NASA video on LENR (low energy nuclear reactions), a clean form of nuclear energy
January 13, 2012
NASA Langley Research Center posted Thursday (but has not announced) a new video on NASA research on LENR (low energy nuclear reactions), entitled “Method for Enhancement of Surface Plasmon Polaritons to Initiate & Sustain LENR.”
The research focuses on “another way of producing energy-efficient nuclear power,” says NASA Senior Research Scientist Joseph Zawodny, featured in the video (posted on YouTube by KurzweilAI). “This other form of nuclear power releases energy by adding neutrons. Eventually they gain a sufficient number of neutrons that they spontaneously decay into something of the same mass but a different element.”
The energy is “cleaner than traditional nature nuclear fuels, and can be produced by raw materials such as nickel, carbon, and hydrogen. It has the demonstrated ability to produce excess amounts of energy, cleanly, without hazardous ionizing radiation, without producing nasty waste. This clean form of energy is also powerful, able to support everything from transportation systems to infrastructure.
“The easiest implementation of this would be for the home. You would have a unit that would replace your water heater…. It would power the house, power the building, power the light industry. And then the waste heat would be used for environmental control and warm water.”
Also see:
LENR Presentation by NASA Langley Research Center Chief Scientist Dennis Bushnell
Slides From Sept. 22 NASA LENR Innovation Forum Workshop
Andrea Rossi’s ‘E-cat’ nuclear reactor: a video FAQ: interview with Nobel Prize laureate Brian Josephson
Comments (14)
by Paul Maher
Not only is LENR likely to come to the forefront this yea, but there are several other paradigm shifters coming soon to you. But on the LENR arena, I visited Robert George and Robert Godes. Proonounced “god-ess” this last Wednesday at 1942 University in Berkeley, CA. Their Buddy at SRI, Mike McKubre, has partnered with them and he is now evaluating and testing their latest design. It runs much hotter., aimed at industrial boiler market.
by The SHM
‘Cept Rossi is defeating himself. He’d better get these on the market soon, before any potential buyers just discredit him as a fraud.
by John Sholota
Imagine the possibilities and ramifications on the economy, science/engineering and industry if the E-CAT’s mechanisms are proven true.
We can only hope the E-CAT can deliver on it’s promise.
by greyedout
Bushnell is an engineer and Zawodny has no qualifications in this area (he’s a well-respected atmospheric scientist). Based on the links to the slides, they are re-presenting results of third party “researchers”. I would love to be wrong, but it looks like a couple of well-meaning scientists allowed themselves to be hoodwinked.
by Vincent
I’m confused, this is about cold fusion, right? How could that ever work? Why and how would neutrons be able to ‘add-up’ by ‘infusing heated hydrogen into nickel’? I would like more background information, wiki doesn’t help much.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Catalyzer
by Editor
According to an unofficial statement by a NASA source, NASA is low-keying this until they learn more. I have a request into NASA for an official statement. The two presentations listed above under “See More” are the only quasi-official information from NASA we have so far. They do provide some fairly in-depth technical information.
by Paul Maher
Hi, A lot has happened in the last year. Many new approaches, as this is a very broad spectrum phenomenon. You undoubtedly know that Zawodny’s video has actually been available on the NASA Innovation site, and other NASA sites as well. It is clear that NASA sees the value here. Not to mention the work that has been going on in the Brillouin Energy, SRI connection that Robert Godes and Micharl McKubre have put together. Actually the most interesting observation that I have made lately is that although ALL of the National Laboratories have some kind of device. I mean all of them. Also a search on LENR on http://www.science.gov will result in 500+ papers on the subject for your perusal. The interesting thing about thgis is that the DOE and NAS have virtually nothing to say about the technology or the underlying condensed matter physics.
The response you get is about what you got when the panned Pons and Fleischman back in 1989, ya’ know the 20th century read on this technology. Get on board. I am very interested in knowing what Ray Kurzweil has to say about this Black Swan rising.
Call Me,
Paul
415 933 5495
pmaher_art@yahoo.com
by Greg Goble
Hi,
This is a tip for you about a Cold Fusion LENR Powered Boeing 747 being developed by NASA.
May 2012 NASA Contract NNL08AA16B – NNL11AA00T
“Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research – Phase II” – N+4 Advanced Concept Development
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20120009038_2012008934.pdf
“Even though we do not know the specific cost of the LENR itself, we assumed a cost of jet fuel at $4/gallon and weight based aircraft cost. We were able to calculate cost per mile for the LENR equipped aircraft compared to a conventional aircraft (Figure 3.2). Looking at the plots, one could select a point where the projected cost per mile is 33% less than a conventionally powered aircraft.”
3.0 LENR Requirements Analysis …pg 24
Figure 3.1 – Potential Heat Engines for LENR Systems ..pg 25
Figure 3.2 – Parametric LENR and Heat Engine Performance Parameters …pg 25
6.2.3 Low Energy Nuclear Reactor Technologies …pg 82
Table 6.3 – LENR Technologies Success Criteria …pg 86
Also pgs 15, 18, 19, 20, and 21.
These are 39 folks who have been involved in this since May, 2011.
Bradley, Marty (Boeing)
Daggett, David (Boeing)
Droney, Christopher(Boeing)
Hoisington, Zachary (Boeing)
Kirby, Michelle (GT)
Murrow, Kurt (GE)
Ran, Hongjun (GT)
Nam, Teawoo (GT)
Tai, Jimmy (GT)
Hammel, Jeff (GE)
Perullo, Chris (GT)
Guynn, Mark (NASA)
Olson, Erik (NASA)
Leavitt, Larry (NASA)
Allen, Timothy (Boeing)
Cotes, Dwaine (Boeing)
Guo, Yueping (Boeing)
Foist, Brian (Boeing)
Rawdon, Blaine (Boeing)
Wakayama, Sean (Boeing)
Dallara, Emily (Boeing)
Kowalski, Ed (Boeing)
Wat, Joe (Boeing)
Robbana, Ismail (Boeing)
Barmichev, Sergey (Boeing)
Fink, Larry (Boeing)
Sankrithi, Mithra (Boeing)
White, Edward (Boeing)
Gowda, Srini (GE)
Brown, Gerald (NASA)
Wahls, Richard (NASA)
Wells, Doug (NASA)
Jeffries, Rhett (FAA)
Felder, James (NASA)
Schetz, Joe (VT)
Burley, Casey (NASA)
Sequiera, Christopher (FAA)
Martin, John (NASA)
Kapania, Rakesh (VT)
Maybe you could interview a few of these guys… see what they have to say about the emerging LENR technology (popularly known as cold fusion).
Is Commercial LENR the Real Deal?http://www.lenrproof.com/
Thank you,
Cold Fusion Now Org
by Editor
Just added: Andrea Rossi’s ‘E-cat’ nuclear reactor: a video FAQ: interview with Nobel Prize laureate Brian Josephson
by Ez
All atomic nuclei, being composed of protons and neutrons, repel one another because of their positive charge. However, if the atoms have a high enough temperature and pressure then their random motions can overcome such electrical repulsion (called the Coulomb force), and they can come close enough for the strong nuclear force to take effect, fusing them into heavier atoms. Instead of high temp and pres we use low t and p and achieve the fusing of said neutrons into other elements via a catalyst platinum and a neutron donor deuterium whic is electrolytically driven forward to reaction which may or may not occurr depending on the makeup of the catalyst.
by cloudswrest
This is all well and good ‘cept, where does one get the neutrons? Seems like it would be a great technology to include in the control rods of a nuclear reactor to boost the power output for a specific amount of nuclear fuel without increasing the radioactive waste products.
by ricksittel
Great story, but it needs to be less vague. When is this technology going to be available? Or is it just theory and we’ll never hear about it again. The Government needs to find a good source of inexpensive energy and put the oil companies out of business forever. Just my opinion of course
by jefferee
This has the potential of turning the energy [industry] in on its head.
by jefferee
The ramifications of this are mind numbing. This has the potential of turning the energy in on its head.