Investigation of Cold Fusion Phenomena in Deuterated Metals
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INVESTIGATION OF COLD FUSION PHENOMENA IN DEUTERATED METALS Final Report Volume I Overview, Executive Summary Chemistry, Physics, Gas Reactions, Metallurgy Sponsored by the State of Utah National Cold Fusion Institute The University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah June 1991 Technical Information Series PB91175885 Additional copies available from the: National Technical Information Service U.S. Department of Commerce 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, Virginia 221 61 (703) 487-4650 INVESTIGATION OF COLD FUSION PHENOMENA IN DEUTERATED METALS Final Report Volume I Overview, Executive Summary Chemistry, Physics, Gas Reactions, Metallurgy L. Anderson, S.C. Barrowes, H.E. Bergeson, F. Bourgeois, K. Cedzynska, K.C. Crawford, X.-M. Du, S. Guruswamy, N. Karattup, L.C. Knight, J. Li, Y.-Q. Li, D.C. Linton, F. Lotfi, M.K. McCarter, J.R. Peterson, R.K. Rajsmani, G.M. Sandquist, W. Tuntawaroon, M.E. Wadsworth, S.-X. Wang, J. West, F.G. Will, M.-C. Yang Sponsored by the State of Utah Copyright 0 1991 National Cold Fusion Institute The University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah June 1991 Technical Information Series PB91175885 Foreword The work presented in this Final Report of the National Cold Fusion Institute has been supported by the State of Utah. The advice and support of the Legislative Oversight Committee and the Fusion/Energy Advisory Council is gratefully acknowledged. Tribute is due to the dedication and hard work of all the Institute's employees, but special acknowledgement goes to Mrs. Angie Mitchell and Mr. Paul Woodward for their untiring efforts in assembling this document. 1-ii Table of Contents Volume I Page Board of Trustees’ Preface 1-v I. Overview and Executive Summary 1-1 F.G. Will II. Chemistry 1. Tritium Analysis in Palladium with an Open System Analytic 1-65 Procedure K. Cedzynska, S.C. Barrowes, H.E. Bergeson, L.C. Knight and F.G. Will 2. Closed-System Analysis of Tritium in Palladium 1-80 K. Cedzynska and F.G. Will 3. Cold Fusion Studies in a High-pressure Sealed Cell 1-94 F.G. Will and M.-C. Yang 4. Tritium and Neutron Generation in Palladium Cathodes with 1-131 High Deuterium Loading F.G. Will, K. Cedzynska and D.C. Linton 111. Gas Reactions 1. Deuterium-Gas Phase Reactions on Palladium 1-151 J.R. Peterson IV. Metallurgy 1. Calorimetric Measurements during Electrochemical Loading of 1-185 Deuterium in Palladium and Palladium Alloys Sivaraman Guruswamy, R.K. Rajamani, J. Li and M.E. Wadsworth 2. Excess Heat Estimation with the Kalman Filter 1-263 R.K. Rajamani and F. Bourgeois 3. Explosive Compaction of Electrode Materials and Metal 1-277 Deut erides Sivaraman Guruswamy, M. McCarter and M.E. Wadsworth 1 -iii 4. Measurement of D/Pd Ratio using Dilatometry and Factors 1-292 Influencing the Deuterium Loading Level Sivaraman Guruswamy, J. Li and N. Karattup 5. Ultrasonic Energy Effects on Palladium Electrodes in 1-310 Cold Fusion Cells L. Anderson and W. Tuntawaroon V. Physics 1. Nuclear Measurements on Deuterium-Loaded Palladium 1-324 and Titanium H.E. Bergeson, S.C. Barrowes, K.C. Crawford, X.-M. Du, L. Knight, Y.-Q. Li, F. Lotfi, G. M. Sandquist, S.-X. Wang and J. West Tables of Contents, Volumes II and Ill 1-388 Report of Legal Counsel 1-390 1-iv Board of Trustees' Preface The March 1989 announcement by Pons and Fleischmann stimulated worldwide interest in the cold fusion phenomenon. In Utah the legislature appropriated $5 million to support cold fusion research and development. As cold fusion inquiries continue worldwide, this interim report has been written to document the scientific and legal work that has been funded by the Utah legislature. More than 10% of the money provided was used by the University in its efforts to protect the intellectual property and patent rights. We think to have done anything less would have been irresponsible. Was the State of Utah wise to have funded the work of the NCFl over the last two years? We think that as a venture capital investment it was prudent, and as an effort to protect and advance the state's interest in a property right, and in potential state economic development, it was a singular opportunity that should have been pursued. The work has proven to be more complicated than was expected, as are almost all new ventures. Piecemeal work will continue at the University of Utah and elsewhere as funds are found. Patent protection will continue to be pursued in every way possible. No further funds will be requested from the state at this time. When the science is fully understood, we predict there will be important new chapters written on the nature of new scientific claims, on the ownership and stewardship of intellectual property rights, and on the nature of regional and national economic competitiveness. Respectfully submitted, Ian Cumming, Chairman Board of Trustees, NCFl Chase N. Peterson President University of Utah 1-v Cold Fusion Overview and Executive Summary by F.G. Will Copyright 0 1991 National Cold Fusion Institute University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah 1-1 Table of Contents Page I. Status of Cold Fusion 1-3 1. Political and Financial Status in the United States 1-3 2. Climate of Cold Fusion Abroad 1-4 3. Technical Status of Cold Fusion 1-5 a. Excess Heat 1-9 b. Nuclear By-products 1-10 c. Excess Heat and Nuclear By-products 1-13 d. Theoretical Aspects 1-15 e. Conclusions 1-16 f. References 1-17 g. Cold Fusion Review Articles 1-19 II. Executive Summary of National Cold Fusion Institute Work 1-20 111. Conclusions 1-28 IV. Cold Fusion Bibliography 1-29 1-2 1. Status of Cold Fusion 1. Political and Financial Climate in the United States Recent strong findings in support of the reality of cold fusion, obtained at several Navy laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the National Cold Fusion Institute, are giving rise to the hope that the perception of cold fusion in the scientific community and the public will be improving. Presently, however, in spite of very encouraging scientific results obtained in cold fusion work, both in the United States and abroad, the political and financial climate in the U.S. remains generally negative. In public interview with the media in February, an official of the U.S. Department of Energy continued to express a negative attitude towards cold fusion, making it very difficult to obtain funding of cold fusion work from the Department of Energy until more significant positive evidence for cold fusion may change this environment. Other U.S. government agencies that had funded cold fusion work one year ago, have terminated or decreased their level of funding. However, the Electric Power Research Institute continues funding cold fusion work in the United States, and it is estimated that this Institute has appropriated approximately 1.5 million dollars in 1991 in support of cold fusion studies. Several government laboratories are continuing their work on cold fusion, among them most notably are Los Alamos National Laboratories, The Naval Research Laboratory, The Naval Underwater Systems Command and The Naval Weapons Center. Significant positive results have been obtained in each of these laboratories. It is estimated that the rate of spending in these laboratories amounts to approximately $500,000 annually. At Universities, cold fusion efforts are continuing at Brigham Young University, Texas A&M University, Idaho State University, Colorado School of Mines, Arizona State University, The University of Tennessee, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Hawaii and a few others. At the National Cold Fusion Institute, the University of Utah, the cold fusion effort in fiscal year 1991 has continued with about 15 technical personnel at an annual rate of expenditure of approximately $800,000. All combined, it is estimated that the current rate of expenditures for cold fusion efforts nationally amounts to approximately four million dollars annually. 1-3 Corporate laboratories appear to be mostly in a holding pattern with respect to cold fusion work and are carefully monitoring advances made in cold fusion elsew here. Based upon the good progress achieved in cold fusion work in the U.S. and abroad, it is predicted that cold fusion work in the U.S. will be expanded slowly and cautiously within the next year. It will be unavoidable that the weight of convincing scientific results will have a positive impact on the willingness of government funding agencies and corporations to invest more money in cold fusion work. 2. Climate of Cold Fusion Work Abroad Japan continues its diverse involvement in cold fusion with what is most likely the largest effort anywhere. Reportedly, Japan now devotes 2% of its fusion budget to cold fusion studies. This would indicate that the number of groups and researchers involved in cold fusion work last year has increased. Last year, an estimated 200 researchers were involved in cold fusion studies in approximately 40 groups, mostly at universities. Probably the second largest effort in cold fusion overseas is in Russia. The Soviet Academy of Science has given cold fusion a priority designation and work in over 20 institutions is now reportedly financed with $15 million Rubels for four years. The recent first Soviet National Conference on cold fusion that took place in Dubna, from March 22-26, 1991, bears witness to the increasing interest in cold fusion in Russia. The meeting was attended by over 100 scientists, and 60 papers were presented dealing exclusively with nuclear effects in deuterium-loaded solids. An increasing number of groups appears to work on cold fusion in China. This involves at least 10 groups at different universities and at the Chinese Atomic Energy Center.