Well Jones, I suggest you are starting with a false assumption.
Calorimetry is considered proof in every other field and in every other
application. Good calorimetry, i.e. that which can not be questioned by
a rational person, can be done and has been done in the LENR field.
Granted, a lot of poor calorimetry also has been done. However, just
because a few efforts are incompetent does not mean all observations are
wrong. Otherwise most beliefs in science would have to be rejected. The
doubt occurs simply because scientists can not bring themselves to
believe an idea that is at odds with accepted theory. Add the Myth
provided by the press, and it is a wonder anyone believes the claims.
You are asking for a practical device before the basic process is
understood. Basic processes are always investigated using laboratory
style apparatus, which is always inefficient. This would be like asking
a person to investigate how a transistor worked only after a practical
transistor had been made. Also, it is a waste of time to speculate how
CF can be applied or coupled to energy convertors before the process is
understood. People have to acknowledge CF is real but we have no idea
how or why it works. The challenge is to acquire this understanding, not
forever debate its reality.
Regards,
Ed
Jones Beene wrote:
If calorimetry were universally accepted as "proof", then the "excess
heat" of cold fusion would not be in doubt.
But because of the lack of universal standards and other vagaries in
calorimetry, it is unlikely that it will ever suffice to demonstrate the
reality of LENR to the most ardent of skeptics, even when combined with
evidence of nuclear transmutation. Only a self-powered device will do
that convincingly - at least for that highly entrenched level of
skepticism - the Randi's of the world.
Trouble is, with low grade heat (less than 300 C.) thermoelectric
converters are less than 10% efficient (closer to 5%) and when combined
with other losses, one would need a COP of 12-15 coming from the cell
itself, in order to self-power using thermoelectric conversion and then
the feedback of self-generated electricity.
Since CF is usually an electrolysis-system anyway, the most obvious way
to go self-powered would be to combine a modified P&F cell with a proton
conductive membrane, in order to separate the deuterium which is being
split - and then recombine that with the oxygen in an external fuel-cell
- in a closed cycle with the feedback of electricity generated in the FC.
Since the fuel cell can be 50% efficient or more and the electrolysis
can be 75% efficient, one only needs a COP of about 4 to self-power
this way. But it is far more complicated than that, and I can find no
reference to even an attempt at doing it, successful or not. Besides,
excess heat does NOT guarantee (or even suggest) that excess hydrogen is
being split, so that particular conversion concept has probably "gone
nowhere" for good reason.
Low level excess heat is tricky to capitalize on - or else every new
automobile would have an add-on system attached to the exhaust manifold.
Probably the best way to do that, pending the advent of the efficient
"thermal diode" from ENECO or somewhere (always just a few years away) -
is a thermoacoustic system, often called the 'acoustic Stirling' or
"reverse loudspeaker'. These have been developed for the space program
to substitute for AMTEC system now being used.
http://www.eng.ox.ac.uk/cryogenics/alternators.html
http://www.lanl.gov/projects/thermoacoustics/Pubs/HEPSFinalDraftU.pdf
These novel sound conversion units can perhaps hit the 25-30% efficiency
level using the Carnot spread of CF heat. And they can be much cruder in
construction than the space program models above. And they can be
integrated with a CF cell ! But obviously - without a noticeable loud
sound already being a characteristic of prior CF cells, no one really
seems to have realized that the excess heat of cold fusion can probably
be "encouraged" to also provide high audible sound levels.
In order to "encourage" the conversion of that kind of heat into sound,
one must provide coherent 'periodicity' to a properly redesigned cell.
IOW to provide high audible sound levels, this can likely be
accomplished by the simple expedient of converting the DC power input
power to a *pulsed DC* or AC sound frequency, which one has chosen in
advance and is attempting to use in a resonance mode.
IOW if you have designed the cell based on a certain geometry and other
considerations, then the sound level at a particular frequency will be a
function of heat content (not to mention the 'explosiveness' of split
hydrogen, when combined with oxygen in a ruggedized cell in which
periodic explosions are *designed* to occur. You can also prove the
validity of the design in advance without using expensive materials.
I've been working on a detailed proposal for a self-powered CF
thermoacoustic engine off-an-on for a few weeks, since reading Faxon's
'challenge' but will have to put that away for another month due to
other commitments, but wanted to get this basic premise out into the
public eye, for whatever it is worth. I suspect others have been
thinking along these same lines as well. Hopefully some energetic
tinkerer will rise to the challenge. We know there is some excess heat,
but is it enough?
The key concept is the Sylphon bellows. Here is a pic of a ruggedized
version of what I am talking about.
http://www.wme-inc.com/images/MiscPhotos/ISO63%20Bellows.jpg
Mount a magnet (or coil) of one end of it, and pulse it internally with
DC at a set frequency, using the tube itself as anode, and all based on
the acoustics of the bellows in order to oscillate it efficiently
against its fixed counterpart, and one is in-business - with or without
excess heat.
If there is excess heat, and even a conservative amount of electrolysis
gas being formed, then it is possible in theory to use such a bellows to
convert the phonon kinetic energy of that heat directly into sound and
then directly into electricity and fairly efficiently - about 5 times
more efficiently than with thermoelectric conversion. To get it to be a
true Stirling, you would need a segmented "cold end" but that can be
done with two interconnected bellows - since the nice thing about them
is large surface area for cooling. You will still need a COP over four
to self-power, but at least you can arrange everything to tell you how
close you are to that goal before ever using heavy water. Shucks, if R.
Mills is correct, you might self-power without heavy water <g>.
Of course, one cannot have a delicate system of electrode wire
internally, and most likely the best way to provide the CF reactions
would be using a colloidal heavy-water "fuel" of loaded Pd-black
(although nickel or titanium-black could be tried first for cost
reasons) and provide a strong central cathode stub, plated with Pd,
coming through the fixed end of the bellows. In the "head space,"
provide a sparkplug or laser arrangement to explode the gas generated in
sync with everything else. Also this kind of bellows is amenable to a
"gas-phase" cell, rather than a wet cell.
Hey MacNipper, is this bellowing-thing all Sound-and-Fury, signifying
nothing? or is it the sound of His-Master's-Voice, urging us to take the
next giant step?
... and what lame-excuse will the dog Randi dream-up to avoid
shelling-out the big-bucks - when self-power is finally demonstrated ?
Jones
