Cold fusion experimentally confirmed
R. Colin
Johnson
EE Times
(03/23/2009 8:43 PM EDT)
PORTLAND, Ore. — U.S. Navy researchers
claimed to have experimentally confirmed cold fusion in a presentation at
the American Chemical Society's annual meeting.
"We have compelling evidence that fusion reactions are occurring" at room
temperature, said Pamela Mosier-Boss, a scientist with the Space and Naval
Warfare Systems Center (San Diego). The results are "the first scientific
report of highly energetic neutrons from low-energy nuclear reactions," she
added.
Cold fusion was first reported in 1989 by researchers Martin Fleischmann and
Stanley Pons, then with the University of Utah, prompting a global effort to
develop the technology. Normal fusion reactions, where hydrogen is fused
into helium, occur at millions of degrees inside the Sun. If room
temperature fusion reactions could be realized commercially, as Fleishchmann
and Pons claimed to have achieved inside an electrolytic cell, it promised
to produce abundant nuclear energy from deuterium--heavy hydrogen--extracted
from seawater.
Other scientists were unable to duplicate the 1989 results, thereby
discrediting the work.
The theoretical underpinnings of cold fusion have yet to be adequately
explained. The hypothesis is that when electrolysis is performed on
deuteron, molecules are fused into helium, releasing a high-energy neutron.
While excess heat has been detected by researchers, no group had yet been
able to detect the missing neutrons.
Now, the Naval researchers claim that the problem was instrumentation, which
was not up to the task of detecting such small numbers of neutrons. To sense
such small quantities, Mosier-Boss used a special plastic detector called
CR-39. Using co-deposition with nickel and gold wire electrodes, which were
inserted into a mixture of palladium chloride and deutrium, the detector was
able to capture and track the high-energy neutrons.
Silvered Dewar calorimeter used by Navy researchers to detect neutron
emissions from a cold fusion process.
The plastic detector captured a pattern of tiny clusters of adjacent pits,
called triple tracks, which the researchers claim is evidence of the
telltale neutrons.
Other presenters at the conference also presented evidence supporting cold
fusion, including Antonella De Ninno, a scientist with New Technologies
Energy and Environment (Rome), who reported both excess heat and helium gas.
"We now have very convincing experimental evidence," De Ninno claimed.
Tadahiko Mizuno of Japan's Hokkaido University also reported excess heat
generation and gamma-ray emissions.
All three research groups are currently exploring both experimental and
theoretical studies in hopes of better understanding the cold fusion process
well enough to commercialize it.
Research funding was provided by the Department of the Navy and
JWK International Corp. (Annandale, Va.).
All rights reserved. |