World: r3wp
[Tech News] Interesting technology
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Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6103x2] | I guess at a few million that would ;-) |
production for units is 2011, with first shipments by year's end.... I mean... this is major. its not "future" tech... its possibly the biggest energy revolution of the century, and it went totally under the radar. | |
Henrik 26-Apr-2011 [6105] | I would install it tomorrow, if I could. |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6106] | here's an interesting interview with Dr. Edmund Storms (pretty big name in the field) on Rossi http://coldfusionnow.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/edmund-storms-on-the-rossi-device-there-will-be-a-stampede/ |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6107] | me too, I'd install a unit for myself and my neighbor. with a closed, permanent loop for heating and cooling. |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6108x3] | so far, his intent is to get it into industrial applications since licensing for that is a lot less prohibitive than for domestic use |
but once the secret sause is out, I can't see how you won't be able to make this for yourself | |
sauce, I meant | |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6111x2] | also, the current machine is prohibitively "under performing" because by his own account... they have no clue what (rather why) its actually working. so they are using extremely safe levels of operation which have a zero chance of becoming dangerous. they are still trying to provide the theory behind the discovery. the current demonstrations provide a ratio of output of about 6-7 times output energy wrt input. I've read that they did tests up to 400:1, at which point explosions always occur... but by his own account, they will be able to significantly improve the "reactor" in the next years, when they start understanding it more. operationally safe levels could be a lot higher today, given a different environment in which they build the reactor so I expect tha commercial products will double output within a very short period of time. |
for now, getting the refined nickel dust will probably be the problem for "DIY" applications. its extremely toxic, so its probably not commonlly available. | |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6113x3] | the sad thing is the Pons-Fleischman debacle hadn't happened (poor guys basically cut their careers short as a result), the filed could have been at this stage in the early 90's - with proper funding for research |
meanwhile - we've kept on crapping on the planet, and even now, with the stuff happening in Japan, plans are underway in different parts of the world to move ahead with new nuclear fission reactors | |
above: filed -> field | |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6116x3] | the world is just waiting for a way to make energy without the requirement of special geographical resources. this might very well be it. nickel is a pretty abundant resource and there are mines all over the world. |
plus, this system requires very little of the actual ore to work for months (1kg/6 months) for the system they demoed. | |
and well, I hope there will never be a shortage of hydrogen ;-) | |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6119x2] | I'm pretty sure that once the process is understood, other materials will be usable - at least that's what others seem to imply |
I wonder what global upheaval this will lead to as economies adjust to account for this. Tremendous changes ahead - 2012? :-) | |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6121x3] | if, within a decade, it has be proven that the device is as safe as traditional oil furnaces are (we all accept that we have a bomb in our houses... so I don't see this as being any more dangerous). I'd say that we are talking about a shift in the need for huge powerplants, in the long run. if, I can use a kg of nickel for a few hundred bucks, to heat/cool my house and its water for a few years... why would I even consider using electricity/oil/gaz instead? |
if everyone can basically cut his major energy costs by 90%, that means a sizeable reduction in grid energy requirements. | |
and reduced dependency on fossil fuels as well. | |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6124] | my fear is that the "nuclear" aspect of this process, especially at this time, will cause alarmists who don't know the difference between fission and fusion to oppose it |
Geomol 26-Apr-2011 [6125x2] | Isn't there some radiation in all nuclear processes? |
That's why they put lead around it and measure radiation doing presentations. | |
Henrik 26-Apr-2011 [6127] | It seems there is some issue with the amount of led shielding required. Normally, much more would be required than is used in the tests. |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6128x2] | yes, there is radiation, but not to a degree that a small amount of shielding can't be effective at stopping it |
some peope had, rightly, questioned the process being nuclear since there was no significant gamma radiation during the demo. Rossi explained somewhere that getting a radiation signature would give away the secret of the catalyst, so he made sure to cover up as much as possible | |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6130] | and I suspect the fact that there are gamma spikes at the start end end of the process are clues as to how it works too ;-) |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6131x2] | a CRT has significant radiation, but it is allowed in the home |
anyhow, compared to pretty much any other energy source, on the merits of overall negative impact, the relatively small amount of gamma radiation, which can be shielded, should not stop the process from being considered | |
Geomol 26-Apr-2011 [6133] | But you'll hear the alarmists. :-) |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6134] | wrt public acceptance isn't going to be hard. the system instantly shuts off if you remove the input current, so that a simple fuse in the system makes it highly safe, in fact much safer than any conventional fossil fuel furnace in case of appliance failure.. my own furnace had a back-fire explosion two months ago... this litterally ripped off and blew the whole piping leading to the chimney right into the opposing wall. |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6135x2] | I guess there is a question of home-brew, poorly shielded impementations that could get out of hand if the intent is to go for the biggest output |
but I don't think it'll be possible to stop that once this is widespread - there will likely be accidents | |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6137] | the real danger IMHO will be in the handling of the nickel dust. so I'd bet a normalized "consumer-safe" rod will likely be built at some point. |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6138x2] | people will be doing this in their basement, though - just like people like to tinker with anything, they'll do so here, even if it's not safe |
because as soon as you impose too many middlemen in the process, you're driving up the cost, so people will want to avoid paying anyone they don't absolutely need to | |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6140] | I'll just wait for a blueprint in popular mechanics, before I build mine ;-) |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6141] | your neighbour might not want to wait |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6142] | do you know how far will the gamma rays travel in such an installation, assuming its in the basement? |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6143x2] | maybe future homes will require shielding from the start |
no clue, I suppose it comes down to how intense the reaction is | |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6145] | I can just see it... re-introduction of led paint to make homes *safer* ;-) |
Henrik 26-Apr-2011 [6146] | the power will really be, when we can print this with a reprap 3D printer :-) |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6147x2] | or this one, pretty impressive home built printer. I'm guessing it has 600-1000- dpi resolution. |
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2011/04/homebrew-liquid-resin-3d-printer-gets-resolution-boost.html | |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6149x2] | speaking of Popular Mechanics above, they had a pretty negative article when this process was announced |
wow, that's nice output! | |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6151x2] | North America is convinced that anything related to "fusion" is fake or star-trek futuresque. the "Pons-Fleischman debacle", was such big news that they completely discredited this research in the public, so anything related to this field has been regarded as skeptic material ever since. talking about functional cold fusion is almost on par with talking about UFOs. |
current common sense in N-A would be: "if its not fire or hot wires... its obviously dangerous or else its fake" | |
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