An Upcoming E-Cat Revolution? Ways in Which Andrea Rossi's LENR Technology Could Change the World

Free Energy Times ^ | May 2, 2011

[Normandy]

While there are no fully functioning power plants running on Andrea Rossi’s E-Cat technology to provide conclusive proof of the veracity of Mr. Rossi’s claims, I believe that he has put enough evidence now in the public domain to conclude that we may well have been presented with a new source of power that is more efficient, cheaper and cleaner than any energy source currently in existence.

[badgerlandjim]

True enough. Making practical use of any energy is never going to be totally cost-free.

[thackney]

I agree.

It sounds like the original “too cheap to meter” claim for nuclear.

People outside any industry tend to underestimate what is required for the final complete product.

[Normandy]

Hi PB, interesting comments. Rossi has said that at least in the first project in Greece that he is going to charge Defkalion 1 cent per KW/hr for the electricity his unit provides them.

[Normandy]

Rossi really isn’t acting like a scammer. In the “free energy” world you see some people asking for up-front investments, or payment for some kinds of plans. Rossi is asking for nothing and allowing reputable scientists to come and take a look at his tech. So far all those who have tested the e-cat seem impressed.

[PapaBear3625]

I thought the unit in Greece is just going to be thermal output, not electric. I.e., he’s just providing hot water or steam. He’s going to produce electricity?

[Normandy]

You are right. Just found this Q&A on his site:

Q: the 1 MW plant you will deliver in October will be used to produce only hot water/steam or electricity also?

A: Only hot water

Not sure what Defkalion plans to do with the hot water.

[dangerdoc]

Yeah, but if you can make steam, the rest can be had for a bargain as the EPA forces more and more Coal-Steam generators off line.

The turbines are out there, they just need a source of steam to turn them.

[PapaBear3625]

While looking for more info on Defkalion Energy, I found an article where Rossi's nuclear reaction is described (LENR = low energy nuclear reaction):

The "ULM neutron" in the diagram stands for "ultra low momentum neutron". Interesting article about the theory here

[Kevmo]

Anyone interested in a cold fusion ping list? If I get 5 freepers, I’ll maintain it.

[LonePalm]

There is an initial investment in the generating unit. I would like to know what the payback period is, given a particular required return on investment. What is the investment cost per unit of energy provided? (How much capital do I have to tie up to reduce some other expense?) What are the disposal costs? What are the other life-cycle costs involved?

I am pretty sure that there are ongoing maintenance costs. I know that there are with wind units.

Even wind units take energy out of the system, reducing the effectiveness of units behind them. They also take up space that could be used for other purposes and generate low frequency noise that annoy some people.

NOTHING IS FREE!!!! It might have a very low relative cost but it is not FREE.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[Liberty1970]

You can count me in, though I think Normandy or Papabear or someone may have one as well.

[PapaBear3625]

Interesting bit from last article linked in post #28:

According to the Widom-Larsen theory, no large fluxes of high-energy neutrons will be emitted from LENR cells – exactly what has been observed for two decades. Nearly all the ULM neutrons are absorbed locally because they do not have enough energy to travel beyond the immediate reaction site.

The theory also proposes that lethal photon radiation (gamma radiation), normally associated with strong interactions, is internally converted into more-benign infrared (heat) radiation by electromagnetic interactions with heavy electrons. Again, for two decades, researchers have seen little or no gamma emissions from LENR experiments.

So what's happening is not really fusion, but the formation of ultra-low-momentum neutrons which are captured by the nickel nuclei.

There was a point where I was starting to have feelings of foreboding about the reaction, with its dependence on fine particles of nickel. When a nickel atom transmutes into copper, the energy released is going to blast it, and its neighboring atoms, out of the metal lattice and into the surrounding gas as free atoms. If the reaction goes better with fine particles (and individual atoms are as fine as you can get), it seemed like there was an uncomfortable potential for a catastrophic runaway reaction.

The more I look at the article, the more it looks like, while high surface area is important, that there may be a minimum particle size needed for the effect, which would damp down the reaction if the nickel melted or vaporized.

On the other hand, if part of the reaction involves unstable isotope decay, then removal of the source of EM radiation will not halt the energy-creation process. there would still be energy output for hours afterwards, which means that the cooling system needs to be fail-safe to prevent device self-destruction.

[badgerlandjim]

From what I understand a unit producing a steady 4kW would cost an estimated $8,000 and use about $10 worth of powdered nickel and a small amount of hydrogen for fuel over a six month period. At that time a technician would re-fuel the unit. There would be little wear and tear on the E-CAT unit itself. Seems like it would soon pay for itself and would allow you to build another pretty quickly. Although never totally “free” it looks like a good deal to me. If it works. I don't know if it does or not, either. But the Wright brothers were supposedly crazy to think they could ever get a heavier-than-air craft to fly, too.

[badgerlandjim]

Put me down, for one. Thanks.

[Lancey Howard]

There are a whole lot of people who never want to see a “cheap, revolutionary new energy source”. Can you imagine if every home had a totally self-contained energy source in the basement or garage that provided all the power the home would ever need, cheap? Think about all the people and industries and government hacks whose livelihoods depend on things staying the way they are now.

[Lancey Howard]

I’d be interested in being on that ping list.
Thanks.

[badgerlandjim]

You’ve got that right. The Powers That Be would lose control of the populace. Cheap energy = cheap food. As much as they profess to want cheap, renewable energy, they really don’t. They’ll try to ban it as a scam, as being unduly difficult to use and operate, as being too dangerous to the user, as being a terrible threat to global warming (every hovel on earth churning out 4 kWh), or all of the above. For the children, of course.

[Lancey Howard]

The biggest reason big government fears “cheap energy” such as “E-Cat” is because it would be too difficult to milk for tax dollars. It’s about the money with the government scum. It’s always about the money.

[Normandy]

Any Italian speakers here? Wish I could understand this feature that was released by Italian state TV (RAI) today:

http://www.rainews24.rai.it/it/canale-tv.php?id=23074

[badgerlandjim]

Oh, yeah. They're always wanting more taxes so they can pay for and expand their fiefdoms. Another reason they might try to kill it is on national defense grounds. The U.S. Navy and the Department of Energy have been studying cold fusion for years. They know there is a big pay-off for the guy who pulls the sword from the stone. The Navy would undoubtedly classify it top-secret, and rightfully so, given what they are tasked to do. The present DOE would probably hand it over to GE, with kickbacks galore for the “friends” of that company.