Robert Leguillon <[email protected]> wrote: I must ask, Jed... What is your take on this? > > Specifically, the NASA calculations: > http://newenergytimes.com/v2/news/2011/37/3714appendixelectriconly.shtml >
This begins with the statement "Assume that the heat exchanger resistance heater is 100% efficient." That is reasonable. What is not reasonable is to assume that the entire 770 W will transfer to the water and nowhere else. The eCat metal and body will get hot. The hose will get hot. With the well insulated electric teapot I have tested (Krups), you transfer about half or 2/3rds of the heat to the water. I doubt that even 500 W reach the water. That's ~500 J/s. The flow rate is 2 g/s which takes 180 J to bring to boil, leaving 320 J, which is enough to boil about half the water. The other half would have to overflow unboiled. For the reasons given by Storms and me I think this is unlikely. However, as I have said repeatedly, the demonstration observed by Krivit proved nothing. That is why I turned down an invitation from Rossi to see a similar demonstration. I knew what he was planning to show, and I knew that seeing it would not convince me of anything, so I did not go. I think it is a waste of time to devote so much attention to a demonstration of this nature. You cannot draw a valid conclusion no matter how much detailed mathematics you apply. It would not be difficult to arrange a more convincing steam tests, but when I suggested to Rossi that we do this, he turned me down. As I have reported here, he said he did not have time for that. Make of that what you will. I will not speculate about that, nor will I speculate about why Krivit accepted his invitation, or whether Krivit knew in advance what the demonstration would consist of. I will say that anyone who knows what was planned should have realized that it would be unconvincing. Why bother making such a fuss about it? The demonstration Krivit observed was NOT a test, as I have said repeatedly. Rossi told me in advance explicitly that it would not be a test. Those were his very words! He says "no more tests until October." (I have no idea what he told Krivit.) Anyone watching it can see it is not a test. They did not even show whether the water reservoir is placed on the weight scale! It was a trade-show style demo to show the general principles -- to give you an idea of how the thing works -- without any real quantitative data or instrumentation. The Krivit demonstration resembles the charts and projections and "future generator" graphics shown by the plasma fusion researchers at Congressional budget sessions. People who understand the technical issues can see they have no means of overcoming technical difficulties such as neutrons destroying the reactor walls. They are saying "give us another $100 billion and we may find a way to solve these problems." That is classic Dog and Pony show vaporware. Taken as such, these presentation are okay. They are not intended to be scientific presentations. Neither was the demonstration Krivit saw. It was a lot more convincing than the plasma fusion Congressional presentations, but neither qualifies as a scientific presentation, and treating them as such, and subjecting them to a serious analysis, is a waste of time. The demonstration gave at best a qualitative sense of what may be going on. Not quantitative. As it happens, yesterday I had occasion to borrow a 1.3 kW steam cleaner to try and clean the mildew damage in the grouting in my bathroom. (It did not work.) Anyway, I can report that the flow of steam from 1.3 kW with a short hose is less dramatic, and the plume is shorter, than the plume shown in the Lewan and Krivit videos. This was small orifice but anyway, you can hardly see the condensing steam, even against a black background. If the power of that machine had been reduced to 750 W and hose made as long as the one Rossi uses I doubt any steam would have reached the end. That does not prove anything, but there it is. (In case you are wondering, we had to tear out the grout and re-grout, which cost me $580 plus two Dremel tool heads) - Jed
