This document has some important comments by Melvin Miles who is a
superb electrochemist and writes some the clearest prose around.
People should pay close attention to this:
"EarthTech wanted me to supervise setting up the experiment so it
would be done the same way as I had done it. The problem was that
they didn't have a dry box; we didn't have anything there to keep the
heavy water dry like I did at China Lake. Also, it rained all day
long, and there was very high humidity. They had the heavy water
samples sitting out a lot longer than I would ever have them exposed
to the moist atmosphere, but we didn't have any other choice - I had
to do this on a weekend, and that's the weather we ended up with."
This is a good illustration of why it is difficult to do the same
experiment twice, even when you are an expert. The weather really
does interfere!
Heavy water is hygroscopic and this is a BIG problem in cold fusion,
often unrecognized. I do not know how you measure heavy water
contamination levels . . . I guess with a precise weight scale? But
anyway this will wreck a Pd-bulk experiment, sure as shootin' as Dr.
S. Palin might put it.
Miles makes other important points so everyone should read his
comments carefully. He makes good points in all his papers, including
his most recent one in which I made a guest appearance. (Preen, preen.)
The only thing I mildly disagree with him about is the choice of
calorimeter types. I prefer the Seebeck, as I said, and he likes
Fleischmann's design. Of course a researcher should use whatever
instrument he feels most comfortable with. He should use an
instrument he is experienced with and feel confidence in, as long as
it fulfills the requirements of the experiment, allowing sufficient
current density, high temperature and so on. As Storms points out in
this document, some calorimeter designs (including the MOAC) might
have a limitation that prevents a positive result, or reduces the
intensity of the reaction. This happens more often than you might
think. The instrument itself is a key component in the experiment.
- Jed
