Cold Fusion now a reality?

[LHammonds]

The nickel will be a scares thing in the near future, What happened to the nickel. Blame those Cold Fusion plants lol.

Asteroid mining

[Quetzlsacatanango]

That will be hard to do without a shuttle program.

[Lisnpuppy]

Mining robots...or drones (if you play EvE.)

[HeyYou]

This is nothing new, I heard about this thing two years ago, and I thought it was a hoax. Most scientists still believe it's a hoax.

 

Now to the system.

 

The generators he is testing have an efficiency of 17.6% (output energy) while the other 82.4% is spent on self-sustaining, which is a very good result. One generator is capable of producing 4.4 kW of output energy, while it spends 20.6 kW on self sustaining, and heat produced by the process itself. It produces minimal amounts of radiation, and it's working temperature outside the thermic isolation is between 30 and 40 degrees celsius. The generator exceedes the performance of a normal nuclear reactor by 15-20%.

 

Although it has it's upsides, it has it's downsides as well. Replacing the nickel is a pain, the whole generator needs to be taken apart in order to replace it, and it requires large ammounts of water to power turbines which makes it not portable. The idea behind this is not portability, it's size. If a generator is small, you can put, let's say five of them where you would usually put one, allowing you to power five turbines, therefore powering five generators and producing more power while having them in the same space.

 

@Vagrant0 If they manage to reduce the water consumption it can be used in space. The steam gets out of the generator under high pressure so it would power turbines, even in zero gravity. Pumping the water into the generator isn't a problem either.

 

Using a close loop for the turbines would reduce water usage to about zero.

[Werne]

@HeyYou Theoretically, yes. Practically, I don't think that kind of system would work. To make the water boil you need to heat it up to 100 degrees celsius and it must not be distilled water because it can't boil (it explodes when the water temperature exceedes aproximately 150 degrees celsius, pretty cool). Normal water is not pure water and it would eventually block the pipes with dirt (i wrote dirt because I can't translate the correct word). Also it would need some sort of pressure regulator so the steam doesn't put more pressure on the pump when the air and steam return to the water tank. Edited November 4, 2011 by Werne

[HeyYou]

They use closed systems in nuclear reactors, and also navy ships.

[Werne]

@HeyYou But they are not used in zero gravity where water floats in mid-air.

[Vagrant0]

The word you're looking for is sediment. And yep, that might be a problem, requiring frequent cleaning of the water chambers in addition to having to manually open up the reactor to add the nickel. The system as we see it is good for short term generation and as a proof of concept, but would likely need to be re-engineered significantly before it could really be used in any long term environment.

 

The 0 gravity issue was really more about the way that the hydrogen is interacting with the nickel. If they're using a powdered nickel, the powder would be free-floating and probably be more exposed to the reaction, generating even more heat, but lasting a much shorter time, if I understand it.

 

There are also a few other components which aren't clear. The reactor uses some other additive to get the effect, so the state and availability of that additive is important as well as what sort of pollution or harmful effects might go along with it. Then there is being sure that the water doesn't contain any radioactive components from any amount of Gamma radiation being used in the process.

[Thor.]

Here is some up close footage of the catalyzer at work. And the media.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-Ru1eAymvE&feature=player_embedded#!

 

If you can make out any of it be my guest to translate it :thumbsup:

Edited November 4, 2011 by Thor.

[LHammonds]

That will be hard to do without a shuttle program.

We just need an excuse such as this to re-focus our efforts on space projects...that's all.

 

Mining robots...or drones (if you play EvE.)

Did you know that when you play EvE, the mining ships are real and the government is linking up the best players to the real thing without them knowing it? :tongue:

 

They use closed systems in nuclear reactors, and also navy ships.

People are pointing fingers at the US Navy as the party that made the 1st purchase. Certainly would be understandable. I just hope it is...because my father-in-law works at Westinghouse who helps oversee the building of those large navy engines. :D

 

LHammonds