Welcome Worry-Free Nuclear Power: Rossi's Energy Catalyzer

Traditional nuclear energy uses dangerous radioactive materials as fuel and produces hazardous waste. The solution is Cold Fusion. No Rads - No Waste - No Problems!

Concept image by PES; not actual.

by Hank Mills
Pure Energy Systems News

In recent days the dangers associated with conventional fission-based nuclear technology have been made clear to everyone. The world has been watching Japan's efforts to minimize the radiation released, as multiple reactors damaged by the recent earthquake experience partial meltdowns and explosions. As we watch the news, our understanding of these reactors grow as we are introduced to terms such as "containment vessel" and "cooling pool."

However, the world also needs to understand that there is an emerging nuclear energy technology that offers a completely safe and economically attractive alternative. This is the Cold Fusion "E-Cat" (Energy Catalyzer) technology of Italian engineer and inventor Andrea Rossi. The principles of safety of their technology is typical of what is found in the field of cold fusion, or Low Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR) in general.

Andrea Rossi has developed a safe, economically attractive, and simple nuclear technology that holds the potential to rapidly negate the energy crisis if quickly implemented. Instead of using uranium, plutonium, or a combination of both (such as used in highly toxic "MOX" nuclear fuel rods) his system simply utilizes ordinary non-radioactive materials. By putting nano sized nickel powder in a small container (one liter in volume), mixing it with undisclosed (for proprietary reasons) non-radioactive catalysts, pressurizing the container with hydrogen gas, and bringing the contents up to approximately 450-500 degrees Celsius, he can induce nuclear fusion and produce a large amount of energy.

No Radioactive Fuel or Waste

One critically important aspect of his technology is that no radioactive materials are put into the system. He is simply using common non-radioactive elements. This is vastly different from conventional nuclear power reactors that utilize uranium or plutonium. In addition to not being radioactive nickel and hydrogen, the fuels used in his system are both cheap and plentiful.

The nuclear reactions occurring in his system do produce radiation (mostly low energy gamma rays) which interacts with the materials used in the reactor's construction to produce heat. This resulting heat is used to warm or boil water. Unlike the massive containment vessels needed to shield the radiation of conventional nuclear plants, Rossi's reactor only requires two centimeters of lead shielding. This is a far cry different from the thick iron and several meters of concrete needed around a fission reactor!

In a conventional nuclear reactor when the uranium or plutonium fuel is spent it remains radioactive for potentially thousands of years. It has to be cooled in pools of constantly circulating water for over a year until it is safe to transport to storage facilities. This presents a potential safety and environmental hazard. In Rossi's system only minutes after the device is turned off no radioactivity can be detected inside of the reactor. The result is zero nuclear waste. Not only is this a huge benefit in terms of safety, but it is also an economic advantage of the technology. Preparing, handling, and storing nuclear fuel rods of fission reactors is expensive due to all the safety precautions involved. The safety precautions involved when transporting ordinary nickel will obviously be much less costly.

Inherent Safety of Rossi's Cold Fusion

Even in a situation such as the one that recently impacted Japan, Rossi's system would remain safe. In the event a facility utilizing his reactors was hit by an earthquake or natural disaster, it is possible one or more 10 kW modules could suffer damage. Such damage to a conventional nuclear power plant could result in a very serious release of radiation that could present a human health hazard; and the damaged cooling system could result in runaway meltdown. Due to the fact that Rossi's system does not use radioactive materials and does not produce any radioactive waste, any possible leak of reactor contents would not represent a radiological risk. There could potentially be a very brief spike of radioactivity for a moment if the vessel cracked or failed, but the venting of the hydrogen gas would immediately end the nuclear reactions taking place and any production of radioactivity. A technician could immediately start sweeping up any nickel powder on the floor without risking radiation exposure.

The safety benefits of Rossi's technology are clear. However, the potential economic benefits of the technology is equally impressive. As previously mentioned, the fuel used by his device is cheap, but also very little is used. One hundred grams of nickel powder can power a 10 kW unit for a minimum of six months. Do to the fact nickel costs less than twenty dollars a pound (nano-nickel in bulk may cost slightly more) the fuel cost to run these reactors is insignificant. Basically, with one of these systems you only need to spend a few dollars on fuel to produce an amount of energy that would normally cost a few thousand dollars.

In addition to being safe and economical the E-Cat technology has the potential to be mobile and portable. Producing enough energy to power a full-scale modern car or truck is not possible with solar or wind power. Also, it would be too dangerous to utilize conventional nuclear fission technology in a vehicle even if a reactor could be scaled down to that size. A single car wreck could pollute a whole neighborhood or city with radioactive particles. That would not be a danger if the E-Cat technology was used. Also, the potential power density of this technology is more than high enough to power a vehicle.

Perhaps the most fun thing about a cold fusion powered vehicle might be the ability to go for months or years without re-fueling. Your range could be literally tens of thousands of miles or more! When you were not driving your car perhaps the same module could double as an electric generator to power your home or sell back to the electric company. If the power to weight ratio can be made high enough, perhaps this technology could be used in aviation as well. There might be a race to see how many times someone can circumnavigate the globe non-stop without fueling... on nickel and hydrogen! But given how far they could go without stopping, keeping track of them might become more boring than watching bowling.

Ready to Replace Conventional Nuclear Power

Unlike some other potential alternative energy technologies, the E-Cat cold fusion technology is commercial ready. It is beyond the prototype stage and is in process of being implemented. A one megawatt plant producing thermal energy is planned to open in Greece the second half of October later this year. This technology is not a "pie in the sky" possibility, but a reality that due to a lack of mainstream media coverage is not being broadly noticed or anticipated.

If in the coming years, existing conventional nuclear plants are shutdown, or if plans for new plants are canceled, the E-Cat could easily take up the slack and then some. For the cost of one conventional nuclear power plant producing a certain quantity of output, a facility powered by Rossi's cold fusion reactors could produce many times the power. It would also do so safely without the risk of a meltdown or leak of radioactivity. There would be no special storage areas needed for spent fuel, and local residents could live their lives without fear of accidents endangering their families.

With all of the recent debate on nuclear energy, Andrea Rossi's technology deserves to be noticed and recognized as a potential game changing energy source. A clean and safe source of energy could give concerned individuals hope for a future world without the potential of nuclear disasters.

It is apparent that scientists at the University of Bologna in Italy have noticed the potential of the E-Cat due to the recent successful tests of the system performed there, and the one year research program on the technology that recently began. They have taken this technology seriously and are vigorously racing to fully understand the mechanisms that allow it to work. Hopefully, this curiosity will spread and combat the remaining (but dwindling) skepticism around this technology some people still express.

Embracing the Solution

If the people of the world desire an affordable, clean, and safe alternative to conventional nuclear power they have it RIGHT NOW with Andrea Rossi's nickel-hydrogen cold fusion technology. Worry-free nuclear power is here, being implemented. The only questions remaining are, "who is on board" with this emerging technology and "who will be left behind" due to irrational skepticism or ignorance.

# # #

This story is also published at BeforeItsNews.