If calorimetry were universally accepted as "proof", then the
"excess heat" of cold fusion would not be in doubt.
But because of the lack of universal standards and other vagaries
in calorimetry, it is unlikely that it will ever suffice to
demonstrate the reality of LENR to the most ardent of skeptics,
even when combined with evidence of nuclear transmutation. Only a
self-powered device will do that convincingly - at least for that
highly entrenched level of skepticism - the Randi's of the world.
Trouble is, with low grade heat (less than 300 C.) thermoelectric
converters are less than 10% efficient (closer to 5%) and when
combined with other losses, one would need a COP of 12-15 coming
from the cell itself, in order to self-power using thermoelectric
conversion and then the feedback of self-generated electricity.
Since CF is usually an electrolysis-system anyway, the most
obvious way to go self-powered would be to combine a modified P&F
cell with a proton conductive membrane, in order to separate the
deuterium which is being split - and then recombine that with the
oxygen in an external fuel-cell - in a closed cycle with the
feedback of electricity generated in the FC.
Since the fuel cell can be 50% efficient or more and the
electrolysis can be 75% efficient, one only needs a COP of about
4 to self-power this way. But it is far more complicated than
that, and I can find no reference to even an attempt at doing it,
successful or not. Besides, excess heat does NOT guarantee (or
even suggest) that excess hydrogen is being split, so that
particular conversion concept has probably "gone nowhere" for good
reason.
Low level excess heat is tricky to capitalize on - or else every
new automobile would have an add-on system attached to the exhaust
manifold. Probably the best way to do that, pending the advent of
the efficient "thermal diode" from ENECO or somewhere (always just
a few years away) - is a thermoacoustic system, often called the
'acoustic Stirling' or "reverse loudspeaker'. These have been
developed for the space program to substitute for AMTEC system now
being used.
http://www.eng.ox.ac.uk/cryogenics/alternators.html
http://www.lanl.gov/projects/thermoacoustics/Pubs/HEPSFinalDraftU.pdf
These novel sound conversion units can perhaps hit the 25-30%
efficiency level using the Carnot spread of CF heat. And they can
be much cruder in construction than the space program models
above. And they can be integrated with a CF cell ! But obviously -
without a noticeable loud sound already being a characteristic of
prior CF cells, no one really seems to have realized that the
excess heat of cold fusion can probably be "encouraged" to also
provide high audible sound levels.
In order to "encourage" the conversion of that kind of heat into
sound, one must provide coherent 'periodicity' to a properly
redesigned cell. IOW to provide high audible sound levels, this
can likely be accomplished by the simple expedient of converting
the DC power input power to a *pulsed DC* or AC sound frequency,
which one has chosen in advance and is attempting to use in a
resonance mode.
IOW if you have designed the cell based on a certain geometry and
other considerations, then the sound level at a particular
frequency will be a function of heat content (not to mention the
'explosiveness' of split hydrogen, when combined with oxygen in a
ruggedized cell in which periodic explosions are *designed* to
occur. You can also prove the validity of the design in advance
without using expensive materials.
I've been working on a detailed proposal for a self-powered CF
thermoacoustic engine off-an-on for a few weeks, since reading
Faxon's 'challenge' but will have to put that away for another
month due to other commitments, but wanted to get this basic
premise out into the public eye, for whatever it is worth. I
suspect others have been thinking along these same lines as well.
Hopefully some energetic tinkerer will rise to the challenge. We
know there is some excess heat, but is it enough?
The key concept is the Sylphon bellows. Here is a pic of a
ruggedized version of what I am talking about.
http://www.wme-inc.com/images/MiscPhotos/ISO63%20Bellows.jpg
Mount a magnet (or coil) of one end of it, and pulse it internally
with DC at a set frequency, using the tube itself as anode, and
all based on the acoustics of the bellows in order to oscillate it
efficiently against its fixed counterpart, and one is
in-business - with or without excess heat.
If there is excess heat, and even a conservative amount of
electrolysis gas being formed, then it is possible in theory to
use such a bellows to convert the phonon kinetic energy of that
heat directly into sound and then directly into electricity and
fairly efficiently - about 5 times more efficiently than with
thermoelectric conversion. To get it to be a true Stirling, you
would need a segmented "cold end" but that can be done with two
interconnected bellows - since the nice thing about them is large
surface area for cooling. You will still need a COP over four to
self-power, but at least you can arrange everything to tell you
how close you are to that goal before ever using heavy water.
Shucks, if R. Mills is correct, you might self-power without heavy
water <g>.
Of course, one cannot have a delicate system of electrode wire
internally, and most likely the best way to provide the CF
reactions would be using a colloidal heavy-water "fuel" of loaded
Pd-black (although nickel or titanium-black could be tried first
for cost reasons) and provide a strong central cathode stub,
plated with Pd, coming through the fixed end of the bellows. In
the "head space," provide a sparkplug or laser arrangement to
explode the gas generated in sync with everything else. Also this
kind of bellows is amenable to a "gas-phase" cell, rather than a
wet cell.
Hey MacNipper, is this bellowing-thing all Sound-and-Fury,
signifying nothing? or is it the sound of His-Master's-Voice,
urging us to take the next giant step?
... and what lame-excuse will the dog Randi dream-up to avoid
shelling-out the big-bucks - when self-power is finally
demonstrated ?
Jones
