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To: SatinDoll; Windflier
Nano-powderized nickel? Does this mean that nanos are present within this apparatus?

My understanding is that maximizing the surface area of the nickel is vital to achieving kilowatt-scale output. The smaller the particles, the greater the surface area for a given mass of nickel.

Windflier, I suspect they are limiting the size of each E-cat right now due to safety/control issues. They've described how earlier experiments gave power outputs a good deal higher than seen in the public demonstrations, to the point that they were concerned about an explosion or overheating and so on. So it's probably better to daisy-chain small, easily controllable units at this point than try to build a great big megawatt class reactor whose reaction chamber is too big to quickly adjust or shut down in an emergency.

I imagine we'll see a lot of refinement as real engineering resources begin to be applied to the E-cat technology. At this point it's just the inventor and some academics I've seen involved with the E-cat, not really industrial/commercial types, so far as I've noticed. Getting it to produce electricity, and to serve as a powertrain for vehicles, will take some work.

And for all I know something like the vibration of a vehicle in motion might wreck the reaction process (I doubt it, but I'm just saying there could conceivably be some kind of show-stopper for some applications). Still a lot of unknowns at this point. But I am hopeful.

20 posted on 05/09/2011 10:31:39 PM PDT by Liberty1970 (Liberty, not License. Freedom, not Slavery.)
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To: Liberty1970
I think the size is controlled by how far the low energy neutron can travel in water.
51 posted on 05/10/2011 7:46:33 AM PDT by mad_as_he$$ (Ladies and Gentlemen the _resident of the untied States!!)
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