On Feb 14, 2008, at 4:13 PM, Jones Beene wrote:
--- Horace
AFAIK - *everyone* including FF, agrees that high
loading is critical. No argument there.
You can't get high loading if you have surface cracks. QED
The methods I have suggested relate to surface annealing and
hardening. No surface integrity, no high fugacity.
I am not arguing that the Italian theory is correct,
far from it, and I agree with Ed that without proof,
it is just a hollow theory --- but I can see his main
point, even if it is only thoretical... and you seem
to overlooking that entirely.
And that point involves increased self-targeting of a
fully loaded matrix BUT it is the WHEN the
micro(nano)cracking occurs, and it is in the proper
dimensions, which is important (for him).
If heat is produced only when micro-cracking occurs then it the
process is far from continuous and thus impractical. However, the
question that remains is: where is there any supporting evidence for
this theory?
In fact, if done properly ahead of time, he apparently
expects increased, not decreased loading, due to an
increased dimension of access and much larger
effective surface area. There is a certain amount of
(paper) logic there.
It is illogical unless there is a surface envelope with sufficient
integrity to create and maintain the required fugacity. However,
then the logic is moot.
The increased self-targeting apparently for him is
kind of like a rifle (using Michel's 'sphincter'
effect) where if the target is placed too close, like
against the end of the barrel, then it will get less
energy from an emerging projectile, than if it is a
few feet removed.
This again agrees with my point that a combination of sufficient
loading and deuterium flux (tunneling rate) is required.
Again, we all agree that the FF micro-cracking theory
is meaningless unless/untill demonstrated (but he did
manage to get it published in Fusion Technology).
Ed Storms himself in his introduction to the LENR site
and in several other publications has stated:
"Application of deuterium gas to finely divided
palladium ... has been found to generate anomalous
energy along with helium-4.
I would point out that neither Arata and Zhang nor Case have produced
a practical device. Neither understood the principal requirements for
producing reproducible practical fusion.
OK - ask yourself this - isn't finely divided Pd (i.e.
palladium black) the very antithesis of what you are
advocating ??
No. You seem to be ignoring the requirement for the high pressure
envelope. Enclosing material in a high pressure D2 environment
fulfills part of the requirement for SOME reaction. Another factor
is tunneling rate. Neither Arata and Zhang nor Case directly
attempted to optimize tunneling rate. Such tunneling goes on even in
a static environment - just not enough to be highly effective, nor in
a controlled enough manner to provide reproducible results. If I
recall, the Case experiment, due to the non-symmetric application of
heat, produced internal hydrogen flows - which were in fact suspect
of accounting for the excess heat measurements by adversely affecting
the calorimetry. I even recall some discussion of the possibility of
precipitation inside the cell. I also recall Arata and Zhang trying
shocking the material, varying temperature and pressure, etc. I
don't have their papers, so I'm relying on memory and am a bit in the
dark on all that. Here's the abstract from their ICCF 10 paper, which
gives some info on where they were headed:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
As widely known, the fuel in the thermonuclear fusion is “gaseous
deuterium”. In this article, however, we demonstrate, a new concept
of “solid deuterium nuclear fusion”, where “solid-state
deuterium” (or “metallic deuterium”) locally solidified with
ultrahigh density deuterium-lumps (“pycnodeuterium-lumps”) within
metals are used as the fuel. This reaction was caused easily within
the highly deuterated special crystal lattice using a stimulation
energy such as powerful high energy density beams which have been
practically used in industry (for instance, in welding process and/or
other material processing). A lot of 4He (~105 ppm) was produced with
an extremely high rate of 17% 4He against deuterium concentration
using a powerful welding process for only 10[sec] operation. On the
contrary, in usual bulk metals (even bulk Pd), the nuclear fusion was
never observed, because it was impossible to form “pycnodeuteirum-
lumps” due to the bulk Pd property which could not contain beyond
100% deuterium concentration (practically about 80% as well known).
It is concluded that “solid deuterium” is by far the excellent fuel
against the “gaseous deuterium” in the thermonuclear fusion and
characteristics of “solid deuterium nuclear fusion reactor” is
described based on the above events, although it is small in size but
provides excellent practical applicability.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
In any case, there are no Pd black heaters available at Sears last I
checked. It seems to me much better design concepts are needed, and
the deflation fusion concept certainly provides many.
YET **palladium black** has been shown, in actual
experiment with D2, to work and produce helium without
the need for electrolysis AT ALL -- ERGO it MUST
produce excess heat!
This is certainly not the case with Arata and Zhang. The electrolysis
DID occur, and cracks in their Pd container would have limited
results for them. Further, to follow their teachings is, thus far,
despite their early claims, to fail to produce a practical device.
More is needed. The work of Les Case was always highly
controversial, especially regarding excess heat, did not use Pd
black, but rather fine Pd catalyst on carbon, and appears to have
reached some kind of dead end - though I am not sure exactly how it
ended up.
Horace Heffner
http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/
