National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA Glenn Research Center experience with "LENR Phenomenon"
Susan Y. Wrbanek, Gustave C. Fralick,
John D. Wrbanek, Janis M. Niedra (ASRC)
NASA Glenn Research Center
•
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Outline
• LENR Brief History • Advantages of Fusion • Selected Hypothesis • NASA Glenn Research Center small related
experiments
•
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LENR - Brief History
• 1989 Electrochemists Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann
observed higher than expected heating in electrolysis experiments
involving Deuterium and Palladium.
- Observed that the temperature rise was higher than could be
accounted for by known chemical processes.
- Speculated that nuclear reactions might explain excess energy.
- Dubbed "cold fusion" in the press, often known as "Low Energy
Nuclear Reactions (LENR)," sometimes "Chemically
Assisted/(activated) Nuclear Reactions (CANR)
• Actual cause of reactions still debated at this time.
• A variety of experiments and theories since 1989
•
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Fusion Processes
Known Fusion Processes:
• D + D ~ T (1.01 MeV) + p (3.02 MeV)
• D + D ~ 3He (0.82 MeV) + n (2.45 MeV)
• D + D ~ 4He (73.7 keV)+ y (23.8 MeV)
• D + T ~ 4He (3.5 MeV) + n (14.1 MeV)
• D + 3He ~ 4He (3.6 MeV) + p (14.7 MeV) - 0 = 2H T = 3H ,
- Some have suggested that yet unknown "fusion processes" may be involved.
- Many "LENR phenomenon" occur without energetic particle or wave radiation measured.
- A few research efforts have claimed radiation from LENR phenomena, but too little to attribute to known processes.
Glenn Research Center
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• Deuteron-Deuteron Coulomb Barrier
based on Parmenter & Lamb
Some Hypotheses
"Pet Theories" (i.e., Hypotheses where +-+---- - Potentia lwith Electron -
Pro p 0 n e nts a I rea d y co n v in ced pee r - +--+----- __ ::'::~ii:lg:~t::~a:~cc:ron : __ --:~I Screening reviewed journals): --------
• Electron Screening armenter & Lamb) 0 2 molecule O' Sloch
• Band States (Chubb & Chubb) 1 1 - - - .
• Shrunken Hydrogen (Maly, Vavra & Mills) ----------.:J ,
• Ultra Low Momentum Neutrons (Widom & Larsen)
• Dislocation Loops (Hora & Miley)
• Bose-Einstein Condensates (Kim)
Do any of these encompass gll reported observations?
• More than one effect may be occurring
Glenn Research Center
-,
, ,.
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.......... '5if"lt - \ hot.toms
CJtKelvlns)
ao.on. and FeoNoos IimiIaJ
_~ A. £,1924
A.. = i'lmv
cold atoms
T =T.
(A.,)' n =2.6
Bosons i
. BEC ~ www.nasa.gov 5
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Related Experiments at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC)
• Instances of short-term experiments - 1989: Gaseous 02, H2 in Hydrogen Purifier
• Fralick, Decker, Blue
- 1996: H20-Ni-K2C03 Electrolytic Cell • Niedra, Meyers, Fralick, Baldwin
- 2007: Multi-Bubble Sonoluminescence investigation sponsored by Low Emissions Alternative Power (LEAP) Project & Breakthrough Propulsion Physics (BPP) Project • Fralick, Wrbanek J., Wrbanek S.
- 2009: "Anomalous Heating in Bulk Palladium" Innovative Partnership Program (I PP) • Fralick, Wrbanek J., Wrbanek S., Millis, Niedra
•
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1989 Gaseous H2 and 02
• 1989 - Following Pons and Fleischmann announcement GRC team of Fralick, Decker, and Blue performed gaseous H2 and 02 experiments using a hydrogen purifier containing Pd/Ag alloy. - Goal: avoid wet electrochemical cell since they were not
electrochemists.
- Look for neutrons.
- Use resources readily available.
- Keep experiment as simple as possible.
•
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1989 Gaseous H2 and 02
• Johnson Matthey HP Series palladium membrane hydrogen purifier
• Used in the semiconductor industry and applications where ultra-high purity hydrogen is required (to 99.9999999%)
• An at-hand substitute for a palladium electrolytic cell
Flow 0 agram HP Series
nl N -
H, Feed
YIClIlfm
Glenn Research Center
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1989 Gaseous H2 and 02
EQUIPMENT • Hydrogen purifiers are made
using Palladium membranes
EXPERIMENT • After evacuating purifier, it was
loaded with deuterium gas at pressures up to 250 psig.
• Purifier temperature and neutron count monitored for several months-non electrochemical variant of PonsFleischmann experiment
Glenn Research Center
High Pressure Low Pressure ~ 0 2 4
H2 ...-.. 02 3 . H H2
.. ... H -'" e .. 1-12 H20 H' ..... . -"
... __ 12 t 55
..!!.2
CO2 ...-.. 1 - --H20 '" H2 H2
H2" t ,., . --. e H .. 2
C02 02 •
H20 " .. .. H20
H2 _
-- C02 H2--
H2 .. H2 ..
PdI Ag M. mbran.
Hydrogen purifier (center) with neutron detectors on either side
• 1. Adsorption 2. Dissociation 3. Ionisation 4. Diffusion S. Recombination 6. Desorption
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1989 Gaseous H2 and 02 • Results: • Temperature increase noted while
gas was loaded into palladium cell, for both 0 & H
• Neutron detector counts did not differ significantly « 20) from background in any run (Monitored with BF 3 wI Polyethylene ["Snoopy"] detectors).
• Temperature increase noted when 0 unloaded at end of experiment
• Compared to hydrogen gas as the experimental control: 15°C increase in purifier temperature consistently seen with O2 that was not seen with the H2 control when gasses were unloaded from the purifier.
Published: • Fralick, Decker, & Blue (1989) NASA
TM-102430
Purifier plumbing, showing vacuum pump used to evacuate cell, and gas bottle used to load cell
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1996 H20-Ni-K2C03 Electrolytic Cell Experiment:
• Investigated reports of significant longterm excess heat in light water-NiK2C03 electrolytic cells
• Two 28-liter electrolytic cells for tests, one active cell for electrolytic tests, second inactive cell for reference thermal measurements
• Tested at several dc currents and a pulse mode current
Results:
Two 28 liter electrolytic cells
•
• Apparent current-dependent excess heat exhibited when tested in all modes
• Excess heat consistent as heat from hydrogen-oxygen recombination catalyzed by the Pt and Ni electrodes within the cell
• Did not reproduce the large excess heat reported in literature - Gain Factors of <1.7 @ GRC vs. >10 in literature
• NASA TM-107167 (J. Niedra, I. Myers, G. Fralick, R. Baldwin; 1996)
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Multi-Bubble Sonoluminescence • Experiment: • Investigated energy of ultrasonic
generated multi-bubble sonoluminescence (MBSL)
• Sonoluminescence with PalladiumChromium (PdCr) Thin Films Over Platinum (Pt) Traces on Alumina
Results:
• No Crater seen on films in H20, but Crater Formation seen in 0 20
• Large Grain Failures usually seen in thin films due to mismatches in coefficients of thermal expansion at high temperature (-1000°C)
- Indicates point heating in films?
Light Water
(H20)
Heavy Water
(°20)
Surface morphology of films exposed to sonoluminescence in light water (left) and heavy water (right)
• J. Wrbanek, G. Fralick, S. Wrbanek, & N. Hall, "Investigating Sonoluminescence as a Means of Energy Harvesting," Chapter 19, Frontiers of Propulsion Science, Millis & Davis (eds), AIAA (2009), pp. 605-637. --
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Summary Observations from 1989 to 2009
• Previous NASA D-Pd experiment (Fralick, et aI., 1989) looked for neutrons (saw none) - but saw anomalous heating
• • NASA H20-Ni-K2C03 Electrolytic Cell experiment (N iedra et aI., 1996) -
Apparent current-dependent excess heat consistent as heat from hydrogen-oxygen recombination
• NASA Sonoluminescence Experiment (Wrbanek, et aI., 2007) - Crater formation in PdCr films seen with heavy water, not seen with light water
• After 1989, Cold Fusion research evolved into research in "Low Energy Nuclear Reactions" (LENR), primarily at U.S. Navy, DARPA & various Universities
• 2009 - NASA IPP-sponsored effort to: - Repeat the initial 1989 tests to investigate the anomalous heat
- Apply GRe's instrumentation expertise to improve the diagnostics for this experiment
- Establish credible framework for future work in LENR
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Hood Vent
2009 IPP APPROACH: Flow System Schematic
Atmospheric Pressure Gas Bag
100 psig Relief Valve
2 Kunkle 0548-A01-KM0100
•
Gas Pressure Gauge
8 N035 STP 4
9 Gas Bottle Control Valve SS-16DKM4-F4-A1
Exchange Lecture Bottle
(400 ml) DOT 3E-1800
D2
(Swagelok 304L-HDF4-400)
Glenn Research Center
HP-25 Purifier (Feed Port)
Gas Bottle Regulator Linde UPG 3 75 350
Supply Lecture Bottle
(440 ml) DOT 3E-1800
S~stem Line Valves
Open ~ Closed ~
All Valves Swagelok SS-4H unless otherwise indicated
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APPROACH: 2009 Test Apparatus •
• Johnson Matthey H P-25 hydrogen purifier
- Purifier Filter contains a -50g heated Pd-25%Ag membrane
• Load Filter by flowing hydrogen gas into the purifier
• Unload Filter by pumping the gas out of the purifier into a sample bottle
• Turn off filter heater for a time when Loading & Unloading
• Monitor changes in temperature, neutron/gamma background
• Repeat with deuterium gas; Compare results
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Tem
pera
ture
(°C)
Hyd
roge
nD
eute
rium
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
RESULTS: Temperatures vs. Time • Loading
Observed Temperture for H2 Load
370
---- / " -- , 365
360
355
"-"
350
345
o 20 40 60 80
Time (5)
Observ@dTemperturefor ID2 Load
370 ---------.--------~------~~------~
U t..
:~ 360 ,3 m t 355 ---------I----------f-------~--------_l '1:1.
E ~ 350
345
o 20
Glenn Research Center
40 Time ls.I
60 80
~ CI.I ... ::::I ..... ttl ... CI.I Q.
E CI.I I-
v t.. ! ~ ... ~ ... X, C. I-
370
365
360
355
350
345
340
3701
365
360
3.55
350
345
340
Unloading Observed Temperture for H2 Unload
~
o
0
"\ -, ./" '" " " 50 100 150
Time (5)
Observed TemiPerture for D2 runlo:ad
+
50 ]00 TIme (5)
I I
150
200
~ I 200
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration
10
o u ~ -1 0 QJ
:; ~ -20 QJ Co
E -30 QJ I-
-40
-50
-60
-50
-~
RESULTS (continued): Temperature Changes vs. Time
Observed Temperture Changes Differential Heating Rate
~ ~
V , " ~~~
..........
'" " - H2Un load
-
15
QJ m 5 g;; b.O c: .~ 0 QJ ;!;
·5
-10
I:r... """IIIiiii
\ ~ I T"" ~
V - H2Unload
- 02 Unload
A... A.,. - I"
- D2Unload - Anomalous Heating iD2 -H2)
I
o 50 100 150
Time(s)
-15
200 -50 o 50
Time(s)
100
Results of GRC IPP investigation: a) the temperature data is shown for H2 and D2 unloading (left); b) the calculated thermal power in/out is given with the net anomalous heating (right).
150
• No changes seen in neutron background counts
•
200
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Summary & Conclusions
• NASA GRC has conducted a variety of small-scale short-term investigations into LENR-related claims
• • Isotope-dependent heating was seen in a hydrogen purifier during gas
evacuation in 1989
• Point craters in films exposed to sonoluminescence in water in 2007 also had isotope dependence
• Follow on study of hydrogen purifier heating done in 2008 documented the 1989 anomalous heating effect
- More data needed to draw conclusion of its nature
• Small-scale work continues: - 2011 Center Innovation Fund "Fast-Track" 2-week project to determine
dependency of rate of withdraw on the heating effect
- Short project time limited effort to experiment setup and rough preliminary data run; more data still needed to clarify uncertainties
• If proven useful, the transient nature of this heating effect needs to be better characterized for applications to cyclic power systems
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References
• Fralick, G., Decker, A., Blue, J., "Results of an Attempt to Measure Increased Rates of the Reaction 20 + 20 ~ 3He + n in a Nonelectrochemical Cold Fusion Experiment," NASA TM-1 02430 (1989).
• Niedra, J., Myers, I., Fralick, G., Baldwin, R. "Replication of the Apparent Excess Heat Effect in a Light Water-Potassium Carbonate-Nickel Electrolytic Cell", NASA TM-1 07167 (1996)
•
• Wrbanek, J., Fralick, G., Wrbanek, S., "Development of Techniques to Investigate Sonoluminescence as a Source of Energy Harvesting", NASA TM-2007 -214982 (2007)
• Wrbanek, J., Fralick, G., Wrbanek, S., Hall, N. "Investigating Sonoluminescence as a Means of Energy Harvesting," Chapter 19, Frontiers of Propulsion Science, Millis & Davis (eds.), AIAA (2009) pp. 605-637.
• Fralick, G., Wrbanek, J., Wrbanek, S., Niedra, J., Millis, M., "LENR at GRC", Presentation at LENR Workshop, NASA GRC, September 22, 2011.
Glenn Research Center www.nasa.gov 19
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