Program on Technology Innovation: Assessment of Novel Energy Production
Mechanisms in a Nanoscale Metal Lattice
Product ID: 1025575Sector Name: Power Delivery & UtilizationDate Published:
8/22/2012Document Type: Technical UpdateFile size: 1.08 MBFile Type: Adobe
PDF (.pdf)
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Abstract
In 1989, Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons made an announcement of energy
release from a palladium electrode that was infused with deuterium nuclei.
Many technical groups around the world attempted to verify their claims
with little or no success. The reproducibility was less than 3%, and the
rate of excess energy release was sporadic and unremarkable at levels less
than several watts. During the past 20 years, research in this area has
continued around the world much in "stealth mode"; however, recent claims
by several researchers warranted an independent investigation to
experimentally replicate the findings, assess their claims, and evaluate
the prospects for commercial viability. In this 2011 Electric Power
Research Institute (EPRI) Technology Innovation–sponsored research effort,
experiments were undertaken to investigate and attempt to replicate these
recent international research claims. Nanocomposite materials were
produced, placed inside a stainless steel Dewar flask, and evacuated at
200ºC. Hydrogen gas was added to the Dewar flask, and resistance thermal
devices recorded the temperature rise during the exothermic reaction of
nickel hydride formation. While several research reports from Europe
indicated significant thermal energy output from nanotextured nickel in the
presence of hydrogen gas, tests of similar materials conducted under this
EPRI research grant produced only milliwatt-scale thermal power releases,
and in one experiment, a 21-watt release was observed but not replicated.
While interesting results were observed, the research was not able to yield
repeatable experiments, given the scope and budget for this effort.
However, continued independent experimental work is recommended in this
area. The exact physical mechanisms are still unknown, and a reliable and
robust experimental system test is warranted to gain further understanding
of the commercial viability of this new energy production mechanism.
Program 2012 Energy Storage Keywords
- Condensed matter nuclear science
- Energy production
- Nanoscale metal lattice
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