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V. Violante ¹, E. Castagna ¹, S. Lecci ¹, F. Sarto ¹, M. Sansovini ¹, A. Torre ¹, A. La Gatta ², R. Duncan ³, G. Hubler ⁴, A. El Boher ⁴, O. Aziz ⁴, D. Pease ⁴, D. Knies ⁵, M. McKubre ⁶

Affiliations
1 ENEA Research Center, via E. Fermi 45, 00044 Frascati (Rome), IT
2 Consorzio Veneto Ricerca-TSEM, Padova, IT
3 Texas Tech University, Lubbok, TX, US
4 University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, US
5 Coolescence LLC, Boulder, CO, US
6 SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, US

Abstract

Fleischmann and Pons effect (FPE) is the production of excess power during electrochemical loading of deuterium in palladium. This effect has the following features: (1) It is a threshold effect (loading D/Pd > 0.9). (2) It is unobserved when electrochemical loading is performed with hydrogen from light water. (3) It is unexplainable as a chemical effect. (4) It occurs only if the involved materials have specific characteristics.

The present article will review aspects concerning the occurrence of FPE related to materials science, a field considered to be a key to define the effect and a research approach has been conceived to find correlations with the material status. Metallurgy, crystallographic orientation and surface morphology all together are the necessary conditions to observe the phenomenon. In general, these features affect the deuterium adsorption/absorption in palladium cathodes. On the other hand, crystal orientation seems not to be crucial for PdRh alloy. A preliminary study, based on galvanostatic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, has been carried out to investigate the status of the electrochemical interface during the effect. Results point in the direction of a significant change in the equivalent circuit at the electrode interface, as the electrode is active.

Keywords

Cold Fusion, Deuterium, Electrochemical Loading, Materials Science, Palladium.

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G. K. Hubler ¹, A. El-Boher ¹, O. Azizi ¹, D. Pease ¹, J. H. He ¹, W. Isaacson ¹, S. Gangopadhyay ², V. Violante ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, US
2 Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, US
3 ENEA Frascati Research Center, Frascati (Rome), 00044, IT

Abstract

Anomalous heat effect (AHE) is the appearance of excess energy in the form of heat when a palladium cathode is electrolysed in heavy water, and is much less evident when light water is used. The present article describes the organization, motivation and plans of an institute formed to perform fundamental research aimed at discovering the mechanism of AHE.

Keywords

Anomalous Heat Effect, Excess Energy, Hydrogen, Palladium.

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O. Azizi ¹, A. El-Boher ¹, J. H. He ¹, G. K. Hubler ¹, D. Pease ¹, W. Isaacson ¹, V. Violante ², S. Gangopadhyay ³

Affiliations
1 The Sydney Kimmel Institute for Nuclear Renaissance, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, US
2 ENEA Research Center, Frascati, IT
3 Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211, US

Abstract

The present article summarizes anomalous heat events which were observed in a large number of electrolysis experiments using heavy water and palladium-based cathodes. The amount of excess heat produced by some of these experiments is too large to be accounted for by any known chemical processes. It was found that events of the anomalous heat effect (AHE) are accompanied by increased cell voltage during electrolysis and that there are characteristic cathode surface morphologies which are associated with excess heat events. AHE has been observed during electrolysis following dynamic stimulation of the cell by time-dependent electrolytic currents (SuperWaves) and ultrasonic excitation. Past experiments have increased our understanding of the anomalous heat effect in the palladium-deuterium systems, but there is much left to be learned.

Keywords

Anomalous Heat, Dynamic Stimulation, Electrolysis, Palladium Deuterides, Surface Morphology.

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