Fusion Experiment: Cylindrical Electrodes in Electrolyte Solution

[psah]

Anyone trying this experiment?

Put a solid cylindrical electrode (anode/cathode) inside a hollow cylindrical or tightly coiled electrode (cathode/ anode) so that there is only a minimal ‘potential space’ between the two electrodes, and immerse them in a suitable electrolyte solution. The electrodes are made of suitable materials; see if there is any fusion of ions inside the ‘potential space’ with release of energy.


psah

 

[Integral]

What makes you think there would be?

 

[Tide]

I didn't think science fiction was part of physicsforum's charter. :-)

 

[jujio77]

I'll work on that experiment once I finish my perpetual motion machine!

 

[Mk]

A reply you may've wanted.

Anyone trying this experiment?

Put a solid cylindrical electrode (anode/cathode) inside a hollow cylindrical or tightly coiled electrode (cathode/ anode) so that there is only a minimal ‘potential space’ between the two electrodes, and immerse them in a suitable electrolyte solution. The electrodes are made of suitable materials; see if there is any fusion of ions inside the ‘potential space’ with release of energy.

I didn't think science fiction was part of physicsforum's charter. :-)

Its not science fiction! Its real, you can prove it cause "they," the scientists said so! Everything scientists say is true! Like the internet... and... and.. the black and white tiny newspapers that say aliens are invading the Earth next Tuesday!

But seriously, there are 2 cold fusion experimetns that I know of, one bubble fusion ( http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Bubble_fusion and http://www.rpi.edu/web/News/press_releases/2004/lahey.htm ), and one, that seems to be similar to yours.

Experimental set-up and observations
Fleischmann and Pons reported more energy coming from their electrolysis cell than they contributed.
Enlarge
Fleischmann and Pons reported more energy coming from their electrolysis cell than they contributed.

In their original set-up, Fleischmann and Pons used a Dewar flask (a double-walled vacuum flask) for the electrolysis, so that heat conduction would be minimal on the side and the bottom of the cell (only 5 % of the heat loss in this experiment). The cell flask was then submerged in a bath maintained at constant temperature to eliminate the effect of external heat sources. They used an open cell, thus allowing the gaseous deuterium and oxygen resulting from the electrolysis reaction to leave the cell (with some heat too). It was necessary to replenish the cell with heavy water at regular intervals. For the temperature observations to be meaningful the cell must be kept at a uniform temperature. Rather than using a mechanical method of stirring, sparging with the generated D2 gas was done to equalize the temperature "when necessary"; however, the efficacy of this method of maintaining the cell at a uniform temperature would later be disputed. Special attention was paid to the purity of the palladium cathode and electrolyte to prevent the build-up of material on its surface, especially after long periods of operation.

The cell was also instrumented with a thermistor to measure the temperature of the electrolyte, and an electrical heater to generate pulses of heat and calibrate the heat loss due to the gas outlet. After calibration, it was possible to compute the heat generated by the reaction.

A constant current was applied to the cell continuously for many weeks, and heavy water was added as necessary. For most of the time, the power input to the cell was equal to the power that went out of the cell within measuring accuracy, and the cell temperature was stable at around 30 °C. But then, at some point (and in some of the experiments), the temperature reportedly rose suddenly to about 50 °C without changes in the input power, for durations of two days or more. The generated power was calculated to be about 20 times the input power during the power bursts. Eventually the power bursts in anyone cell would no longer occur, and the cell was turned off.

Pons and Fleischmann also initially reported that a cell was generating 2.45 MeV neutrons at a rate three times the natural background rate. There was, however, no equipment directly measuring neutron energies, and this report was based on a mistaken inference from a gamma-ray spectrum. The most spectacular result they reported was that in one cell the most of the electrode melted and part of it vapourised, destroying the cell and the fume hood enclosing it.

Some scientists have reproduced this experiment, but many who've tried haven't. Yet, it is common for a new phenomenon to be difficult to control, and to bring erratic results. For example attempts to repeat electrostatic experiments like those performed by Benjamin Franklin often failed due to a air humidity level that was too high. There are a lack of decay products. The average density of deuterium in the palladium rod seems to be insufficient to force pairs of nuclei close enough for fusion to occur according to mechanisms known to mainstream theories. The average distance is approximately 0.17 nanometers, a distance at which the attractive strong nuclear force cannot overcome the Coulomb repulsion. Actually, deuterium atoms are closer together in D2 gas molecules, which do not exhibit fusion.

Cold fusion experiments are not regarded as legitamite material by physicists as you can see.

Muon-catalyzed fusion is a reliable real form of cold fusion in though it does not produce close to enough energy to achieve breakeven energy.

 

[Tide]

Mk,

I'm not sure this is the right place in the forums to debate speculative science so I'll just borrow Carl Sagan's comment that "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" and add that the "evidence" in this case is quite remote from even qualifying as mildly compelling.

 

[Integral]

Some scientists have reproduced this experiment

To the contrary, no one with any credibility was EVER able to repeat the Pons and Fleischman experiments.