Month: July 2012

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Cold Fusion NASA LENR part three Spacebound and Earthbound Transportation

It is argued that both LENR and Hydrino Capture are not cold fusion, yet for many reasons the term cold fusion exists in popular vernacular encompassing nuclear reactions that happen in environments less hot than the sun. For many people the term has sentimental value as well… that’s the logic of it.

Often what accompanies discovery and truthfulness in science is confusion, anger, and persecution; as is seen in the history of cold fusion research. Yet good science has gotten us this far; cold fusion research has overcome adversity through strict adherence to scientific method and consistent first-rate scientific review.

Thanks to the fact that scientists are basically tenacious creatures, we now have solid cold fusion science and engineering behind the LENR devices entering the marketplace.

The Blood of the Martyrs

‘The Blood of the Martyrs’ is a one-act play by Percival Wilde based on the short story by Stephen Vincent Benet, later adapted by Donald MacFarlane for the radio, and broadcast over station WQXR in New York City, Dec 7, 1938.

The play stars Professor Malzius and is a story about truth in science that sheds relevant light on possible reasons for the falsification of data at MIT and the subsequent persecution and perseverance of cold fusion researchers.

Mr. Wilde summarizes for the press…

  • “Mr Benet is a poet who has brought to his prose writing the spiritual and imaginative qualities that characterize his verse. His conception, in the short story, which became the basis of the present play, may be stated concisely… If the scientist does not teach the objective truth as he knows it, there will be an end to continuity and to science. Many men have sought the truth, but have, in these horrible days, compromised with their consciences so that they may continue to work; but to the true scientist compromise is unthinkable. It is better for him to die at his post than to lend the weight of his authority to the spread of false beliefs, and this is both the tragedy and triumph of Malzius: if there are enough men like him the world will emerge from the quagmire of expedient creed into which the dictators have led it. ‘The blood of the martyrs,’ declared Tertullian, ‘is the seed of the Church.’ In these times the blood of the martyrs is seed of liberalism and science and truth.”

 

For further reflection are the words of Louis Pasteur, in his last speech, given upon being awarded the Diamond Cross of Saint Anne from the Czar of Russia. Louis Pasteur addresses his words to the students in the crowd, his voice ringing with conviction…

  • “You young men, doctors and scientists of the future, do not let your selves be tainted by a barren skepticism, nor discouraged by the sadness of certain hours that creep over nations. Do not become angry at your opponents, for no scientific theory has ever been accepted without opposition. Live in the serene peace of libraries and laboratories. Say to yourselves first: ‘What have I done for my instruction?’ and as you gradually advance: ‘What am I accomplishing?’ until the time comes when you may have the immense happiness of thinking that you have contributed in some way to the welfare and progress of mankind.” (Vallery-Radot 1901, vol. 2, pp. 297–298)

 

Cold Fusion – LENR Engineering

NASA states that the science and engineering encompassing cold fusion LENR is “not a narrow band set of physical phenomena” and that “devices are being engineered in real time”. (link)

With 3-D printing and nano engineering being utilized to create the lattice; we will see many unique devices entering the marketplace, both thermal and electrical (hardy, robust, and scalable), for every imaginable application.

One might posit that two categories of ‘cold fusion’ devices will gain hold in their respective markets:

  • LENR/Thermal – heat without a carbon footprint
  • LENR/Electric – electricity without a generator

 

Co-generation (where both heat and electricity is needed) will likely utilize LENR thermal devices along with electrical generators. Waste heat will be utilized for environmental needs.

LENR Marketplace

Ecat.com, defkalion-energy.com, brilliouinenergy.com, and others are poised to enter the LENR/Thermal market.

NASA, blacklightpower.com and others are poised to enter the LENR/Electric market.

LENR/Electric – Transportation Earthbound

Cold fusion electricity without generators is a boon for transportation. It is well known that series hybrid systems (where torque is exclusively supplied by electricity) saves fuel and reduces emissions. Yet few people know the extent that series hybrid systems are currently utilized; electricity is the sole source of torque in oceangoing vessels, trains, hybrid buses, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and the next generation of airplanes.

All these vehicles will benefit from LENR/Electrical devices. They require little engineering for conversion from fossil fuel powered generators and batteries to LENR electrical power.

  • Oceangoing Vessels: “As in most modern cruise ships, Queen Mary 2′s (link) propulsion machinery is electrically decoupled from her propeller shafts and her propulsion arrangement can therefore be more accurately described as “CODAG-electric” (by analogy with turbo-electric and diesel-electric). The diesel engines and gas turbines drive electrical generators, which provide the power to drive four 21,500 kW (28,800 hp) Alstom electrical motors located inside the podded propulsors (and thus entirely outside the vessel’s hull).” 
  • Trains: “The main reason why diesel locomotives (link) are hybrid is because this eliminates the need for a mechanical transmission. By going with a hybrid setup, the main diesel engine (3,200hp) can run at a constant speed, turning an electrical generator. The generator sends electrical power to a traction motor at each axle, which powers the wheels. The traction motors can produce adequate torque at any speed, from a full stop to 110 mph (177 kph), without needing to change gears. This 270,000-pound (122,470-kg) locomotive is designed to tow passenger-train cars at speeds of up to 110 miles per hour (177 kph). The diesel engine makes 3,200 horsepower, and the generator can turn this into almost 4,700 amps of electrical current. The four drive motors use this electricity to generate over 64,000 pounds of thrust.” 
  • Hybrid Buses:  “San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom states that Muni hybrid buses (link) are essentially electric buses just like Muni’s electric trolley buses. Rather than get their electricity from overhead wires, they use a small diesel engine (5.9 liter Cummins ISB found in pick-up trucks) to turn a generator that, together with traction batteries, supply the necessary electrical energy to move the bus through the streets of San Francisco. Muni’s hybrid buses are “series hybrids” meaning there is no mechanical connection between the engine and wheels.”
  • Cars: “Top 10 Electric Car Makers – United States 2012 EV Market Leaders (link)“
  • Motorcycles: “Electric motorcycles (link) include the Zero DS, Brammo Empulse, Native S, Moto Czysz E1PC and Vectrix scooter. Electric motorcycles, though still in their infancy, are starting to gain a foothold in the marketplace.” 
  • Bicycles: “Electric bicycles (link) are part of a wide range of Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs) that provide convenient local transportation. Generally designed for one person and small cargo capacity, electric bike range, speed, and cost are moderate.” 
  • Planes: Cold Fusion – NASA – LENR Part ll Flight (link)

 

NASA Offers LENR/Electric Technology to Private Companies 

In this technology roadmap by NASA, LENR is targeted as an energy source.

DRAFT Launch Propulsion Systems Roadmap Technology Area 01 (pdf)  For LENR see page 18

Langley’s Low-Energy Nuclear Reaction (LENR) Technology Available (link)

  • “The advantages of the present invention are numerous. Devices/systems made in accordance with the present invention control the frequency of the SPP resonance and its uniformity over large surface or volume regions. This will allow an entire device to participate in heavy electron production and ensuing energy generation.”
  • “The present invention is adaptable to a variety of physical states/geometries and is scalable in size thereby making it available for energy production in a wide variety of applications (e.g., hand-held and large scale electronics, automobiles, aircraft, surface ships, electric power generation, rockets, etc.)” from patent, line [0032]… NASA’s patent to Produce Heavy Electrons with LENR (patent)

 

LENR/Electric – Transportation Spacebound

In 1958, the “SPACE HANDBOOK: ASTRONAUTICS AND ITS APPLICATIONS” (link), by the Rand Corporation, was presented to the President at the birth of NASA. It clearly states that electricity produced without generators through some unknown nuclear process will enable astronautic transport with advanced electric drive.

  • “The primary consideration in obtaining useful thrust from ion or plasma rockets is the construction of lightweight electric power supplies. A gross reduction in electrical generation equipment, as compared with the most advanced of present equipments, is required to make the electric rocket really interesting for flight in the solar system.”
  • “It is contemplated that some type of nuclear fission (or fusion, farther in the future) could be used to supply the energy for the electric powerplant, although this step would still not eliminate the need for heavy electrical generators, unless direct conversion of fission to electrical energy in large quantities be came practical.” 
  • “2,100 kilovolts of electric power to produce 1 pound of thrust, assuming good efficiency. Optimistic estimates of electric-power-supply weight in dictate that the power unit would weigh about 8,500 pounds.” (or 4 lbs for each kilovolt using old technology)

 

Cold fusion electricity without generators is a boon to astronautics; for both launch and space drive. Electricity is the sole source of thrust for acceleration in advanced propulsion technologies.

Thrust and the energetics of acceleration can be understood as G – Force. Electricity provides more thrust than any other known vehicle propulsion technology.

  •        3 g –  Space Shuttle, maximum during launch and reentry
  •   7.19 g –  Apollo 16 on reentry
  •    100 g –  Sprint missile
  • 1,800 g –  Quicklaunch Maglev

 

Launch Platforms

Magnetic Levitation and Beamed Energy Launch platforms both have large electricity requirements. Low cost LENR electricity will enable utilization of these platforms for space flight.

Maglev Launch

The inventors of magnetic levitation, Dr. James Powell (bio) and Gordon Danby (bio), are the folks behind the Startram Project.

Vacuum Maglev Test Train Breaks Speed Record (link)

  • “The test model of the vacuum maglev train was able to run in trial use at a speed equal to the speed of a plane, between 700 and 1,200 kilometers per hour. According to Science Pictorial, the Maglev trains would be even able to run –theoretically- at speeds of 20,000 kilometers per hour in vacuum tubes.”

 

Amazing Magnetics (video)

The Startram Project (link)

Beamed Energy Launch

  • “Lasers and microwaves are among the beamed-energy propulsion concepts the Advanced Space Transportation Program is pursuing. If the energy to propel a spacecraft doesn’t have to be carried on board the vehicle, significant weight reductions and performance improvements can be achieved. Beamed-energy propulsion uses a remote energy source — such as the Sun, a ground- or space-based laser or a microwave transmitter — to send power to the vehicle via a “beam” of electromagnetic radiation. Presently, beamed energy is the most promising technology to lower the cost of space transportation to tens of dollars per pound. Research into this technology is a joint effort of the Marshall Center, the Air Force Research Laboratory Propulsion Directorate at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of Troy, N.Y.” (link)

 

Lightcraft Technologies, Inc. (link)

  • A Lightcraft is a 1kg launch vehicle, made from high temperature ceramic materials, that flies into space on a megawatt laser beam.
  • The Lightcraft, shown here in flight, is both a single-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle and a satellite. (video)

 

Electric Space Drive

Ion Propulsion (link) is an electric space drive. Lightweight and dense, LENR/Electric devices will enable the use of stronger ion motors.

  • “The ion propulsion system’s efficient use of fuel and electrical power enable modern spacecraft to travel farther, faster, and cheaper than any other propulsion technology currently available. As new power sources become available, higher power thrusters will be developed that provide greater speed and more thrust.”

 

30KW Hall Ion Thrusters are in use today and high-powered thrusters are in development.

Ion Propulsion — 50 Years in the Making (link)

Benefits of Power and Propulsion Technology for a Piloted Electric Vehicle to an Asteroid (pdf)

Summary

LENR/Electric and LENR/Thermal will ultimately transform the energy marketplace for transportation and environmental heat and electricity. This will take place quicker than any other technological revolution. I predict that by the end of the year Pesident Obama will announce the emergence of LENR engineering and that his administration, if elected, will do everything in its’ power to usher in nearly free  non-polluting LENR power and a newly empowered NASA charged with assisting humanity’s colonization of space. This will become a major plank in his election platform.

President Obama is the top excecutive in the hierarchy  of NASA.

National Space Policy – Commerce  (link) 

NATIONAL SPACE POLICY of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA (pdf) 

  • “Fifty years after the creation of NASA, our goal is no longer just a destination to reach. Our goal is the capacity for people to work and learn and operate and live safely beyond the Earth for extended periods of time, ultimately in ways that are more sustainable and even indefinite. And in fulfilling this task, we will not only extend humanity’s reach in space—we will strengthen America’s leadership here on Earth.” —President Barack Obama, April 15, 2010

 

 

 

 

 

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Getting the new house ready for LENR: Owen Geiger on natural building

Graphic: Torus Design naturally-built house – powered by LENR.

“The effects precede the causes” —Marshall McLuhan

To appropriate the language of art and psychology, a figure is recognized in relation to a ground. A figure is not seen by the eye without a ground.

Our total environment is a constantly morphing ground from which technological figures appear and disappear.

Though there is some ratio of feed-back and feed-forward, the ground precedes the technology. Technological figures form from this ambient environment. Materials are manufactured, networks are created, and people are educated. A set of services and disservices structure the environment, foreshadowing the imminent recognition of the fresh figure.

A new energy technology is now being developed to provide an unprecedented level of power, cleanly, cheaply, and with the smallest footprint of any other form of energy ever exploited by humans. This emerging figure is intimated by the increase in activity forming the environment that services the new fire.

Scientists are making exponential advances in experimental research and theory, inventors have moved to engineering over proto-typing, distribution networks about entrepreneurial ventures are contouring a new physical geography of Earth, and designers are beginning to incorporate cold fusion technology into their architectures.

As revolutionary as this energy up-grade is, the first commercial product utilizing this technology will be a very familiar steam generator to provide hot, clean water, and heating. Andrea A. Rossi‘s E-cat is available on the market right now, though you might not know it. The currently hand-crafted units only come in the 1MW-thermal size, and are solely for industry and agency use. The current status of the domestic line of E-cats is being closely guarded while Underwriters Laboratory works through their certification process.

But Owen Geiger isn’t waiting around. He’s begun to incorporate LENR technology into designs for sustainably-built and -operated homes supplied with green, energy-dense power, completely off-grid.

Founder and Director of the Geiger Research Institute of Sustainable Building in Crestone, Colorado, U.S., Dr. Owen Geiger, has two engineering degrees and a doctorate in Social and Economic Development. Dr. Geiger was a former director of Builders Without Borders and his designs have been implemented in crisis situations around the world. He worked closely with Habitat for Humanity for 7 years and mentored housing officials with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research.

Devoted to finding solutions to the world’s housing problems, Dr. Geiger believes the answer lies in education-helping people help themselves. He calls for a global housing initiative to address the unprecedented level of homelessness in substandard housing around the world. He has developed an expertise in natural building and Earthbag buildings and is the author of Earthbag Building Guide, a complete how-to on building Earthbag homes. [visit]

And, he has been researching LENR with the goal of fully-implementing this new ultra-clean energy technology into natural building. Cold fusion energy generators will initially provide hot water, clean water, home-, barn-, and garage-heating. The first small, portable units will be perfect for keeping a greenhouse warm for those in higher latitudes.

The Torus is “the first home specifically designed for the E-Cat/LENR fusion energy system”, according to Geiger. “E-Cats or Low Energy Nuclear Reaction (LENR) technology, promises clean, nearly free energy that will likely rank as one of the most important discoveries in history.”

“LENR technology can provide extremely low cost energy that doesn’t pollute or create nuclear wastes”, writes Geiger. “LENR creates distributed/decentralized energy where it’s needed – right in your home, for instance. This eliminates transmission losses and frees us from dependence on big businesses that are prone to manipulating prices. Distributed energy means you’re not reliant on the grid or vulnerable to grid disruptions. A blizzard, for instance, can’t knock out your power.”

Geiger says the Torus is based on the shape of an electromagnetic field. Looking at the plans, the Torus has all the elements of a modern home heated by a LENR energy generator, yet it retrieves the roundness of ancient design.

The Torus floorplan; ready and waiting.

We asked Owen Geiger how it was that he came to see the advantages of LENR energy technology for natural building.

Q&A with Natural Builder Owen Geiger

CFN When did you first hear about the new cold fusion technology that is just now emerging?  What were your first thoughts?

OG I’ve read about alternative energy developments for quite a few years. Rossi’s public demonstrations starting in January, 2011 caught my eye and I’ve followed cold fusion research much more closely since then.

CFN What prompted you to begin incorporating an E-cat/LENR generator into your home designs?

OG I guess I was looking for a way to spread the word and help this technology take hold. How could I bridge the disconnect between proposed energy devices and actual applications?

CFN Can you describe some of the features that make this home specifically suited to cold fusion heating, hot water, as well as power?

OG Envisioning a more sustainable cold fusion future encompasses home designs that harmonize with LENR principles. Roundhouses in general are very strong, energy efficient, and provide maximum space using a given amount of materials. That’s probably why they’ve been so popular down through the ages in many cultures. The wind, for instance, will blow around the structure versus building up pressure against flat surfaces. Round shapes work with nature rather than against it. Same is true with cold fusion. Possible features include radiant floor heating, water heating and power generation.

CFN What is a general figure for the cost to build one of these homes?  How long would you estimate it would take to build the Torus – assuming you had a LENR generator all ready to go?!

OG The Torus design can be built with earthbags (tamped earth in sand bags), straw bales, adobe, stone and other materials to create low cost, energy efficient 18” thick walls. The choice of materials depends on factors such as climate, what materials are locally available, skill sets, building codes and so on. Construction costs vary considerably from region to region. The only way to accurately determine the cost is by making a cost estimate based on local costs.

CFN As a sustainability expert in natural home-building, what do you see in the future for green home power?  Do you see solar and wind providing the kind of power we want for a technological future, or do you see cold fusion energy usurping the conventional alternatives?

OG In the near term, we can choose from a variety of renewables. Use what makes most sense in your situation. Micro-hydro is very efficient. Wind and solar is practical in some areas. Having more than one system is often a good idea. Long term, I see LENR as the leading contender for renewable power. Nothing else that I’m aware of will be able to match the cost, efficiency and practicality of cold fusion.

CFN Are there any techniques to build a house to keep you safe from radioactivity?

Earthbag dome shelter by Owen Geiger.
OG The best, least costly way to shield against radiation (or at least nuclear fallout) is to build underground.  Here’s one prototype of an earthbag dome. [go]  It’s currently used as a tool shed, but could serve as a fallout shelter in emergencies.  This basic design could be improved a lot if you were serious about making an actual fallout shelter. 

Here’s a another example: http://earthbagplans.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/earthbag-survival-shelter/

Survival shelter made out of Earthbags. Design by Owen Geiger
There are two main approaches to underground structures, one is with the sides and roof earth-sheltered, and the south-side mostly windows and doors.  These can be very nice looking homes with exceptional energy efficiency – at or near ‘zero energy’ use.

Secondly, you could have a fully underground structure, but for severe emergencies only.  Now that I think of it, you could build a small underground earthbag dome for sleeping in your backyard, possibly add a tunnel between your house and the dome.  This would protect you from radiation for 1/3 of the day.

Earth-covered homes have many advantages. These were built in 1193 in Keldur, Iceland.
Earth-sheltered housing has a long history. These type of houses were becoming popular in the 70’s until the price of oil dropped. They’re very well tested and extremely efficient with some requiring near-zero energy input.

CFN Has anybody bought the Torus Design plans yet?

OG Yes, it’s proven quite popular. Everyone has different needs and so most clients opt for a custom plan. Options include using part of the home as a granny suite or rental, adding extra bedrooms or even a 2nd story.

CFN Thanks Dr. Geiger. Any final thoughts?

OG I encourage people to do their own research about LENR. For instance, look at what’s happening with nanotechnology and other developments that will enable LENR to flourish. Doing an image search on Google turns up cutting edge materials such as nickle-embedded nanotubes, metal-doped SWNTs, and more. Vary the search words a little and you can find almost anything imaginable either already in the marketplace or in the research pipeline.

CFN Good advice, and thanks again. How can people contact you for more info on sustainable building and natural homes?

OG You’re welcome, Ruby. Anyone interested in a fixed quote on custom plans can email me at: strawhouses [at] yahoo.com or visit my Natural Building Blog http://naturalbuildingblog.com/.

…Related Links…

LENR confirmed by mainstream scientists by Owen Geiger on Natural Building Blog

Torus Design by Owen Geiger on Natural Building Blog

Natural building plans can be ordered from Dream Green Homes.com

McLuhan the Younger: Two New Books by Roy Christopher

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Melvin Miles on Calorimetry: “We got excess heat”

It’s been twenty-three years since the announcement of the discovery of cold fusion, and yet, this powerful solution to our energy needs is not even recognized by the Department of Energy (DoE), despite the interest of other federal agencies like NASA and the military.

In trying to understand why, I learned that it was the top science schools in the U.S. who produced negative reports early in 1989 that influenced both federal policy and mainstream academic science, and still do today. Read Remove Institutional Blocks for more.

In that year, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and California Institute of Technology (CalTech) conducted experiments to test the claims of Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons, two scientists who had discovered a powerful form of energy that could be created in a test tube. These experiments by MIT and CalTech were to be the centerpiece of the DoE’s Energy Research Advisory Board report, a report that would determine the federal response to cold fusion and shape energy policy at the highest level of government.

However, as long as twenty years ago, several studies have shown that the experiments conducted by MIT and CalTech were seriously flawed. Dr. Mitchell Swartz of JET Energy and the designer of the NANOR device still on public display at the MIT campus, did the first analysis showing that some temperature data had been shifted downwards, with no adequate reason given for why.

Since then, Dr. Melvin Miles, a former university chemistry professor and Navy researcher, has performed several studies on the calorimetry of MIT and CalTech finding major mistakes in experimental procedure and heat measurement. The most recent analysis was published in the Journal of Condensed Matter Nuclear Science and co-authored by Dr. Peter Hagelstein, an MIT electrical-engineering professor, and the lone cold fusion researcher on the campus. [.pdf]

I met with Dr. Miles to talk about his work de-constructing the original style Fleischmann-Pons electrolytic cell, and becoming an expert at calorimetry, the art of measuring heat. I wanted to ask him about these early studies that had such influence, and what went wrong. Our conversation ensued for over four hours.

We met at the Chemistry Department at University of LaVerne where Dr. Miles had previously taught and we were joined by Dr. Iraj Parchamazad, Chairman of the Chemistry Department there. Dr. Parchamazad is also a cold fusion researcher who has recently had an amazing success in generating excess heat from palladium-loaded zeolites exposed to a deuterium gas. With no energy input besides that needed to make the zeolites, he is able to get a huge energy return. I will be writing about Dr. Parchamazad’s work in an upcoming article.

These first two videos discuss Miles’ work on calorimetry, on which he has spent two decades of his career.

This is not a discussion about technology, but science. The cells on which Miles works are research experiments, designed to determine variables, and answer the multiple criticisms that have kept this science out of the mainstream. The skills he has developed in calorimetry make him one of the top scientists in the world with this specialty.

I provide for you here this fascinating look into a meticulous researcher’s inner process of discovery, a scientific experiment that has lasted for two straight decades, and which only recently has begun to provide a preliminary model for the mysterious and mercurial cold fusion reaction.

Armed with Science to Fight Climate Change an interview with Melvin Miles from University of LaVerne Campus Times March 2, 2007
“The government needs to be exploring energy alternatives and cold fusion is being ignored,” Miles said. “Even if there is a small chance it will work, it should be explored.”

“There is enough deuterium in the oceans to fulfill the energy needs of the world for 13 billion years. One gram of deuterium costs $20 and has the energy equivalent of 2400 gallons of gasoline. Also, the fusion of deuterium does not cause greenhouse gases that produce global warning.

“Science today is a new type of religion,” Miles said. “New discoveries or concepts that don’t agree with the scientific scriptures are to be banished without a fair hearing.”

Most 4-year-olds’ interests lie in toys, cartoons and cookies.

However, Melvin Miles, research electrochemist, was curious about the moon, stars and electricity.

“I tried to generate electricity at about age 4 by using baling wire, a light bulb, and stolen matches, and received one of my early spankings,” Miles said.

At age 8, he became hooked on chemistry when he experimented with his dad’s chemicals in the family barn.

He began reading his father’s books to learn about chemistry.
Miles went on to earn his Ph.D. at the University of Utah with a major in physical chemistry and a minor in physics. He wanted to become a scientist.

Now at age 70, Miles begins his day with a five mile run. He then researches thermal batteries at the China Lake Navy laboratory.”

continue reading here

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e-cat Australia launches website

A new distributor of the Ecat steam generator has launched a website.

http://www.e-cataustralia.com/

The tagline of the home page says Tomorrows Energy, Today, and while the 1 MW units may be ordered from the website now, Roger Green, listed as CEO and Managing Director of E-Cat Australia PTY LTD, is taking orders for 10 kilowatt domestic units for delivery in 2013.

Roger Green is associated with EcoGlobalFuels.com, Sacred Geometry Academy and other alternative practice groups. Cold Fusion Now has asked Andrea Rossi, inventor of the E-Cat, to verify the official status of the company, and he confirmed that he is indeed officially sanctioned.

Roger Green with Andrea Rossi

We also contacted Mr. Green who informed us he is the “Exclusive Distributor License for E-Cat Technology in Australia * New Zealand * Indonesia * Singapore * Malaysia * Thailand * Vietnam * Philippines * Cambodia * Brunei * Laos * Myanmar (Burma) * Pacific Islands.”

Rossi has previously stated that all official licensees will be publicly named in October of 2012 and will attend “a convention”.

The Ecat is the first commercial product to be sold based on nickel-hydrogen exothermic reactions (Ni-H), another name for cold fusion. 1 MW steam generators are now offered to industry and agencies, and Rossi has reportedly sold around a dozen of them since last summer, though it is not known if they have been delivered yet. The 10 kilowatt domestic unit is waiting for Underwriters Laboratory certification before manufacturing and distribution begins.

e-cat Australia has a glossy, corporate-style brochure [.pdf]
and a paper titled Benchmarks and Timeline for E-Cat Australia R and D [.pdf]

Here is a comparison chart from the brochure showing the value to young families and eco-conscious people:

Comparison chart from the E-Cat brochure of new distributor E-Cat Australia.

From a story Dick Smith slams door on cold fusion invention on Reason Australia a few months back, we have:
“This month, Mr Millin threatened to sue Mr Smith for $200,000 after Mr Smith refused to make any payment because he did not believe the claims were correct.

Yesterday, Mr Millin wrote to Mr Smith claiming he had another investor called “Roger Green” who was eager to invest $150,000 in the technology.

In the letter, Mr Millin claimed he had turned down “Mr Green” because “he was being too greedy” and urged Mr Smith to invest in the technology because “we really don’t have much time”.” –[source]

This set of presentation slides by Roger Green borrows from e-cat.com, Mr. Rossi’s northern European distributor, and shows an effort by Green to educate and drum up support for this technology. [.pdf]

I guess he found that investment!

It will be an exciting year indeed; with the cold fusion economy is just coming into view.

Note: This is not a recommendation to buy from any particular company. This article is for information purposes only.

Cold Fusion Now!

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Cold Fusion Symposium at Williamsburg LENRS-12 1-3 July, 2012

The following is a further posting in a series of articles by David French, a patent attorney with 35 years experience, which will review issues of interest touching on the field of Cold Fusion.

This posting is about an event that occurred over the week of the Fourth of July celebrations. It is not an attempt to report on the science or physics presented on this occasion, but rather to remark on the special atmosphere that exists when proponents and researchers in the Cold Fusion field gather to address their favorite topic.

Over July 1-3, 2012, a group of some 40 to 50 Cold Fusion researchers and advocates assembled for a Symposium held at the University of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. The title of the event was: International Low Energy New Nuclear Reactions Seminar, ILENRS-12. The object was to exchange experiences and knowledge in the Cold Fusion field. The list of attendees was impressive. Included were: Beverly Barnhart (DoD); Jean-Paul Biberian (CINaM, France); Dennis Bushnell (NASA, LRC): Peter Hagelstein (MIT); David Nagel (GWU); Mike McKubre (SRI International); George Miley (UIll) and Mahadeva Srinivasan (BARC- retired, India), as well as many other significant participants in the field.

I arrived early, driving down from Ottawa, Canada, and was therefore sufficiently rested to attend the Sunday night, July 1, opening event: registration combined with a cocktail reception on the William & Mary campus. This was an important initial gathering which was attended by almost everyone.

From the very beginning there was a feeling of camaraderie and egality in the air at this event. While not a Solvay Conference, the importance of the subject and the potential for imminent breakthroughs that might be shortly occurring was in the air. Everyone had a sense of anticipation that perhaps someone amongst the gathering might one day be a Nobel Prize winner.

These opening social exchanges are an important part of any conference event. With only 40 – 50 participants, 10 or so of whom were to be presenters, the atmosphere was very collegial. People assembled in groups of two, three and four, changing circles every 15 or 20 minutes. Everyone present was entitled to listen-in with a certainty that if you stood by for a minute or two you would be find yourself being introduced all round and accepted into the discussion. From that moment on you would be judged by your sharing of intelligent observations and your attentive listening. There was no expectation that you would be a serious expert in the field. Everyone was there to learn.

The next day opened with short introductory remarks followed immediately by presentations by Beverly Barnhart from the Department of Defense, essentially present as an observer, and then by Dr Peter Hagelstein of MIT. Peter is continuing to carry the torch for the original Pons & Fleischmann premise that deuterium atoms can be fused together in a condensed matter environment to form helium without producing high-energy particles or electromagnetic radiation. Peter reported that he is getting close to a mathematical model which would allow direct coupling of the energy from excited atomic nuclei to be transmitted to an adjacent crystal lattice. This could help explain the “miracle” of the absence of high-energy particles or electromagnetic radiation.

Further presentations followed from George Miley who reported on the detection of ultra-high-density hydrogen/deuterium nano-clusters in metal defects; Liviu Popa-Simil who reported on his concepts for a fusion-based battery; Denis Bushnell who summarized initiatives at NASA to study the LENR phenomenon; Mike McKubre commenting on the results of exploding fine nickel wires that have been loaded with hydrogen and deuterium and others who names will eventually be provided, as well as the content of their remarks, in the report on the Symposium.

It was clear by the end of the first day of presentations that there is still no clear theory yet to explain the phenomena of “unexplained excess energy – UEE”. There were no extensive references to the Widom & Larsen theory of electron capture, with the focus being more directed towards experimental data and alternate ideas rooted in a fusion phenomenon.

After the first day’s presentations, everyone was transported by bus to the site of Yorktown on the peninsula between the York and James Rivers where General Cornwallis surrendered his British Army to the encircling French and American armies commanded by George Washington. The noise level from talking in the bus on the way out was incredible. This evening dinner event by the river provided another social occasion for people to discuss face-to-face the questions that concerned them most, and share what they could contribute to answering other people’s questions. The noise level in the bus on the return was quieter, but lots of people were still talking.

The format for the second day was, after a few presentations, a series of moderated panels in which the panelists responded to questions put to them by the moderator, or raised by the audience. The effect was in keeping with the overall objective of the entire event, to address people’s concerns and help everyone better understand what has been achieved in closing-in on the mystery of Cold Fusion, or UEE.

The best part of an event of this character is that the contributions of speakers was generously given and warmly received even though the presentations may not have been perfect. Nobody provided a report that some great breakthrough had been achieved. Great leeway and forgiveness for imperfections can always be expected when the content has potentially great value. This is not to say that the presentations were deficient. The questioning was polite and an air of geniality, graciousness and polite behavior permeated the room in which an intense desire to understand was a commonly shared objective.

Some of the arcane information shared was that permeability of Palladium containing silver reaches a maximum at a silver content of 31% ; – would this be relevant to enhancing the prospects for precipitating an UEE event? And an even more arcane observation made was that the power output in the core of the Sun is less than 1 milliWatt per cubic centimeter. This observation invoked generous laughter when it was combined with the declaration that, by comparison, contemporary Cold Fusion researchers are achieving “stellar results”.

(Support for this reality can be found in this document: CPEP: Online Fusion Course , referenced in Wikipedia, here. This figure is also supported by NASA data on the energy output of the Sun obtainable from the Marshall Space Flight Center website on solar physics.)

The reality is that the Sun is not a perpetually exploding hydrogen bomb or even a furnace of unimaginable magnitude. It is a heat-containing body that has had 4.5 billion years exposure to a trickle of core-generated energy that will not stop but which takes a long time to work its way out through the 700,000 km trip to the Sun’s surface. There are many more cubic centimeters of volume in the core of the Sun than there are square centimeters of Sun surface area to radiate this energy. This explains the Sun’s apparently modest power output on a cubic centimeter basis. Cold Fusion researchers by comparison truly are achieving stellar performance.

I personally gave a short presentation on Patents and Cold Fusion, making the point that a patent will not be available for the person who eventually provides the theoretical explanation for this phenomenon. They may qualify for a Nobel Prize, but a patent requires the identification of an apparatus or arrangement which produces a useful result.

Many patents are being filed for Cold Fusion and the US PTO as a matter of policy is requiring applicants to demonstrate that the promised results can be produced by following the instructions provided in the patent applications. I was challenged to identify a case where such evidence was successfully presented, resulting in a patent issuing in this field. I could not answer the question directly and now have my homework set out for me. I will now have to read some several dozen of the patents that I have referred to in my earlier postings as being classified under “nuclear fusion”. When I find such a reference, I will definitely share the results with everyone.

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