Sweden “probable” for E-Cat Plant

17 May, 2012

Following Andrea Rossi’s recent statement that Leonardo Corporation would be manufacturing E-Cats inItaly, it appears he has now done a complete U-turn. The reasoning behind the change of plan is explained in a statement by an Italian official in response to a question raised in the Italian parliament about Low Energy Nuclear Reaction. A letter by Italian Secretary of State, Professor Claudio De Vincenti appears to cast serious doubts on whether Italian governmental policy would look kindly upon E-Cat Technology. It now appears that Rossi is favouring Sweden over Italy, should he decide that he needs a Plant inEurope.

A translation of the report on E-Cat World states that “At the present state of research on low energy nuclear reactions, reproducibility, although improved over the last years of the last century, is still unsatisfactory. As for the energy catalyzer (called E-Cat), it has become evident that many doubts arise on the device due to the fact that the mode of operation have not been disclosed by the inventor. In fact, both the substantive aspects of the fuel composition, the internal structure of the catalyst are still covered by trade secret.”

The statement goes on to say that “There are various and conflicting statements by the inventor. Occasionally, Mr Rossi stated that within his unit does not produce nuclear reactions, implicitly excluding, the device can be considered a nuclear reactor. In others, however, the engineer stated that the E-cat produces only the weak gamma rays that can be easily shielded with a layer of lead. This will not be enough to make the device easy to marketing a product.”

Rossi has now gone on record as saying that “the production will be focused on the USA alone, for the first years.” He goes on to say that “The false statements contained in the answer that the Italian Government guy has given are a clear signal. If you analyse the language and compare the evident lack of specific information of this guy with the arrogance of his conclusions and he knows nothing of the pending patents. I always said that no radiations are emitted to the external of the apparatuses from the E-Cats, and I always said that the low level gamma rays inside the E-Cat are turned into heat. Compare the arrogance of the statements with the evident lack of information and the signal is clear: lobbies bound to the government have acted. Better we stay away from there, if I want not to get stuck in the mud. We will sell inItalyour production, but will work safe in the USA and, probably, in Sweden, where we are organizing a strong organization.”

US politicians “luke warm” on cold fusion

11 May, 2012

There had been some speculation about whether or not US policians might at last begin to acknowledge developments in the field of Cold Fusion research or LENR. Here is a round up of those who have, directly or indirectly, been linked to the topic in recent months.

Randy Hekman, a candidate for US Senate from Michigan, was a member of the 2004 team including Michael McKubre, Peter Hagelstein, David J. Nagel, and Talbot Chubb that prepared a report in 2004 for the Department of Energy Review. The panel concluded that clearly defined experiments should be funded, but not a dollar has so far been forthcoming. Hekman’s commitment to LENR would be expected to continue should he win.

Mitt Romney is challenging Obama for the Presidency. As a candidate, he has tentatively mentioned cold fusion in an interview with the Washington Examiner. However, perhaps a little too much was made of this story. He did not show any convincing knowledge and merely touched on the subject in passing. He did make a connection between funding basic science and economic development, saying that basic science is a way that research can encourage our entire economy.

Massachusetts State Senator Bruce Tarr visited MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s live demonstration of JET Energy’s NANOR device and spoke with researchers Mitchell Swartz, Peter Hagelstein, and Brian Ahern about the current research there. Tarr also hosted inventor Andrea Rossi to discuss energy and opportunities. With state budgets shrinking in the existing financial crisis, Tarr at least seems to be looking ahead at the opportunities for a renewed economy based on cold fusion technology.

Bob Kerrey serves in the US Senate representing Nebraska. There is no record of him publicly speaking out for cold fusion, but he was recently linked by an article in the Washington Examiner highlighting his large consulting fees, one of which was “$800,000 in consulting fees in 2011 from the Sidney Kimmel Revocable Trust to help an Israeli company research cold fusion.” The revelation that Kerrey has worked with Energetics Technologies on behalf of Sidney Kimmel, the billionaire funding the University of Missouri’s LENR program, is an important indication of at least some behind-the-scenes activity among those with financial power.

New Energy Systems Trust (NEST) launched

10 May, 2012

Sterling Allan of PESN has published a detailed report on the May 1st launch in Salt Lake City, UT, USA of the New Energy Systems Trust (NEST). The trust is designed to match up the best exotic free energy technologies with the resources needed to facilitate their rapid emergence into the marketplace.

The official mission statement reads: “New Energy Systems Trust (NEST) is an association for matching up the best exotic free energy technologies, business professional services, financing, licensees, and customers (which includes everyone). We are pre-emptively setting up a network to help facilitate the rapid emergence into the marketplace of breakthrough, affordable, clean energy technologies. The emergence of these devices can empower the individual, remove our dependence on oil and other polluting energy sources and corrupt political systems, create jobs, and inspire hope for a peaceful, sustainable future in which we can thrive in harmony with the earth.”

The meeting was staged at the Baymont Hotel with three members present and five others joining in via Skype. They were able to approve the Trust document, bylaws; elected the board, beneficiaries, and leadership, which will rotate each year in December; made department assignments; selected a domain name; talked to another incubator service about collaboration and visited their lab; discussed revenue sources and strategies; discussed principles of pay rates for full-time positions; brainstormed volunteer positions needed; talked about the short-term and long-term algorithms for matching up the various entities for technology roll-out; discussed the jobs page functionality; and ended with a visioning session about what will unfold between now and the annual meeting in December.

NEST anticipate that, as these exotic free energy technologies begin to emerge into the marketplace, that the number of monetizing opportunities will increase, both in volume and amount. They hope to see these technologies get out to the world to help make a very big difference. Money is not going to be the motivation behind this scheme. It has already been established that the key leadership position salaries be kept at a modest level, the belief being that spreading the wealth among a wider number of people responsible for the success will be to the benefit of all. If you wish to know more about this exciting initiative, full details can be found on PESN.

Rossi still reporting progress

8 May, 2012

For those of you frustrated by the lack of news coming from Andrea Rossi regarding his E-Cat, the best way to keep abreast of progress is simply to visit his official site at ecat.com, subtitled “Cold Fusion Revolution”.

His April news bulletins were as upbeat as ever and highlighted the following: The ECAT is environmentally perfectly safe to use and will respect product application requirements. It is currently in the process of being certified by UL. If the temperature goes above allowed limit, the Nickel inside the device melts and the ECAT stops, because melted Ni expels all absorbed Hydrogen. (The ECAT uses regular Nickel, thus eliminating some of the theories that rely on nano-sized particles to deal with the nuclear barrier effect).

The ECAT is stable up to 200 degrees Celsius. Should the reactor heat by accident, the lead shield of the ECAT unit is not affected because it is isolated in an area that remains under 200 degrees Celsius at all times. (Liquid lead has created problems when used as a primary fluid. It’s been tested with the ECAT, but it’s not a viable alternative, because it can generate issues such as: pump problems, condensation when the temperature goes down for any reason, etc.)

In the event of a short blackout, the ECAT goes in self-sustained mode under the control of an electronic system. In the event of a longer blackout, the control system turns off the ECAT for one hour. Currently the restart process is a manual one and can be transmitted remotely through a cell phone. ECATS’s maximum temperature achievable with an optimum number of cores connected in series is today 260 degrees, potentially higher without changing phase heat vectors.

Rossi plans to set up a division to produce and sell thermal energy and adding Ecat plants to the district heating grids and eventually electric grids. Various potential technologies suitable for a power-generating module for the Ecat Home device have been suggested and are in the pipeline to be tested. The Most important advantages are suggested to be its modern design, compactability, scalability, steam turbine technology and its ability to operate on 200 degrees C steam. We await his May news release with great interest.

MU demands more cash for LENR

4 May, 2012
Sidney Kimmel

An article published in the University of Missouri’s Mizzou Weekly newspaper discusses work to be focussed on LENR research at the University’s Sidney Kimmel Institute for Nuclear Renaissance. The Institute was recently established through a $5.5 million donation from philanthropist Sidney Kimmel and has been closely linked with Energetic Technologies.

Former Nebraska Governor and Senator Bob Kerrey has been a consultant for Israeli company Energetics Technologies which is involved in cold fusion research. An article in the Washington Examiner revealed that Kerrey earned $800,000 from the Sidney Kimmel Revocable Trust for his work with Energetics Technologies. Kerrey is running for a seat in the US senate but his prospects are not considered good by most political experts. Politico has reported Sidney Kimmel as having donated $5000 to Kerrey’s campaign.

Aside from the political intrigue, the work of the institute is going to focus on the theoretical underpinnings of LENR reactions. John Gahl, Director of MU’s Material Science Program, states that the University’s Research Reactor is currently being used to evaluate various LENR theories. He says that “We’re taking a look directly at the theoretical constructs that have been put forward as a way to explain these phenomena. The theories are falsifiable, so we should be able to construct experiments to show whether this theory or that theory is absolutely incorrect.”

Rob Duncan, MU vice chancellor of research, estimates that only $2 million in federal research funds have been allocated to help the advancement of understanding LENR. He says, “I think it’s unusual, given the body of evidence, that there isn’t more money being spent to inquire what’s going on. Competitive grants, awards based on proven scientific merit, are the key to really getting at what is happening, because then clever research groups around the country can apply for federal funding to try and figure it out.” Duncan observes that since much of the research in LENR is privately funded, research results are proprietary, and therefore hard for other researchers to examine and build upon. Energetics Technologies, a private cold fusion company founded in Israel and now part of MU’s Life Sciences incubator, will be working with MU researchers.

Ecat News plays waiting game

2 May, 2012

Ecat News (Paul Story) has responded to a number of enquiries asking whether or not the site has given up on Andrea Rossi and the E-Cat. They have been happy to reply that this is not the case but admit that they can no longer report on such an important subject unless they can do so “with all engines running”.

In spite of the site’s popularity, there were no offers to assist with the running of the site and it is clear that, without something more conclusive from either the E-Cat or Defkalion, it is hard to justify the many hours sifting through reports to sort the wheat from the chaff. They state that “If eCatNews is to be useful, it requires full attention. I will only make that commitment while I am confident that I can bring value to its readers and that I am not steering them down false paths. The stakes are too high.”

On the subject of the credibility of Rossi or Defkalion, they say that “While I do not accuse Andrea Rossi or Defkalion of fraud, I cannot tell the difference between their actions and the eternal shifting promise of certain dodgy schemes of the past. If I had the resources, I would use them to find out the truth but I do not.” It is certainly interesting to read the considered opinion of someone who has been following developments for over a year. If you are prepared to donate so many hours of research and writing, it is only reasonable to want to be 100% confident in your own mind about your subject matter.

He adds that “There are so many people close to AR and Defkalion that it is inconceivable for all to be unaware of that truth. If there is no million-unit factory, someone close knows this and is scratching their head. That they would all then bury it in the sand is hard to believe.” In conclusion he states that “If Rossi and/or Defkalion are on the level, we will soon know, but my scepticism will remain strong until they deliver on their promises. The case for LENR, in my opinion, is entirely different and I appreciate the scientific arguments here from both sides of the fence. While the eCat or Hyperion offers even a small hope of leveraging that effort, I am happy to wait. The instant credible evidence comes our way, eCat News will commit to helping whoever gives it.”

Rossi refutes Conspiracy Theory

30 Apr, 2012

In a recent interview with Russell Scott on the West Coast Truth radio show, Andrea Rossi refuted any suggestions that a conspiracy was at work to prevent either himself or his technology from succeeding. Rossi answered that “If there are conspiracies, they have to be proven by evidence; I have no evidence of this.” As regards a conspiracy to prevent his E-Cat technology from progressing he was confident that no such conspiracy existed. “There is no conspiracy at all, less than ever against me. I am working very well and I am making very well my work. Of course you have to accept, and this is a physics law, when a consolidated system is changed some resistance is the obvious consequence of a technological revolution. This is not a conspiracy, this is normal.”

Expanding on this theme, he went on to say “The fact that low energy nuclear reactions up to now, since 1989, has not been put on the market did not depend on a conspiracy. It depends on the fact that no valid products have been put on the market. If you put a working product in the market, there is no conspiracy that can bind you, people buy it.”

E-Cat World correctly observe that Rossi must deal with competition in order to bring his products to the market place. He seems confident to shrug off any concerns about suspicions of oil companies, the scientific community, governments or any other conspiring groups with a vested interest in stopping his work. When asked whether he feared for his own safety, Rossi replied that he puts his trust in God, and goes about his work.

The topic of whether conspiracy theories are at work has been a topic of considerable debate on E-Cat World and elsewhere and it is good to see Rossi downplaying it. The sensationalist aspect is bound to appeal to human nature but it serves only to distract attention away from the scientific nature of the work. We applaud Rossi, as someone who has been the recipient of some fairly vociferous criticism, for being able to step back and take this detached and impartial view. Hopefully this is an indication of a calmer approach to future reporting on his research and development.

Cold Fusion at Rome High School

25 Apr, 2012

It appears that Cold Fusion is now an acceptable project for students at a high school in Rome following an intriguing report on E-Cat World’s web site. They have picked up on a report published on The Repubblica Roma about a project carried out by teachers and students at the Leopoldo Pirelli industrial high school in Rome. Students have built cold fusion cells that, according to one of the instructors involved, have achieved excess heat levels of 400 per cent. There is an interesting slide show to view here

After reporting on this project, one of the instructors involved, Ugo Abundo, contacted Daniele Passerini of the 22passi blog and provided further information. Abundo said that the cells used ‘free nanopowders’ in the cathode that they have patented. Abundo added that a video and technical details will be made available within the next few days. It seems likely that Passerini will also be working to help promote the project.

The project is evidently inspired by the work of Fleischmann and Pons. Director, Flavia De Vincenzi explains that “The initiative aims to contribute to the spread of independent knowledge on issues of border and play a major role of the school, which is environmental education through the use application of Integrated Sciences”

E-Cat factory in Italy?

20 Apr, 2012

Andrea Rossi recently indicated that there would be a European factory for his E-Cat production as well as one in the United States. In an interview with the Italian magazine Science Fiction Courier, Rossi has given the clearest indication yet that a factory would be based in Italy for his E-Catalyzer project. The interviewer, Antonella Spotti Basilico, seemed intent on finding out about Rossi the man rather than his technology and his progress towards a cheaper, cleaner energy source.

Nonetheless, she does ask about the likely whereabouts of a possible European factory and suggested it might be Sweden. Rossi replied that “Most likely, we will work both in Sweden and Italy.” Explaining his reasoning, Rossi went on to say that “I have the Italian DNA, the third generation family of Italian entrepreneurs, I decided that I can’t not work in Italy.” However, he would not be drawn on its precise location and refused to comment on whether or not it will be in Bologna.

If Rossi does build an E-Cat factory in Italy it would not be surprising to see it in Bologna as he already has premises there. Of course, he has many past experience and dealings with people at the University of Bologna. Until recently it had seemed that the manufacture of the E-Cat would be confined to the United States but an apparent U-turn in an email posted last week has renewed hope for his supporters of a European base for his products and their distribution.

Rossi reveals plans for EU factory

17 Apr, 2012

Andrea Rossi has claimed substantial progress has been made with regards to the status of safety certification approval from Underwriters Laboratories.He has posted that he spent a whole day with the certification engineers and that he was now carrying out the necessary paperwork.

Safety certification is essential for Rossi in his plans to introduce low-price E-Cats to the mass market. Unless he can obtain the necessary certification, there won’t be any domestic e-cats on the market. He went on to say that “I want to add that we are setting up a division to produce and sell thermal energy, in future electric energy. We are in contact with Companies selling thermal energy to put our plants adjacent to their network to produce energy, inject it in their grid.”

Franc Acland has also been in correspondence with Rossi and has received a message indicating that a second factory will be set up in Europe. Rossi states that “We have already made all the engineering of the production line in the two factories we will set up (one in the USA, one in Europe) and we will have just to set up the software of the robots and fix the drawings after the requirements of the Certificators. I think that it will take from 6 to 12 months afer the certifications will be done to start the production.”

This contradicts the previously held understanding that there would only be one factory built – in the United States. In February, Rossi believed that shipping would be cheap enough from the US that it wouldn’t be necessary to have more than one plant. Whatever the reason for the change of heart, it would help with the rapid deployment of this new technology around he world. Rossi previously stated that the final design of the domestic E-Cat cannot be completed until certification is approved, since the certifying agencies may require modifications in the design of the E-Cats.

Pages (8): 1 2 3 4 Next » ... Last »