Wow so this triggered at room temperature? I wish we new more about this test and its products, especially with the hindsight of all that's been learnt in the 20 years since.
It's an interesting topic much needed now. I miss reading these scientific discussions on vortex-l. Has any one tried to repeat the test? Maybe in a more controlled and safe environment? > On 19 mei 2016, at 20:09, Jones Beene <jone...@pacbell.net> wrote: > > Most observers of the LENR/nickel hydride scene are unaware of the details of > the Thermacore, Inc. runaway reaction back in 1996. > > Unfortunately, this was the last effort that this company made in the field, > and the main reason that they dropped LENR. The incident echoes other thermal > runaways, including P&F, Mizuno, Mark Snoswell in Australia and Ahern. > However, it was far more energetic than any of the prior incidents. > > This was to have been an powered experiment but they never had time to apply > input power. This was was a follow-on to a Phase one grant from USAF > (document in LENR-CANR library) and was simply intended to be an analysis the > absorption reaction of a large amount of nickel powder and hydrogen at modest > pressure. Instead, it was likely the most energetic single event in the > history of LENR. > > Recently, Brian Ahern has been in contact with Nelson Gernert, the chief > researcher in the new Thermacore (having gone through two changes of > ownership) who was also in charge of the runaway. None of this has appeared > in print before. > > Gernert added 2.5 pounds of nickel powder (200 mesh of Ni-200) into a 3 liter > stainless steel Dewar. The Dewar weighed 300 pounds. It was a strong > pressure vessel with a hemispherical volume. Thermacore evacuated the nickel > under vacuum for several days before adding H2 gas at 2 atmospheres > (apparently there was no potassium but this detail needs to be verified). > > > The most amazing thing happened next. The powder immediately and > spontaneously heated before external power could be added. The Dewar glowed > orange (800C) and the engineers ran for cover. No external heat had been used > and no radiation monitors were running. The nickel had sintered into a glob > alloyed into the vessel and could not be removed. > > > The (then) owner of Thermacore, Yale Eastman was frightened that an explosion > was imminent and that someone could be killed. He forbade any further work on > LENR. The incident was not published. > > The Dewar was no longer safe as a pressure vessel and they junked it. They > did not measure it for radiation. Superficial thermal analysis - 3 liters of > H2 gas at 2 atmosphere will have a heat of combustion of 74 kilojoules when > combined with oxygen (but there was no oxygen in the Dewar). > > > Heating a 300 lb Stainless vessel to 800C requires 21 megajoules. That is > ostensibly 289 times the possible chemical energy! > > > > > > > Date: Thu, 19 May 2016 10:44:35 -0400 > Subject: Re: MILLS AND THERMACORE > From: na...@gwu.edu > To: ahern_br...@msn.com > > Thanks, Brian. > > I will try to get a complete copy. > > Dave > > > On Thu, May 19, 2016 at 10:41 AM, Brian Ahern <ahern_br...@msn.com> wrote: > > aLL MY COPIES LACK PAGE 4. >
