Cold Fusion small home reactors supposedly are here now
Traditional nuclear energy uses dangerous radioactive materials as fuel and produces hazardous waste. The solution is Cold Fusion. No Rads - No Waste - No Problems!
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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.
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This story is also published at BeforeItsNews.
See alsoResources at PESWiki.com
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