For modern science, the realization of the cold fusion it would be the equivalent of the philosopher's stone for the ancient alchemists, or the tool by which they claimed to be able to transform poor metals into gold and silver. To the present day, the real challenge is to fuse two atoms and get a bigger one, thus realizing the nuclear fusion.
Andrea Rossi, inventor dell’Energy Catalyzer (E-cat) claims to have succeeded and promises, thanks to its device, to wipe out all of humanity's energy problems in one fell swoop.
Illustration depicting an alchemist at work.
The E-cat would be able to transform Hydrogen and Nickel into Copper, producing much more thermal energy than that used during the entire melting process. In essence, the E-cat would be an infinitely "renewable" energy source. According to some, it would be just the umpteenth hoax, but second (few) others this would represent the most important discovery in history.
To better understand how this device works, we have to take a few steps back. What distinguishes a chemical element from another is the number of protons within its nucleus or the atomic number. Hydrogen has an atomic number 1, the Nickel 28, while Copper has an atomic number 29. During a reaction of nuclear fusion two atoms of a certain element come together until they merge together. Nell’E-cat, the only proton of the hydrogen nucleus joins that of nickel thus generating an atom of a different species, the Copper.
This process occurs continuously in stars where hydrogen atoms fuse to form helium atoms (atomic number 2). The very high temperatures inside them, 8 million degrees Kelvin, they provide the energy needed for the fusion process.
Protons are all positively charged and the closer they get to each other the more they repel each other, exactly how it can happen between two magnets. To produce a new chemical element it is therefore necessary to overcome the mutual electromagnetic repulsion of the protons inside the atomic nuclei. Only when the distance becomes very small and thanks to the presence neutrons (which have no electric charge) and at nuclear interactions strong, the particles end up attracting each other and merging into a single nucleus.
Scheme of the structure of an atom. The figure shows the nucleus with protons (+) ed i neutroni (O), surrounded by electrons (-).
The term "cold fusion”Refers to the same process obtained, however, at significantly lower temperatures and pressures, like those obtainable in a terrestrial laboratory.
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it is necessary to bring the atomic nuclei to a distance such as to overcome their repulsion e, it is necessary to bring the atomic nuclei to a distance such as to overcome their repulsion e 2012 it is necessary to bring the atomic nuclei to a distance such as to overcome their repulsion e 2013, it is necessary to bring the atomic nuclei to a distance such as to overcome their repulsion e, it is necessary to bring the atomic nuclei to a distance such as to overcome their repulsion e. However, this is still to be verified: the two experiments were conducted under different conditions and therefore cannot be considered as proofs. In both circumstances, much more heat output would have been measured than input. This would mean that more energy is produced than is supplied to the E-cat, a completely inexplicable phenomenon.
Furthermore, a scientific explanation of the phenomenon is missing. The main doubt remains how the E-cat manages to carry out a process that does not occur in nature: even in the stars, Hydrogen and Nickel do not combine to produce Copper. On the other hand, what has been observed in the stars is exactly the opposite: around decay of Copper into Nickel. The fusion of elements to create cores larger than that of Nickel theoretically cannot take place: it is an endergonic reaction, that is, it absorbs energy from the outside instead of releasing it, as if we were lighting a fire to cool the environment.
Another noteworthy fact is that the phenomenon of nuclear fusion is extensively studied in various physics laboratories
To get an idea of how much fusion is a complicated process to obtain in the laboratory, just think of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), which only this year managed for the first time in the world to achieve nuclear fusion. This was possible using a machine consisting of 192 laser beams (for a total of 500 trillion Watts of power) aimed at a gold champion. The X-rays emitted by gold made it possible to compress a shell (a few millimeters in diameter) containing hydrogen. The gas contained in the shell was compressed until it had the diameter equal to that of a hair and only at that point was nuclear fusion observed.
The capsule used by the NIF for their nuclear fusion experiment. The surrounding apparatus serves to maintain cryogenic temperatures (18K, or -255 ° C).
This was one of the most sensational discoveries of recent months and is considered by the scientific community to be the first real big step towards nuclear fusion..
There are too many unanswered questions regarding the E-cat, such as the nature of the mysterious catalyst and the absence of radioactivity expected after a fusion reaction. There is also a lack of data on the copper produced, on the fuel used, there are no independent test results and one is missing entirely peer-review of the international scientific environment. Meantime, despite all these considerations, the entrepreneur Rossi promises the marketing of the device.
Rosaria Marraffino
Not only, but it should be pointed out that Andrea Rossi himself has denied that copper is produced in his apparatus: just learned that copper “resulting” it had been sent to a * really * third-party laboratory for analysis, he quickly stated that he did not believe it was the product of the merger – in fact that copper turned out a bit’ too common…
In any case, some time later he passed from the E Cat all’ Hot Cat (a tube attached directly to the electric current) which would produce Ni62 – no copper again this time, alas – but only if he pulls it out with his own hands…
For a review of the E Cat from a few years ago, you find something serious in Italian (….eh…) who:
http://www.psiram.com/it/index.php/Catalizzatore_di_energia_secondo_Rossi_e_Focardi
There would be a lot to tell about the various ones in general ”demonstrations” public, all fail in some fundamental point, so much so that the same ”believers” in cold fusion in E Cat have come to declare that those ”demonstrations” they were deliberately inconsistent ”to throw off the competition”; same excuse with patent applications (clearly not acceptable for the mere fact of the presence of secret ingredients, as well as the impossibility of verifying anything) and with every pseudoscientific paper made by an improperly defined team of fellow adventurers ”Third Party Team” – perhaps in the sense that none of the members were direct relatives of the Enterpreneur.
For a review between the serious and the facetious of one of these, find one here:
https://oggiscienza.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/un-giallo-canarino/
For a serious discussion, I suggest the English version of Psiram ( https://www.psiram.com/en/index.php/Focardi-Rossi_Energy-Catalyzer )
To date we are the usual claims (”it works', we are finishing the tests, in a few months / years / centuries we are on the market”) already raised in 2010, while there is no trace of functioning devices.
Rossi's latest emule is a certain Parkhomov who, however, was not very skilled in copying and pasting parts of graphs, with the result that his claims were devalued very quickly even in the home of ”believers” ( http://www.cobraf.com/forum/topic.php?reply_id=123583260#123583260 ).
Even some ”believer” historian in the genius of Rossi announced that he had full the pockets of the character ( http://www.cobraf.com/forum/topic.php?reply_id=123583582#123583582 )
Meanwhile, Rossi is in the States, has conquered 12/17 apartments in Miami and maybe they do it though, moderno John Keely (https://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/museum/keely/keely.htm), he certainly cannot give up: the show must go on, worth the risk of stealing the stolen goods.
You will not want, no?
:D