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date Sun, Aug 7, 2011 at 10:34 AM
subject [New post] Rossi's Scientific Failure in Seven Steps
10:34 AM (4 hours ago)
Rossi's Scientific Failure in Seven Steps
Steven B. Krivit | August 7, 2011 at 17:34 | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:
http://wp.me/pV5rZ-f0
Andrea Rossi is the creator of a device he calls the Energy Catalyzer,
or E-Cat. Together with Sergio Focardi, professor emeritus at the
University of Bologna, and Giuseppe Levi, a professor in the
university’s Department of Physics, the trio claimed a low-energy
nuclear reaction device that produced extraordinarily large amounts of
excess heat. In fact, Rossi had promoted the idea as a
soon-to-be-available commercial device. The complete list of New
Energy Times reports on this topic is here.
The Rossi group's primary energy claim was based on vaporization of
virtually all inlet water into steam. The group had two choices to
validate its claim. Option 1 was to verify that liquid water did not
flow out of the device and down the drain. The group made no such
measurements. The characteristics of steam output observed in the June
14, 2011, and April 28, 2011, experiments are consistent with
substantial amounts of unvaporized inlet water present in the output
steam.
Option 2, which the group attempted, was to measure steam quality.
However, it used a device that, according to the manufacturer, was not
designed or suitable for the task. That device was designed to measure
only humidity of air.
Thus, the group had no accurate measurements of the amount or quality
of steam produced and therefore no experimental evidence on which to
base its extraordinary energy claim.
The group ran one experiment below the boiling point of water;
however, it did not make and does not intend to release a report on
the results of that test.
Seven Steps
1. Rossi Group's Extraordinary Claim About Energy Production
The primary claim was based on virtually 100 percent vaporization of
inlet water into steam.
2. Video Recordings of Steam Production
The characteristics of steam output observed in the June 14, 2011, and
April 28, 2011, experiments are consistent with substantial amounts of
unvaporized inlet water present in the output steam.
3. Presence of Unvaporized Water in Device Output
-Water can leave as liquid by overflowing through the outlet hose.
-Water can leave as tiny droplets, thus lowering steam quality.
4. Measurement of Unvaporized Water in Device Output
No measurements were performed to verify that unvaporized water did
not flow out of the device, through the hose, and down the drain.
5. Claims of Steam Quality Measurements
The Rossi group claimed to have accurately measured steam quality. The
chemist it used to perform these measurements did not use a detector
that was designed for or capable of measuring steam quality.
6. Device Used to Attempt Steam Quality Measurement
- Question to manufacturer: "What is the capability of this device to
measure steam quality?"
- Response from manufacturer: “None. It is not suited for steam
quality measurement.”
7. Conclusion Without Sufficient Experimental Facts
Because the group used an unsuitable device to measure steam quality,
it had no quantitative facts about the amount or quality of steam.
As a result, the group could not know the amount of energy production
within an order of magnitude.
As with any scientific claim, the burden to provide convincing
evidence rests with the claimant.
In mutual service, Rich Murray
