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Stimulation of LENR-AHE by high power electric pulses on coiled coaxial Constantan wires at high voltage and temperature
Abstract and Figures
[Enriched version of the original presentation]
This short presentation introduces an experimental design for the enhancement of the anomalous thermal phenomena (AHE) observed since 2011 in Constantan3 wires exposed to a deuterium or hydrogen atmosphere, and heated by direct current. In fact, the occurrence of AHE requires specific conditions such as deuterium/protium absorption in the wire, sufficiently high temperature, as well as presence of strong non-equilibrium conditions such as those induced by thermal gradients, variations of pressure, and electric/magnetic fields. Previous experiments provided a strong evidence for the
role of a flux of active species through the wire or at the wire surface. Though various techniques to induce a flux were tested before, and have been instrumental for a phenomenological understanding of AHE occurrence, they could not provide a solution for a sustained and exploitable energy production. For instance, wires loaded with deuterium at 700 °C and 1 Bar, may show the occurrence of AHE when the pressure is slowly reduced to 1 mBar. During this process, anincrease of wires electric resistance is observed and corresponds to the out-gasing of deuterium or hydrogen; this
creates a flux associated with AHE. Nonetheless when the out-gasing ceases, the phenomenon tends to vanish. Similarly, simple knots along the wires, can be used to create hot-spots and corresponding thermal gradients; this approach proved quite effective and AHE could exceed 40% with respect to the electric input to heat the wires.
Notwithstanding, the method was affected by a cumbersome preparation of the wires and their frequent breaks. In 2016 a second non heated wire was positioned near the active hot Constantan and, at a sufficiently reduced pressure did reveal a thermionic emission of electrons from Constantan. The empiric correlation between this electron emission
and AHE occurrence was initially puzzling, but soon lead to experiments where the electron emission was enhanced by mean of an external power supply to sustain an active voltage bias among Constantan and the second wire (anode).
This approach also proved able to trigger AHE though not indefinitely. The next step was using an alternating current between the two wires, an approach which led to observe the occurrence of Paschen or dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) when voltage and pressure were in the appropriate range. Interestingly in presence of these discharges, we
recorded high and long lasting AHE as observed by other authors before. An intense scrutiny of the data collected from the experiments mentioned above led us to design an updated setup which could take into account the learning of almost ten years of Constantan wires studies. This setup includes the implementation of pulsed power
supply based on a previous concept used by some of the authors of this presentation in electrolytic experiments with palladium. This power supply configuration and overall circuitry, is capable of providing powerful negative pulses along the wire, and positive pulses among the wire and an iron tube anode on which the wire (insulated with a special
glass fiber sheath) is coiled. The positive pulses among the Constantan and the tube are used in particular to trigger Paschen or DBD discharges, while the tube can also be used as support for a multilayer coating of nickel-copper and low work-function oxides described in previous works.
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... • Introduction to the current-voltage pulse approach 1 in the study of anomalies in hydrogen and/or deuteriummetal systems. From the initial electrolytic near room temperature experiments with LiOD-D 2 O and palladium [7] to (present) gas phase experiments with Constantan up to 900 • C [9]. • Overview of the techniques explored from 2018 to induce AHE (Anomalous Heat Effects) at different temperatures, pressures, voltages, and the exploitation of electron emission as a tool for non-equilibrium conditions 2 . ...
... • Modified Constantan wires heated with direct current (DC) in the presence of a transversal mild excitation (a few milliamps, ±600 V, 50 Hz sinusoidal): recent advances, on the reactor design based on coaxial cathodeanode wire geometry 3 , and related operating conditions [9]. Further progress was as follows: ...
... Presented at ICCF22,[8][9][10][11][12][13] Sept. 2019, Assisi-Italy.4 Surface or bulk interfaces.5 ...
This paper is mostly based on our presentation given at the 23rd International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science (ICCF23) held at Xiamen University (XMU)-PRC on June 9-11, 2021, but largely enriched to satisfy the requests of the referees. Upon the suggestion of the Conference Organizers, we added a detailed explanation of our procedures; moreover, we included the latest results and data from our recently published papers. In the framework of LENR-AHE (Low Energy Nuclear Reaction-Anomalous Heat Effects) studies, since 2021, we have been focused on innovative, low-cost materials instead of the usual, precious metal palladium. We found that the Cu-Ni alloy, known as Constantan (also used for J-type thermocouple construction), has the peculiarity of being able to easily dissociate H2 (or D2) from molecular to an atomic state. While the catalytic feature appears at a rather low temperature (150 °C), Constantan is also able to store atomic hydrogen within its lattice and/or at surfaces, up to temperature of 700-800 °C, and in a wide range of pressures. Thanks to our long experience (since 1994) with wires, we designed various experiments that take advantage of such specific shapes, namely in terms of electromigration of absorbed and adsorbed H, under a suitable longitudinal electric field (0.4-2.5 V/cm), DC and/or pulsed. In 1995 we got noticeable results using Pd wires in electrolytic environments (D2O) at mild temperatures (40-60 °C). Later on, in some experiments, we used even gaseous environments at high temperatures (up to 700-800 • C). The main problem of Pd was its large brittleness after H or D absorption. Moreover, we experimentally reconfirmed that one of the key conditions to induce AHE is the "flux" of H moving inside its lattice (longitudinal) or through the surface (transversal). Pioneers of transversal flux were G. C. Fralick-NASA; M. McKubre-SRI; Y. Iwamura-Mitsubishi; Y. Arata-Osaka Univ; F. Celani-INFN. We focused mainly on longitudinal flux (following also the theoretical models developed by G. Preparata-Milan Univ., although some of our unconventional electrolytic experiments (1995-1998) had both. In any case, apart from the initial state (the situation of intrinsic hydrogen concentration gradients), the flux needs external energy to be continuously activated. Based on our own experiences since April 1989, AHE are due to non-equilibrium conditions, i.e., they need continuous stimulation, usually energy consuming, apart from some specific (but delicate) geometric setups (such as the Capuchin knot, which we began testing in 2018, in some of our geometric arrangements where local thermal gradients were extremely large: > 100 °C/mm). Recently, we developed an unconventional geometry of the electrode we aimed to use, and at almost the same time, longitudinal and transversal flux at high temperatures in gaseous environments: our goal was to minimize extra energy added, to maximize the AHE and keep it operative for as long as possible. We report here on procedures to enable flux by high power electric pulsing with both related problematics and peculiar advantages, some unexpected. The core of the reactor is arranged as a reversed coaxial coil with inner electrode made by a Fe tube, which we described beginning in 2019 at ICCF22.
... This is a presentation held at the International LERN workshop in memory of Dr. Mahadeva Srinivasan on January 2021. It is divided in two parts, the first describes a new experimental setup for enhancing LENR phenomena in constantan wires and it is an extension of what presented already at the Workshop "Nel Vento 5" (ANV5) in December 2020 [1]. Further, new, details on unconventional pulse excitation procedures and hardware are provided. ...
... • The results were object of several publications 3 [3] [4]. 1 These experiments were performed below 100 °C. 2 Experiments with plates were similar, at the beginning, to those performed by A. Takahashi [28]. 3 ...
This is a presentation held at the International LERN Workshop in memory of Dr. Mahadeva Srinivasan, Kanpur-India, on January 22-24, 2021. It is divided in two parts, the first describes a new experimental setup for enhancing LENR phenomena in Constantan wires and it is an extension of what presented already at the Workshop “Assisi Nel Vento 5” (ANV5), Assisi-Italy, December 18-19, 2020 [1]. Further, new, details on unconventional pulse excitation, with both new procedures and hardware are provided.
In the second part instead, we summarize the findings on the association between LENR occurrence, thermionic phenomena, and the presence of low work-function materials (LWF). We also draw some parallelism with thermionic cathodes and industrial catalysts design. In fact, we believe that LENR studies may borrow extremely valuable information from the developments occurred in the past century in both fields. In that respect, we show how cermet thermionic cathodes, and composite catalysts, could be used as a base for the design of practical LENR devices.
This paper presents a summary and some deeper details about the experiments presented at the 22nd International Conference on Condensed Matter Nuclear Science (ICCF22). It reports on the experimental study of LENR phenomena in Constantan (Cu55 Ni44 Mn1) from its inception in 2011 to the most recent experiments. Using an empirical approach we identified the effect of surface modification of the Constantan wires with coatings comprised of elements that enhance the absorption behavior, and oxides with low work function for electron emission. We also explored certain geometrical arrangements of the wires such as knots and coils in order to induce local thermal gradients and predictable hot-spots. Moreover, the DC polarization of the wires by a counter-electrode proved to be a versatile approach to induce non-equilibrium conditions that are essential for Anomalous Heat Effects (AHE), especially when a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) is produced. From the review of experiments summarized in this article, we obtain indications that the main parameter controlling the AHE is the flux of reactive species through the surface of the loaded material. As a consequence, all other external conditions of the reactor core (voltage-current, temperature, pressure, electric field stimulations, DC and/or AC external fields), can be seen as co-factors that enable a flux of active species through surfaces and in the bulk of the materials. Although most of the tests are in agreement with a possible flux model, some results still lack an interpretation, probably due to limits of the experimental setup.
Anomalous Heat Effects (AHE) have been observed in wires of Cu55Ni44Mn1 (Constantan) exposed to H2 and D2 in multiple experiments during the last eight years. Improvements in the magnitude and reproducibility of AHE, and improvements in wire preparation and reactor design were reported by the authors in the present and previous papers. The oxidation of the wires by pulses of electrical current in air creates a rough surface featuring a sub-micrometric texture that proves particularly effective at inducing thermal anomalies when temperature exceeds 400•C. This effect appears also to be increased substantially by deposing segments of the wire with a series of elements (such as Fe, Sr, Mn, K, via thermal decomposition of their nitrates applied from a water solution). Furthermore, an increase of AHE was observed after placing the treated wires inside a sheath made of borosilicate glass (B-Si-Ca; BSC), and even more after impregnating the sheath with the same elements used to coat the wires. (continued in the next page) The treated wire, comprised of knots and sheaths, was wound around a SS316 rod and inserted inside a thick wall glass reactor. The presence of thermal and chemical gradients is an important factor, especially when considering the noteworthy effect of knots on AHE. The ICCF21 Conference held in June 2018 marked a turning point, when the scientific community showed notable interest in the effects of knots and wire treatments, further increasing confidence in the approach. From that time on, attempts to further increase AHE focused on the introduction of different types of knots, leading to the choice of the "Capuchin" type. This knot design produces very hot spots along the wire and it features three areas characterized by a temperature difference up to several hundred degrees. Efforts were also made to better understand the thermionic effect of the wire, and the spontaneous voltage that arises when a second wire is introduced close by (anode). Eventually a large AHE rise was observed when an extra voltage was introduced between the active wire (cathode) and the second wire (anode) through an external power supply; a truly remarkable effect, despite its short duration due to the wire failure caused by an AHE runaway that melted the wire. This article summarizes the presentation given at the 13th International Workshop on Anomalies in Hydrogen Loaded Metals and reports the latest AHE results obtained from a new reactor design comprised of Capuchin knots and new custom manufactured, enhanced sheaths.
In 2011, we introduced the use of constantan alloy in LENR, in the form of long and thin wires as a hydrogen dissociation promoter. We disclosed for the first time the reason for the choice of such material at IWAHLM-12 Workshop (2017), hypothesizing it was the initiator of the reaction in Andrea Rossi's experiment. We developed a specific treatment to increase the dimensionality of wire surface through the application of high peak power pulses. The wire is inserted in fiberglass sheaths, made up of micrometric fibers, impregnated with a solution of an electron-emitter element (Sr). Later, we added Fe and K to the wire surface and the sheaths and adopted the procedure of making equally spaced knots along the wire to produce thermal and magnetic gradients. We also pointed out that the addition of noble gases with low thermal conductivity, and in particular xenon, to the H2/D2 atmosphere, produces a considerable rise of temperature in the reactor, maybe because those gases acting as catalyzers in the generation of excess power. Measurements were always performed with isoperibolic calorimetry, which has the advantage of producing non-equilibrium conditions that favor the generation of anomalous heat excess (AHE). With this procedure, we reached a gain of almost a factor 2 at the highest temperature, although with limited stability over time. In this paper, we present SEM observations and EDX analyses of the wire before and after applying the treatment. We have also conducted a series of experiments using air-flow calorimetry. The calorimeter consists of an insulating Styrofoam box whose internal walls are covered with a thick foil of aluminum; the external wall of the reactor was covered with a double layer of black and thick aluminum foil to homogenize temperature. The calorimeter contains the reactor and a halogen tungsten lamp inside a dummy reactor used for calibrations. Even with the air-flow calorimetry approach, which does not produce the most appropriate conditions for AHE, we have obtained excess power, although in quite lower amounts. The best results are: (a) with 100-µm diameter wire, D2 at 1 bar, input power 90 W, the AHE was over 12 ±2 W, but after 1 day the wire broke and (b) with 200-µm diameter wire, Xe-D2 mixture each at 0.1 bar and input power of 120 W, AHE was 6-7 W stably for weeks.
This paper introduces a Zitterbewegung (ZBW) model of the electron by applying the principle of Occam's razor to Maxwell's equations and by introducing a scalar component in the electromagnetic field. The aim is to explain, by using simple and intuitive concepts, the origin of the electric charge and the electromagnetic nature of mass and inertia. A ZBW model of the electron is also proposed as the best suited theoretical framework to study the structure of Ultra-Dense Deuterium (UDD), the origin of anomalous heat in metal-hydrogen systems and the possibility of existence of "super-chemical" aggregates at Compton scale.
This paper introduces a Zitterbewegung model of the electron by applying the principle of Occam's razor to the Maxwell's equations and by introducing a scalar component in the electromagnetic field. The aim is to explain, by using simple and intuitive concepts, the origin of the electric charge and the electromagnetic nature of mass and inertia. The Zitterbewegung model of the electron is also proposed as the best suited theoretical framework to study the structure of Ultra-Dense Deuterium (UDD), the origin of anomalous heat in metal-hydrogen systems and the possibility of existence of "super-chemical" aggregates at Compton scale.
A high-current (up to 100 A), short-pulse (1-μs duration) electrolysis technique is presented that permits high loading (D/Pd up to 1.2) of deuterium in palladium cathodes. Several different cold-worked palladium plates were used as cathodes, and some underwent surface treatments (oxidation or addition of intermetallic compounds). The surface-treated plates showed atypical deuterium absorption dynamics, and the D/Pd loading ratio exceeded 1. Moreover, during initial loading, these cathodes showed anomalous excess heat (up to 80%) far greater than the absorption enthalpy. The pure palladium surface plates did not show this effect.
This chapter describes the last 20 years of research at the Frascati National Laboratories (INFN-LNF, Italy) on the Cold Fusion phenomena in wires under the influence of electrical currents or fields. We present the development of the experiments from their inception to the most recent setup, with attention to the material science approach that has been the focus of our experiments. We also hope to provide a step-to-step guide to reproduce a phenomenon that has remained elusive and difficult to control until the most recent advances that we present here in detail. Although the reported effects are still somewhat modest, on the other hand, the progress in reproducibility and control opens up unprecedented opportunities to understand the phenomenon while allowing us to extrapolate on the possibilities for practical applications.
My working hypothesis of the conditions required to observe low energy nuclear reactions ( LENR ) follows: 1) High fluxes of deuterium atoms through interfaces of grains of metals that readily accommodate movement of hydrogen atoms interstitially is the driving variable that produces the widely observed episodes of excess heat above the total of all input energy. 2) This deuterium atom flux has been most often achieved at high electrochemical current densities on highly deuterium-loaded palladium cathodes but is clearly possible in other experimental arrangements in which the metal is interfacing gaseous deuterium, as in an electrical glow discharge. 3) Since the excess heat episodes must be producing the product(s) of some nuclear fusion reaction(s) screening of options may be easier with measurement of those "ashes" than the observance of the excess heat. 4) All but a few of the exothermic fusion reactions known among the first 5 elements produce He-4. Hence helium-4 appearance in an experiment may be the most efficient indicator of some fusion reaction without commitment on which reaction is occurring. This set of hypotheses led me to produce a series of sealed tubes of wire electrodes of metals known to absorb hydrogen and operate them for >100 days at the
We describe room-temperature hydrogen and deuterium loading of palladium wires by means of pulsed electrolysis and the electromigration effect. The atomic ratio has been measured by means of the dependence of the resistivity upon the ratio. Values of the ratio up to 0.95 or even higher have been reached in short times. A correlation between an anomalous temperature rise and a resistivity “transition” of the overloaded palladium clearly appears.