Based on the work of Thiel and Madey, on "auto-dissociation" of water on metal surfaces
I vote for the latter.
THE INTERACIION OF WATER WITH SOLID SURFACES: FUNDAMENTAL ASPECTS
"2) Here is our protocol, more or less.
- a) Our container is an ordinary two-liters beaker. The level of the K2CO3 electrolyte (0.2 M, as we had) is about 1.2 liters. The beaker is open and fresh hot water is added when the level folls to about 1.0 liters, or more often. There is no splashing at all (or very little, less than one gram for 50 grams evaporated. We do have splashing when power is too high at 300 or 350 W. Under such conditions the COPs are always close to 1.0. Under favorable conditions, on the other hands, we hear a steady machine-gun-like roar. The surface of the electrolyte is suprisingly quite. We do not mix the liquid; intensive boiling takes place only between the electrodes, mostly near the very hot cathode. The thermometer, situated near the wall, shows the temperature of between 89 and 91 C.
- b) Mizuno told me that the rate at which the voltage changes should be small. Here is how we arrive to favorable conditions:
- aa) Apply 100 V for about 15 minutes.
- bb) Apply 150 V for the next ~5 minutes
- cc) Apply 200 V for the next ~15 min
- dd) Apply 250 V for the next ~15 min
- ee) Apply 300 V for about 60 min
- ff) Apply 350 V and start measuring the COP (5 min per run)"
"Data collected under favorable conditions are in agreement with what was reported by Fauvarque et al. We constructed a histogram of the COP distribution for the run performed at 300 and 350 V. So far it has 33 data "bricks." It shows 24 results with the COP between 1.2 and 1.4, 3 results with the COP between 1.4 and 1.4, 10 data points with the COP between 1 and 1.2, and one result with the COP of 0.81"
