. He forbade any > further work on LENR. The incident was not published. > The Dewar was no longer safe as a pressure vessel and they junked it. > They did not measure it for radiation. Superficial thermal analysis - 3 > liters of H2 gas at 2 atmosphere will have a heat of combustion of 74 > kilojoules when combined with oxygen (but there was no oxygen in the > Dewar). > Heating a 300 lb Stainless vessel to 800C requires 21 megajoules. That is > ostensibly 289 times the possible chemical energy! > > Date: Thu, 19 May 2016 10:44:35 -0400 > Subject: Re: MILLS AND THERMACORE > From: <[email protected]>*[email protected] <[email protected]>* > To: <[email protected]>*[email protected] <[email protected]>* > Thanks, Brian. > I will try to get a complete copy. > Dave > On Thu, May 19, 2016 at 10:41 AM, Brian Ahern < > <[email protected]>*[email protected] > <[email protected]>*> wrote: > aLL MY COPIES LACK PAGE 4. >
