Cold fusion ‘breakthrough’ heralds clean nuclear power

The Sunday Times (UK) ^ | March 03, 2002 | Jonathan Leake, Science Editor

[Diogenesis]

P & F's experiment was not reported to March 1989, the day the Exxon Valdez crashed.

[e_engineer]

The only previously proven way to attempt controlled fusion was in a "tokomak", basically a circular magnetic confinement system that contained a extremely hot plasma under great pressure.

Don't forget the Farnsworth Fusor, a little known invention of Philo T. Farnsworth from the 1950's, which produced enough neutrons to be dangerous.

[edwin hubble]

Hotter that the sun...

Well, microscopically, yes.

From Livermore Labs: "...observed spectrum of emitted light seems to indicate a temperature in the bubble of at least 10,000 degrees Celsius, and possibly a temperature in excess of one million degrees Celsius."

[July 4th]

Let's hope there's something to this. If the West were able to develop workable fusion within the next 30 years, we would have nothing left to worry about in the Middle East. No need for the oil, no money for the Sheikhs.

Scientists have been very, very slowly putting pieces of the puzzle together. If they've got something, it's the news of the century. Perhaps, millenium.

[Young Rhino]

I think it involves Homer Simpson and the USS Enterprise's warp core. Then again, I may be watching too much television. :-)

[July 4th]

It's always been my thought that if the government was to dump a huge amount of money into research, it should be in this area.

Forget the space station, satellite missions that crash into planets, and other gov't funded projects, and direct everything in fusion's direction. Make it a national security issue - tell the scientists that we have to win the energy war against the Middle East. Use the same propaganda as the 1960's.

If we put the weight of all the wasted government research dollars behind the project, it would be the most life-changing advance that we could ever have. We'd also pick up other important discoveries along the way, like we did we microprocessor and ceramics research in the 60's.

[Moonman62]

It's always been my thought that if the government was to dump a huge amount of money into research, it should be in this area.

Sometimes too much money can be just as bad as too little, but generally you are right. Fusion is one of our most worthwhile research projects, and should get all the funding it can efficiently use.

[Erasmus]

There just isn't enough common sense in nuclear physics, it's a bunch of liberal academia-babble.

That's why they call nuclear physics unclear physics.

[punster]

I still remember one of the Anti-Nukes trying to tell me the cold fusion would not produce radiation, because it was a different reaction than the normally preferred reaction of:

D2 + D2 yields He3 + n + gamma radiation

Even 1 watt fusion of power generates an intense gamma and neutron radiation field. Working near such a reaction, it would not take long to receive a lethal radiation dose.

[Plumrodimus]

I suppose somebody will be making a weapon out of it soon?

[Gordian Blade]

If this is true, it will not redeem Fleischmann and Pons at all. This is a totally different method that does not appear to contradict the basics of nuclear physics, assuming they really can get the temperatures and pressures they say they can in their microbubbles. If so, there will be a lot of confirmation soon, just like the first breakthrough in high-temperature superconductivity. If not, then not. Fleischmann and Pons came up with a "not".

[aruanan]

Profusion or confusion?

Probably the former. It's known as CANR, (see this link for Edward Storms) chemically assisted nuclear reactions. This is a review of the field up until 1998. It's been observed in quite a few systems and has been replicated in many of them. The fact of its existence (like the existence of quantized redshift) challenges a lot of assumptions upon which careers have been built. Some scientists are as loath to having their careers undermined as were Luddite weavers and as given to the Luddite means in their attempt to stop it.

You shouldn't be surprised at their level of vituperation and confuse it with a Noble Defense of Truth. Self-interest is alive and well in science. Very often a discovery that challenges the current wisdom (such as the discovery that nicotine results in a conformational change in the nicotinic acid receptor rather than an increase in the total number of receptors) is met with loud ridicule (such as happened at Neuroscience) by the current leaders in the field. It is often followed (as in the case both of CANR and the nicotinic acid receptor) by others repeating the experiments and finally coming around. In a few cases, though, (as seen in the reaction to CANR and quantized redshift), the purveyors of dogma decided to suppress challenges to their worldview. It's sad in terms of science, but otherwise completely human.

[aruanan]

See post #72 and the links therein.

[aruanan]

See post #72 and the links therein.

[Centurion2000]

Sweet .... but I'll believe it when I've got a fusion battery running in front of me .... but talk about the possibilities for decentralizing the power grid.

[aruanan]

If this is true, it will not redeem Fleischmann and Pons at all. This is a totally different method that does not appear to contradict the basics of nuclear physics, assuming they really can get the temperatures and pressures they say they can in their microbubbles.

Sure it will. Besides, the results using the Fleischmann and Pons method have been replicated numerous times in numerous places by numerous people.

[jlogajan]

I hope this is true if for no other reason than it will redeem Professor Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons!

Not a chance. This is a completely different technique from what they tried to peddle.

P&F's conjecture was along different lines. But we don't know if any of their alleged results were due to "bubble collapse" equivalents within the metal lattice, for instance. I'm not suggesting that it was, but merely saying we can't totally exclude the possibility.

By the way sonoluminescence initiated fusion probably shouldn't be called "cold fusion." It is "warm" or possibly even "hot" fusion. Micro-hot, maybe. P&F's conjectured cold fusion literally was at room temperature. The center of these bubbles seem very hot in comparison.

[El Gato]

Wow the second potential breakthrough on fusion in the past month, and both listed here on FR. This was the first Let's hope one or the other, or both techniques lead to a viable means of energy production. It's just too bad neither envolves the use of di-lithum crystals, but I'll settle deuterium in acetone. Of course that's just the experiemental setup to show that the process, that is cold fusion, exists, who knows what form a comercial reactor might take.

[edwin hubble]

thanks.

The truth will eventually come out.(one way or another).

I am aware of the Patterson patents issued in the mid-1990's for a pelletized approach to the palladium, increasing surface area.

Incidentally, the great mind of Arthur Clarke is a firm believer in the discovery of a new form of energy within the decade. (He specifically mentions the work of P&F.)

[YaYa123]

I think I saw the movie. Elizabeth Shue, scientist...Val Kilmer, The Saint.

Sorry bout that...it's late.