One Full Year of Andrea Rossi's E-Cat
Since the start of 2011, PESN has been covering the emergence,
testing, and commercialization of Andrea Rossi's E-Cat (Energy
Catalyzer) technology. As 2012 approaches, it is clear that
nickel-hydrogen cold fusion technology is going to change the world, as
the production of a million E-Cat home units is planned.
T-Shirt design
by Tony McDougall of EnergyRevolution
|
Full Disclosure:
PES Network has a business relationship with Andrea Rossi. |
By Hank
Mills
Pure Energy Systems News
As far as I am concerned, the year 2011 proved that we do not only live
in interesting times, but a truly exciting age in which game-changing
technological breakthroughs may allow us to overcome the challenges
facing our civilization. A number of technologies made this year
exciting, but some stand out more than others.
A prime example of a radical breakthrough that has emerged this year is
Andrea Rossi's E-Cat (Energy
Catalyzer) technology. The characteristics of the technology are so
phenomenal they could be considered almost too good to be true by some
people who are not familiar with all the evidence in support of it. In
short, by exposing nickel powder to pressurized hydrogen gas, along with
a proprietary catalyst, cold fusion nuclear processes are induced, and a
huge output of energy is released in the form of heat. Unlike
conventional nuclear power, no radioactive materials are used, and no
radioactive waste is produced in the process. The heat can then be used
directly, or converted into electricity via a number of different
methods.
To expand on the benefits of the E-Cat technology a bit further, it also
emits no pollution into the environment, consumes only tiny amounts of
cheap fuel (nickel powder and hydrogen gas), and has a huge power
density. For example, in one test a reactor core with a volume of one
liter produced a constant 130 kilowatts for a period of time. Andrea
Rossi has also stated on his blog (The Journal of Nuclear Physics) that
one previous model of E-Cat could produce a safe maximum output of 10
kilowatts from a reactor core only fifty centimeters in volume. In
reality, the only limit to the output of the E-Cat is the melting
temperature of the nickel powder (which is around 1600C). If the nickel
starts to melt, the reaction sites where the energy producing processes
take place are destroyed, and the nuclear reactions cease. Even only a
few minutes later, an individual could open the reactor and detect no
radioactivity. Actually, this aspect of the technology serves as a
fundamental safety mechanism, because it prevents any type of
conventional nuclear run away effect from taking place. Simply put, the
technology cannot be weaponized to make nuclear bombs.
Nearly every aspect of the E-Cat technology makes it the "Holy Grail" of
what cold fusion researchers have been seeking ever since Pons and
Fleischmann revealed their technology to the world in 1989 and were
quickly attacked by the mainstream academic world. Some of the earliest,
precedent-setting attacks against them are described in our recent PESN
article, "The
History of MIT's Blatant Suppression of Cold Fusion." However,
it is important to distinguish the E-Cat technology that is now in the
market place, to the far less developed technology that Pons and
Fleischmann announced to the world.
The most obvious difference is that the E-Cat technology produces, at a
minimum, kilowatts of power. This is a thousand times greater than the
few watts (or less) Pons and Fleischmann's system produced. In my view,
the two technologies are as different as low grade heavy crude oil, and
ultra refined jet fuel. Another difference is the fact that Pons and
Fleischmann used precious (expensive) metals and expensive "heavy"
hydrogen gas in their reactor. Instead, Rossi uses cheap nickel, a cheap
catalyst (that only adds 10% to the cost of the nickel), and ordinary
"light" hydrogen gas. This difference is critical, because it makes the
E-Cat technology not only powerful, but very economical.
Over the years, there have been many cold fusion (sometimes called LENR)
systems experimented with, and there have been thousands of successful
tests. But none of these other systems comes close to having all the
characteristics of the E-Cat technology, such as....
- Massive power production in the kilowatt range, sometimes into
the hundreds of kilowatts from very small reactor cores.
- The use of the cheap and abundant metal nickel, instead of
expensive precious metals such as palladium, platinum, etc.
- The use of light hydrogen instead of heavy hydrogen (deuterium)
that is much more expensive and less common.
- The lack of any radioactive elements being used.
- The lack of any nuclear waste being produced (some other cold
fusion systems produce tritium).
- The minimal amount of radiation produced while the system is
turned on, that can be blocked by a few millimeters of shielding.
If the hot fusion scientists at MIT were terrified of Pons and
Fleischmann's primitive cold fusion technology over twenty years ago,
they would have had a heart attack over Andrea Rossi's technology.
Introducing the E-Cat to the world back then would have been the
equivalent of dropping a modern cell phone in the hands of Alexander
Graham Bell.
The Proven Reality of E-Cat Technology
When the E-Cat technology first emerged back in January of this year,
there were those who wanted additional proof the technology worked as
claimed. As the year went on, they received an abundance of evidence
from a long series of tests performed by engineers and scientists. These
professionals from a number of different universities tested the E-Cat
repeatedly, well over a dozen times.
Many different types of tests of E-Cat modules were performed as well.
For example, in some of the tests, the heat produced by the system was
used to transform (phase change) liquid water into a gas (steam). By
calculating how much water was transformed into steam, the power output
could be determined. The result of these tests were huge gains of
energy. In addition, other tests were performed in which the temperature
of inlet water was compared to the temperature of outlet water, to
determine the amount of power produced. These tests also confirmed that
kilowatts of excess power were emitted from the system.
Not only were different types of tests performed throughout 2011, but
also there were tests of different sizes/shapes of reactor cores. The
first systems tested had reactor cores that were cylinder shaped, with a
volume of about one liter. Later on in the year, another model of
reactor core was introduced. It was cylinder shaped, but much smaller --
with a volume of only 50 cubic centimeters (about the size of a D-Cell
battery). Although it was smaller, its potential power density did not
decrease -- its rated output was 2.5 kilowatts, and its maximum safe
output was 10 kilowatts. Finally, near the end of the year, Andrea Rossi
revealed another reactor core that was of a different shape and volume.
This new "flat" reactor core assembly is reported as being approximately
20 x 20 x 20 x 1 centimeters, and is said to house three separate
compartments where individual cores can be inserted or removed. Tests of
all three of these systems have been performed, and clearly showed
massive amounts of excess energy -- that could only be produced via
nuclear phenomena.
Perhaps most impressively, the E-Cat technology is capable of operating
in a "self sustaining" mode, in which very little or no power is
required to be fed into the system. Perhaps the most impressive test of
a self sustaining system was the Oct. 28th test of the first one
megawatt E-Cat plant. At a certain point during the test, the input
power was cut off. However, the output of the system remained stable and
continued for over five and a half hours -- producing huge amounts of
dry steam (nearly half a megawatt on average). Such a result would be
absolutely impossible, if there were not cold fusion style nuclear
reactions taking place in the system. No hidden fuel source or battery
could have stored that much power. Also, the modules that composed the
plant did not have the mass or "specific heat capacity" to store up
enough heat (before the power was cut off) to allow for a thermal
flywheel effect to be an explanation of how almost half a megawatt of
power was produced for five and a half hours!
It's true that most of these tests may not have been performed with the
extreme rigor a hardcore academic researcher would prefer. But bear in
mind that such testing often entails many months or even years. The
pending Bologna and Uppsala University tests are scheduled to run for
two years. The academic world took 4 years to finally admit that they
were wrong about human flight, even as the Wright Brothers and others
were giving numerous flying demonstrations. An academic stamp of
approval should not be what you wait for before being convinced if you
wish to be an early adopter. There could be millions of units sold
before that happens.
Although the myriad of tests performed over the past year have provided
ample proof that the E-Cat technology is an absolutely real and valid
technology, there is additional evidence that has emerged as well.
Perhaps some of this additional evidence could be considered
circumstantial or not purely derived via scientific experimentation, but
I think it is worth mentioning.
- The customer (an undisclosed branch of the US Military) that
purchased the one megawatt plant is so satisfied with it, they have
ordered a total of thirteen plants! At a price of $2,600,000 per one
megawatt plant, this order comes up to almost 34 million dollars. No
customer who was not convinced of the technology would make that
large of an investment.
- The customer has not only ordered the plants, but is working
with Andrea Rossi to further develop the technology. One big
development is that Rossi is now able to produce steam at a
temperature of 400C, in a stable manner. This will allow for the
technology to be used to produce electricity in an efficient manner.
If they were not convinced the technology worked, why would they
bother helping Rossi further develop it?
- National Instruments, one of the most prestigious electronics
companies on the planet, has joined with Rossi to totally redesign
his electronics and control mechanisms. It's true that they will
accept pretty much any customer, being a professional service, but
their confirmed involvement illustrates how serious Rossi is in
wanting to present a quality product.
- Many competitors are emerging who want a piece of the action in
the market for cold fusion devices. Many of these companies can be
read about here at PESN. None of them have publicly demonstrated a
power output anywhere close to the E-Cat (much less a dozen or more
of them over the course of a year). All these companies emerging at
the same time, claiming to have Ni-H systems, would indicate that
Rossi must have something.
- Some mainstream scientists have spoken up and claimed that
Rossi's technology obviously works, such as Dennis Bushnell, a Chief
NASA scientist (EVWorld).
He claims that cold fusion has the most potential of any alternative
energy technology on the planet. This is in addition to all the
physicists, engineers, and university professors who have
successfully tested Andrea Rossi's devices in person. Another
distinguished scientist who has spoken favorably about the E-Cat is
Nobel Prize Laureate Brian Josephson. He went so far as to publish a
YouTube
video criticizing the silence of the mainstream media in regards
to the E-Cat, and presented a FAQ about the technology, as we
reported last June.
- Rossi has obtained another customer in the US North East (near
Massachusetts) that is not secretive. They will allow for their
identity to be revealed, and qualified experts will be allowed to
examine their E-Cat plant as it constantly produces excess energy.
Instead of a one day test, the operation of this planet will be a
continual test spanning weeks, months, or years.
The apparent conclusion is that the E-Cat technology works as
claimed. The evidence both experimentally obtained and circumstantial is
strongly affirmative. Those remaining cynics who claim the E-Cat
technology does not work need to remember their words will be recorded
for all of history. Just like the short sighted cynics who denied human
flight was possible months after the Wright Brothers had been flying in
the sky, their pseudo-skeptical remarks will forever be seen as evidence
of their pathological skepticism -- a mental disorder born of cultural
brainwashing, not scientific inclination.
What Will We See In 2012?
Andrea Rossi is making tremendous progress developing the E-Cat
technology. There seem to be two main challenges at this time that are
related to each other. The first is maintaining a stable production of
high temperature steam. Great progress has been made in meeting this
challenge, as announced recently by Rossi that they have achieved a
constant production of steam at 400C. The key to this breakthrough was
the use of a primary circuit fluid that had a boiling temperature higher
than water. If production of 400C steam was accomplished in a matter of
months, I think by the end of 2012 even higher temperatures will be
obtained.
The second challenge is to combine E-Cat units with appropriate
electrical generation systems. One obstacle had been the lack of systems
that could produce electricity efficiently from low temperature steam
(100C) or hot water (under 100C). The ability to produce steam at 400C
allows for many additional systems to be considered. Traditional
turbines could be utilized, or potentially even more exotic systems --
if the efficiency is high enough.
One advantage of the E-Cat technology is that the energy is very, very
cheap. This is because the fuel cost is near zero. Only several grams of
nickel and a tiny amount of hydrogen can power a ten kilowatt capacity
E-Cat for six months or longer! Therefore, if the heat to electricity
conversion efficiency is not extremely high, it does not matter as much
as if large amounts of fossil fuels were being consumed.
In the past several days Rossi has made a few remarkable comments on his
blog, discussing his plans for 2012. The following is an announcement he
shared with PESN.
STERLING'S COMMENT: I don't agree with
the sentiment to "kill competition". I don't think
anyone in the free energy sector will need to worry
about "competition" for many years, as it will take a
long time before market penetration is achieved. 1000
companies making thousands, or even some of them making
millions of units, would not have a problem finding
customers and applications in enough time to make a
return on their capital investment. |
|
WE ARE PREPARING THE PRODUCTION OF 1 MILLION E-CATS TO REACH
A VERY LOW PRICE, TO MAKE IT AT HAND FOR EVERYBODY; THIS WILL
ALSO PUT AN END TO THE WANNABE COMPETITORS WHO WILL BE ABLE TO
BUY AND COPY AN E-CAT, BUT WILL NEVER HAVE THE STRENGTH TO MAKE
SIMILAR PRICES. THIS IS THE STRATEGY I DECIDED IN THESE DAYS
WITH OUR PARTNERS |
This is fantastic news. Even better, he states on his blog that the
plan is for these units to be made available in 2012! Although the first
units will only produce heat, they will be capable of being retrofitted
to produce electricity when the appropriate electrical generating
components are available.
These units -- especially once they are combined with the equipment
needed to produce electricity -- will make all conventional sources of
alternative energy redundant. Because the E-Cat technology can operate
24 hours a day regardless of weather conditions, solar and wind power
systems will seem much less appealing. As the price of E-Cat units goes
down, the only competing technologies will be those that are truly
exotic, such as those we cover on PESN. Unless a technology extracts
energy from a seemingly "free" source, it will not even be able to try
and compete with cold fusion.
It seems pretty obvious to me that if Rossi successfully produces one
million E-Cats (which I have no doubt he will do), and is able to put
them on the market, 2012 will be the year of the E-Cat. I expect the
E-Cat and cold fusion to be the topic of news programs, political
debates, and on the front page of every mainstream website.
To be blunt, cold fusion is like a "new fire" (as Rossi calls it) that
produces heat, but consumes little fuel, and produces no smoke. It is
going to become the most significant development of 2012.
It's going to create a BIG buzz. We just have to wait for a critical
mass to be reached.
What Does This All Mean?
In the not too distant future, everyone who wants one (along with the
cash to make the purchase) could have an E-Cat device not only producing
hot water, but also producing electricity to power their homes. This
would decentralize the power grid, reduce the cost of energy
dramatically, reduce pollution, and benefit the world in many ways.
The implications of cold fusion technology will change the world.
Instead of being destined to destroy the planet, humans will have a tool
allowing them to desalinize ocean water instead of draining aquifers,
turn deserts into farmland, reduce CO2 emissions, eliminate smog that
creates health problems, and perhaps even colonize the solar system.
There are also economic implications to this technology. The
introduction of the E-Cat will create millions of jobs. For example,
factory workers will be needed to build E-Cats, there will be a need for
technicians to service E-Cats, and whole new industries will spring up
due to the technology. Industries such as recycling plants that once
were hindered by high energy costs, could become economically viable,
expand, and prosper. All of our landfills could be mined, and all the
plastics, metals, and glass could be recycled.
The technology could allow for a more free society in which people can
live off the grid, without big government telling them how to live. This
technology could take power from oppressive governments and big brother,
and give it back to the people.
A few years from now, oil may be down to $20 dollars a barrel, the
global economy restored, and our planet a cleaner place.
Also, there could be all sorts of unforeseen benefits of the E-Cat
technology we cannot yet fathom.
Almost as important as the direct benefits, billions of minds will be
opened to the fact that mainstream science does not know everything. The
suppression of cold fusion research for the last twenty plus years will
be exposed, and the world will realize that anything is possible, and
nothing is impossible. Perhaps the next big breakthrough will be gravity
control or a faster than light drive?
I think the E-Cat technology is going to make 2012 a very exciting year.
Due to the E-Cat technology, it will be a year of hope for a better
future -- clearing the way for a stronger economy, less pollution, and
more solutions to the problems we face as a civilization.
I'm honored to have been able to report about the technology for the
past year, and hope to be able to continue reporting about it in the
future. I would like to thank Sterling Allan for the opportunity he has
given me in the past year to write about the E-Cat. Also, I would like
to thank Andrea Rossi for sacrificing his businesses, his home, and
years of his life developing this technology. The world owes him a big
thank you for the many benefits his technology is going to provide our
planet.
# # #
This story is also published at
BeforeItsNews and
Examiner.
www.pureenergysystems.com
PES Network, Inc.
Copyright © 2003 - 2011
|