NOTES ON ROSSI DEVICE

[This was previously titled "What Rossi Says list")



This list is not comprehensive. These are items I thought are significant.

Sources are sometimes shown in parentheses after the item. SL = Shirakawa
List, Focardi = Focardi radio interview, April 5, 2011

Some items are marked “CONTRADICTION” at the end, where two or more
statements appear to contradict one another.

To avoid confusion, the term “turn off” here refers to turning on or off the
resistance heaters used to control the reactor. “Quench” means stop the
reaction itself.

There may be important comments in Italian in SL that I do not understand.

Calorimetry is not addressed in detail here, since it has been discussed
elsewhere.

All statements by Rossi and Focardi are reported here, regardless of whether
I or others suspect they may not be true.

Questions from me are shown in square brackets.



DEVICE CHARACTERISTICS

The volume of the 15 kW reactor cell is about 1 liter. The smaller 4 kW
reactor cell volume is ~50 ml.

During the Feb. 10 test, the 15 kW reactor was operated for about 18 min. at
~130 kW.

Smaller devices are safer to operate.

The 1 MW (thermal) device will be made of many smaller ones ganged together.
It was originally planned to be made up of ~130 10 kW units, where 30 were
held in standby to replace or augment older ones as the power decreased.
They now plan to use ~300 units.

These cells (“modules” - Rossi) are designed to be connected in series and
in parallel. (SL)

Maintenance and operation is similar to that of a conventional boiler. (SL
“normal boiler” comment)

The minimum power of the e-Cat reactor unit is presently 2.5 kW, with the
present design and engineering. Smaller units may be engineered in the
future.

These cells are made of stainless steel. In the mini-Rossi unit, the
stainless steel cells are inside a larger copper pipe. Cooling water flows
around the walls of the cell.

The device does not produce gamma rays except for a slight increase over
background (Rossi, SL) The device produced a large burst of gamma rays when
it started up. (Celani) CONTRADICTION

The device produces no radioactive nuclear ash. There may be intermediate
radioactive products. “We are not able to know which instable atoms are
produced DURING the operation of the reactor, but we can analyze the
composition of the powders left AFTER the operations: in such powders we do
not find instable elements.” (SL)

The device requires 1-cm thick lead shielding, presumably for safety.



DEVICE OPERATING PROCEDURES

Minimal operating temperature is 400°C. (SL)

The optimal operating temperature is 600°C. [RIGHT?]

[WHAT IS THE PRESSURE?]

The effect is triggered with resistance heaters. There are five in the 15 kW
device.

The reaction is modulated with the resistance heaters.

The resistance heaters are high-powered trigger the reaction and then hours
reduced to maintain it.

The reaction can be made self-sustaining with the resistance heaters turned
off. This was done in a preliminary test with U. Bologna professors. (SL)
However, this mode is not recommended because it is unsafe and it is
difficult to quench the reaction. There is a “risk of explosions” (SL). The
device is inherently safe; “if you violate [safety rules] the reactor
[quenches].” (SL) CONTRADICTION

To ensure safety, Rossi prefers the control electronics be externally
powered rather than powered by the device itself with a thermoelectric or a
steam turbine generator.

The input output ratio has been as high as 200 in recent tests; 80 W in 16
kW out, sustained, and it went over 1600 during the 130 kW burst. The ratio
is “always over 6” (SL). (Footnote. I do not think the input/output ratio is
meaningful for this device – Rothwell)

The device will need maintenance and new nickel catalyst every six months.

Picograms of Ni and H are consumed (SL)

There are 100 g of nickel in the larger cell. There are “several milligrams”
of Ni in the larger cell but “not all of the nickel in the reactor reacts.”
(SL) [Could this mean nuclear active material?]

The actual consumption to make 10 kW is about 0.1 g of nickel and 0.01 g of
hydrogen per hour. This is the “mass of Ni that you need in the reactor” but
not all of this actually reacts. “The efficiency is very low, due to the
probabilistic issue.”  (SL).

The Ni lattice can be disrupted to a certain extent. (SL: “Does the
integrity of the Ni lattice have to be maintained ? do damage, disruption,
and melting impede the results? No, it is not necessary within certain
limits.”)



The effect can be quenched with the following methods:

Where hydrogen is injected with electrolysis, stop electrolysis to cut off
the supply of hydrogen. (Focardi)

De-gas the cell.

Inject N to displace the H.

Increase the flow rate to cool the catalyst. (This may have to be done
quickly, to induce a thermal shock – Rothwell)

A small percentage (2% to 3%) of deuterium will quench the reaction.



NICKEL CATALYST CHARACTERISTICS

The catalyst consists of nickel and two other elements.

The other elements are not copper, iron or a precious metal. It is not a gas
inserted along with the H.

The catalyst is not radioactive.

The catalyst is not expensive.

The catalyst is not Raney Nickel

The additional element is not in gas phase.

The Ni processing system increases the cost of Ni by ~10%.

Much of the Ni transmutes to Cu during the reaction.

The Cu has slightly unnatural isotopic ratios. (Rossi) The Cu ratios are
natural. (Essen) CONTRADICTION

Fe appears in the Ni catalyst whether from transmutation or contamination is
not clear.

The Ni isotopes in the starting material are enriched, by some revolutionary
technique that costs little. (Rossi) “We use regular Ni, so the isotopic
composition is the normal one.” (Rossi, SL) The Ni isotopes are normal, not
enriched. (Essen) CONTRADICTION

(Footnote. The Ni is called a “catalyst” but that may be a misnomer, since
in other cold fusion system it is not used up. Rothwell)



UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

Rossi will not address the following issues:

The identity of the two elements added to the nickel.

Loading, or “ratio of hydrogen atoms to metal atoms” to reach the preferred
operating level (SL)

The reasons self-sustaining operation is difficult and dangerous "are very
difficult to explain without violating my confidentiality restraints."

“We give [no] information about what is in the reactor beside Ni, H” (SL)
(Not true!)



MISCELLANEOUS

Assembling the cell and working with the nickel catalysts is dangerous and
requires expertise.

Rossi does not have a precise theory but he has empirical data. The only
thing he knows for sure is the amount of mass loss per unit of energy. (SL)

The RH meter in the Jan. 14 test was a Delta Ohm HD 37AB1347. Reader
comment: “The sensor is based on capacitance, which should provide a good
measure of the amount of water present.” (SL)

Regarding the wet versus dry steam controversy in the Jan. 14 test: “When we
run the reactor with water, not steam, the measured power is the same as
when we produce steam and I deem this is the proof of the correct
measurement made with steam. We made many tests with water and the operation
with steam has just confirmed the same efficiency.” (SL)

Not related to Mills. “My method and technology is not at all related with
[Mills]. If you read my patent (go to
http://www.journal-of-nuclear-physics.com and click on Patent) and the
description of the method you mentioned, there is no relationship at all.”
(SL)

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