World: r3wp
[Tech News] Interesting technology
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AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6084] | the best discussion on this subject is on the vortex list. If the subject is of interest, start around mid-January when the news broke and work forwards. You'll find lots of very qualified people discussing Rossi. My take from what I've read is that this isn't a scam - there's been lots of precedent over the last two decades. Rossi has finally gotten a repeatable, consistent process, that's all. http://www.mail-archive.com/[vortex-l-:-eskimo-:-com] |
Robert 26-Apr-2011 [6085] | I'm wondering why he isn't telling how it's working. If he want to protect it, he has to file a patent, which makes the thing public anyway. |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6086x4] | Also, the many comments on Rossi's blog (look at the Jan conference post with 825 comments, in particular), The Journal of Nuclear Physics, are telling. There's lots there to read between the lines. |
he has filed for a patent, but there's been issues as the patent application is way too vague | |
the main IP he's trying to protect is in the composition of the catayst he uses along with the main ingredients of the reaction, regular hydrogen and nickel | |
the post for the Jan conference is here. Start at page 1 and work forward and you'll get a very good sense for how this whole thing is being perceived http://www.journal-of-nuclear-physics.com/?p=360#comments | |
Henrik 26-Apr-2011 [6090] | He says, he's already heating one building using this method. If it were to be that he was to cover his investments, I would probably rather try to have it installed in dozens of buildings, by selling the device to select people. If he's trying to make millions beyond his investments by completely preventing other people from building it, I would not find that particularly noble. |
Geomol 26-Apr-2011 [6091] | Licensing |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6092x2] | Henrik, in most cases that I know of patents do not allow you to "prevent" other people from benefiting from your inventions, it forces them to license the invention from you |
and usually, the terms have to be "reasonable" | |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6094] | he has had a prototype unit (about 10kW if I recall) heating a building for about a year prior to the public announcement. The plant(s) (there will be one in Greece and one somewhere else, I think) coming this year, hopefully, will be the validation of the process everyone is demanding. If you read at the above links, you'll see that his intent isn't to stop the technology from being used by as many people as possible. |
Robert 26-Apr-2011 [6095] | Any information about the costs? |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6096] | yes, at the above links |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6097] | by what I've seen, he wants this tech to be licenced as much as possible ... I've read that he admits he must "give back to the americans who allowed him to do his research" his own govt sent him to jail on previous "greener" energy attempts... which is downright imbecile. |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6098] | the initial cost of the energy is supposed to be around one US cent/kWh |
Robert 26-Apr-2011 [6099] | And no VCs jumped on the wagon yet? Can't believe it. |
Maxim 26-Apr-2011 [6100] | Robert, production is ~ 0.01/kwh so very cheap... and the minimal size is the actual device we see... 50x50x100 cm... this is very cool... it means we could actually see "home-sized" units in time. |
AdrianS 26-Apr-2011 [6101] | he's not looking for investment - other than for people looking to build plants |
Robert 26-Apr-2011 [6102] | I would know a dozend companies that would use it immediatly. |
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. :-) |
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