+

WO2005065095A2 - Dispositif de multiplication par alpha commande - Google Patents

Dispositif de multiplication par alpha commande Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2005065095A2
WO2005065095A2 PCT/US2004/039772 US2004039772W WO2005065095A2 WO 2005065095 A2 WO2005065095 A2 WO 2005065095A2 US 2004039772 W US2004039772 W US 2004039772W WO 2005065095 A2 WO2005065095 A2 WO 2005065095A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
deuterium
alpha
fusion
alpha particles
external source
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2004/039772
Other languages
English (en)
Other versions
WO2005065095A3 (fr
Inventor
James Michael Gaidis
Original Assignee
James Michael Gaidis
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by James Michael Gaidis filed Critical James Michael Gaidis
Publication of WO2005065095A2 publication Critical patent/WO2005065095A2/fr
Publication of WO2005065095A3 publication Critical patent/WO2005065095A3/fr

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21B—FUSION REACTORS
    • G21B3/00—Low temperature nuclear fusion reactors, e.g. alleged cold fusion reactors
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E30/00—Energy generation of nuclear origin
    • Y02E30/10—Nuclear fusion reactors

Definitions

  • the present invention is directed to the production of energy by fusion of deuterium atoms.
  • protium having one proton in its nucleus is the isotope in largest abundance
  • deuterium having one proton and one neutron occurs naturally as part of hydrogen mass at a concentration of about 0.015% (1 in 6000 atoms)
  • tritium, with one proton and two neutrons, is radioactive and not found in nature.
  • Protium is not considered a candidate for fusion reaction on earth, although it is the primary fuel consumed in the sun.
  • Tritium is also an undesirable candidate due to its radioactivity. Fusion has been actively investigated because of the large amount of energy capable of being produced.
  • the combustion of one pound of hydrogen as fuel yields about 69,000 BTU of heat while the combustion of one pound of carbon (or coal) yields only about 14,000 BTU.
  • Fusion of a small amount of deuterium present in that same one pound hydrogen mass will yield over 500 times more energy.
  • the same amount of pure deuterium has the potential of yielding over 3 million times as much energy by fusion as achieved by the combustion of the same weight of hydrogen.
  • Deuterium has been fused at very high temperatures to produce heavier nuclei with a concurrent release of energy.
  • a high temperature fusion reactor normally utilizes plasma (a high temperature, highly ionized but electrically neutral "gas") to cause the fusion of two deuterium nuclei. The process does not simply produce helium and heat.
  • the present invention defines the components that can provide for initiation of the reaction and for the propagation and control of the initiated process.
  • the present invention further provides an apparatus that produces heat by utilizing deuterium fusion reaction under low temperature conditions.
  • the method of the present invention comprises subjecting deuterium atoms to alpha radiation derived from an external source to initiate fusion of the deuterium atoms.
  • the fusion of deuterium causes the formation of helium with the liberation of heat and the internal generation of alpha particles.
  • the alpha particles generated internally by the fusion reaction either alone or supplemented by additional alpha particles from the external source, propagate the fusion reaction. The propagation can be maintained at a desired level by controlling the amount of alpha particles generated internally and the number of alpha particles provided through supplementation from the external source.
  • alpha source is a material capable of emitting alpha particle radiation comprising radioactive material such as radium, americium, plutonium, or any of the elements heavier than bismuth, which are radioactive by alpha decay, or radon in solution of electrolyte or in D 2 gas.
  • alternative alpha source shall mean lithium, beryllium or boron or other elements which produce alpha particles when subjected to irradiation with neutrons.
  • channeling material shall mean metals such as palladium, platinum, titanium, magnesium, scandium, nickel, yttrium, vanadium, erbium, holmium, lutetium, thulium, tantalum, their alloys, deuterides (as defined below), carbon nanotubes, and other alloys that absorb relatively large quantities of hydrogen.
  • Alloys that absorb large quantities of hydrogen are suggested as storage media for fuel purposes; these include Ti 5 Fe Ni, TiFe, Ti 5 Crg, LaNi 5 , CaNis, Ba 7 Cu 3 , K 2 Zn, K 3 Zn, TiV, TiMnV mixtures, TiMn 2 mixtures, ZrCo mixtures, NiMn mixtures, and ZrTiVNi mixtures.
  • Such materials have a highly ordered atomic lattice structure with long interstitial spaces or channels and are capable of adsorbing or absorbing or otherwise containing large quantities of deuterium therein. The particular dimensions of the interstitial spaces will depend on the nature of the metal being used to form the channeling material.
  • the length of the channels should be at least an average of 2 microns, with from 2 to 25,000 microns or even higher being acceptable and from 50 to 25,000 being preferred. Although materials having higher average lengths are preferred for greater reaction, they are usually more difficult to form and thereby incur an economic restraint on their availability. In most instances, the metal can be readily annealed to provide interstitial spaces averaging from about 50 to 2,000 microns or greater in length. In most cases, materials of high average lengths are preferred for greater reaction. In certain instances, shorter channel length may be desired as a means of limiting the amount of reaction. In addition, channeling material can be a non-metal, such as carbon in the form of nanotubes and deuterides, as described below.
  • surface layer materials shall mean two-dimensional channel materials such as platinum or nickel or a layer-containing material like graphite (as contrasted with a one-dimensional channel-containing material) which can adsorb or absorb or otherwise contain large quantities of deuterium.
  • deuterides shall mean deuterated compounds of metals such as aluminum, barium, calcium, cerium, chromium, gadolinium, hafnium, lanthanum, lithium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, niobium (columbium), potassium, sodium, strontium, titanium, thorium, uranium, vanadium, zirconium and mixtures of these metals with others, which are not normally considered to be solutions of deuterium in a metal lattice.
  • metals such as aluminum, barium, calcium, cerium, chromium, gadolinium, hafnium, lanthanum, lithium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, niobium (columbium), potassium, sodium, strontium, titanium, thorium, uranium, vanadium, zirconium and mixtures of these metals with others, which are not normally considered to be solutions of deuterium in a metal lattice.
  • deuterium shall mean the isotope of hydrogen having one proton and one neutron in its nucleus, which can be provided in the gaseous state (from 0.1 bar to 100 bar, preferably from 1 to 10 bar) or a result of electrolyzing a solution of D 2 O or other deuterium-containing electrolyte.
  • cold fusion shall mean the fusion of two deuterium atoms into an atomic structure of an element of a higher molecular weight under temperatures of from about 0 ° to about 1000 ° C such as from about 50 ° to about 750 ° C and preferably from about 250 ° to about 750 ° C.
  • internal alphas shall refer to alphas that are the product of a cold fusion reaction; i) "external” alphas or alphas “externally” supplied shall mean alphas which are provided by other than the fusion of two deuterium atoms. It is believed, though not meant to be a limitation on the present invention, that the mechanism includes the initiation by interaction of an alpha particle with a deuterium in an inelastic collision. An elastic collision could be viewed as a glancing blow or a near miss of the particles in which the particles involved in this kind of collision scatter (or "bounce") as a result.
  • the collision is inelastic, that is, if the kinetic energy of the alpha particle (two protons plus two neutrons) is sufficient to overcome the alpha-deuterium Coulomb barrier, the addition of the proton and neutron of the deuterium nucleus may form a compound nucleus of lithium-6 (three protons plus three neutrons).
  • This compound nucleus could decay in one of several ways, but residual kinetic energy of the compound nucleus will keep the 6 Li moving rapidly in the channel toward another deuterium atom.
  • the 6 Li strikes a deuterium atom, it forms a new compound nucleus of 8 Be (four protons plus four neutrons). 8 Be, being an unstable nucleus, will decay to two alpha particles.
  • alpha particles have a total of 23.6 Mev kinetic energy.
  • the alphas will fly apart from each other due to the repulsion of their positive charges and ultimately come to rest after losing their kinetic energy (i.e., converting it into heat).
  • the alphas may fly apart sideways in the channel, dislocating heavy atoms on both sides, or may find new channels in other directions. Alternately, one alpha may exit the channel while the other continues deeper in the channel. In either case, one incident alpha particle from an external source will have produced two alpha particles as a result of a stepwise fusion of itself and two deuterium nuclei. No protons, neutrons, tritium or helium are produced, except possibly from a small amount of side reactions.
  • the alphas ultimately come to rest after losing their kinetic energy (i.e., converting it into heat), pick up two electrons each, and become helium-4 atoms.
  • Alpha particles when impacting substances with highly ordered lattices, like metals, may find a line of least resistance in a row of interstitial spaces of the lattice and travel somewhat freely and to significant depth as if travelling in a tube or channel, losing energy primarily to electrons in a sort of "friction” like manner.
  • the deuterium can be in any form, such as a high-pressure chamber or concentrated in the interstitial spaces of a channeling material having a highly ordered lattice structure or the like.
  • the present invention without abandoning the combination of deuterium and alpha source alone, prefers the placement of deuterium (e.g., hydrogen atoms having primarily deuterium therein) in the interstitial spaces of a channeling material having a highly ordered lattice structure.
  • the channeling material can be thought of as a sponge capable of absorbing and/or adsorbing the deuterium. This placement (by adsorption and/or absorption) causes the hydrogen to be in such a configuration that rows of hydrogen atoms (in any of its isotopic forms, which include deuterium) will occur, and these hydrogen atoms can be visualized as lying in the "channels" of interstitial spaces of channeling material.
  • deuterium e.g., hydrogen atoms having primarily deuterium therein
  • the channeling material can be thought of as a sponge capable of absorbing and/or adsorbing the deuterium.
  • Such materials can thus contain large amounts of hydrogen and deuterium atoms therein.
  • the channel length of a crystalline material can be assumed to be essentially the same as the grain size of the material.
  • the channel length should be at least an average of 2 to 50 microns, with from 2 to 25,000 microns or even higher being more desired and from 50 to 25,000 being preferred. Although materials having higher average lengths are preferred, they are usually more difficult to form and, thereby incur an economic restraint on their availability.
  • metal channeling materials can be readily formed which provide channel lengths averaging from about 50 to 2,000 microns or greater in length.
  • channeling material can be a non- metal, such as carbon in the form of nanotubes and deuterides, as described above.
  • the nuclear fusion reaction of interest is initiated by an incident alpha particle derived from an external source.
  • the alpha source is normally placed within about 10 centimeters (preferably less than 7 cm and more preferably less than 3 cm) of a deuterium containing channeling material.
  • the alpha particles that are emitted from the source impinge onto and into the channel material.
  • an alpha particle of sufficient energy enters a channel of the channeling material, essentially lined up with the channel axis, it will proceed until it encounters one deuterium atom and then another.
  • An alpha particle may travel 5 to 50 microns in a metal, past 20,000 to 200,000 metal atoms, and a comparable number of deuterium atoms.
  • Channel-containing materials include metals such as palladium, platinum, titanium, magnesium, scandium, nickel, yttrium, vanadium, erbium, holmium, lutetium, thulium, tantalum, their alloys, deuterides (as defined herein), carbon nanotubes, and other alloys that absorb relatively large quantities of hydrogen.
  • Alloys that absorb large quantities of hydrogen are suggested as storage media; these include Ti 5 Fe 4 Ni, TiFe, Ti 5 Crg, LaNi 5 , CaNi 5 , Ba Cu 3 , K 2 Zn, K 3 Zn, TiV, TiMnV mixtures, TiMn 2 mixtures, ZrCo mixtures, NiMn mixtures, and ZrTiVNi mixtures.
  • the preferred channel containing materials are palladium and titanium. It is preferred that the metal grains are well annealed rather than being cold worked. Such preferred channel-containing materials have longer channel configurations.
  • Each of these elements or alloys has its own pressure-temperature equilibrium, which will determine the temperature and pressure optimum for fusion operation. Some systems will accumulate high proportions of deuterium at atmospheric pressure, while others require much higher pressures to achieve a deuterium-rich content suitable for fusion reaction. High pressure operation can confer advantages such as better thermal conductivity to a heat sink and faster shutdown in case of opening a safety valve.
  • deuterides of aluminum, barium, calcium, cerium, chromium, gadolinium, hafnium, lanthanum, lithium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, niobium (columbium), potassium, sodium, strontium, titanium, thorium, uranium, vanadium, zirconium and the like, which are not normally considered to be solutions of deuterium in a metal also have rows of deuterium so arranged that alpha particles may impact first one, then another deuterium atom in a space surrounded by the heavy atoms to induce the fusion reaction described.
  • the fusion reaction is also capable of being generated under certain conditions when it occurs on the surface of a metal like platinum, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, rhenium or nickel or between layers of a layer-containing material, like graphite (as contrasted with a one-dimensional channel-containing material) which can adsorb or absorb or otherwise contain large quantities of deuterium and may be bounded on only one side by solid. In this case, the channel may be visualized as two-dimensional rather than one-dimensional.
  • the uses of such surface fusion reactions include production of heat and light. In order to obtain light emission, the alpha multiplication ability of the fusion reaction can be utilized to eject many alphas from the material surface to bombard a phosphor comprising material or the like.
  • alpha particles derived from an external source It is preferred to conduct the present process using a channel material rather than the surface material in most applications as the alpha particles derived from an external source and the alpha particles internally generated are more readily contained for propagation of the reaction. Additional fusion reactions may follow the first one because of the production of two alpha particles for each initiator alpha from an external source. Two alphas (internally generated alphas) are produced from every deuterium fusion. Although these alpha particles will fly apart from each other with great speed because of the repulsion of their positive charges, they do not always provide an alpha for fusion of additional deuterium. The alphas may fly apart sideways in the channel, dislocating heavy atoms on both sides, or may find new channels in other directions.
  • one alpha may exit the channel while the other continues deeper in the channel.
  • one incident alpha particle will have produced two alpha particles as a result of a stepwise fusion of itself and two deuterium nuclei. No protons, neutrons, tritium or heIium-3 are produced, except possibly from a small amount of side reactions.
  • the alphas ultimately come to rest after losing their kinetic energy (i.e., converting it into heat), pick up two electrons each, and become helium-4 atoms. However, a fusion does not normally result from each internally generated alpha.
  • a propagation factor defines the average number of fusions produced immediately after a given alpha particle induces a fusion.
  • the PF is defined as two if every fusion results in two more fusions.
  • Such a high propagation factor is not to be expected as a matter of course, for the following reasons: 1 ) Some of the alphas escape the channel without encountering deuterium nuclei. 2) Some of the alphas or the intermediate lithium-6 collide with the walls of the channel and are de-energized by collision with heavy atoms rather than deuterium. 3) The channels may be too short to contain many deuterium atoms 5 because the metal grains are cold-worked rather than well annealed.
  • the lithium-6 produced from the alpha and the first deuterium may decay to smaller nuclei before hitting a second deuterium.
  • Deuterium is consumed during the reaction, and if it is not replenished, or if the deuterium concentration (i.e. pressure) is low to begin with, the likelihoodo of fusion reactions is diminished.
  • Total Fusions 1 +[PF/(1 - PF)].
  • Table 1 A comparison of the total number of fusions resulting from different propagation factors with respect to each initiating alpha is shown in Table 1. If the fusion reaction described occurs to any extent, the propagation factor will be o greater than zero, and has a maximum theoretical PF of 2. The PF needs only get close to 1.0 to yield a multiple of alpha particles, each with 11.8 Mev of energy, for each initiation event.
  • Table 1 Total Fusions (including initiation) at Different Propagation Factors Propa ⁇ ation Factor (PF) Total Fusions 0 1 (initiation fusion only) 0.5 2 0.6 2.5 0.7 3.33 0.8 5 0.9 10 0.95 20 0.99 100 0.999 1000 1.0 or greater limited by deuterium
  • the PF of the deuterium channel material system should be maintained between about 0.5 and 1 , preferably between 0.7 and 1 , and most preferably between 0.9 and 1 to sustain the nuclear fusion process and produce the greatest amount of heat therefrom.
  • the propagation factor can be increased by making the channels longer and by filling them with more deuterium.
  • the PF can also be increased by capturing some or all of the alphas that would otherwise exit the channel material, i.e., by positioning a second surface close to a first surface so that alphas escaping one surface will bombard the other. This may be achieved, for example, by folding a foil and bringing two surfaces into proximity such that alphas may cross the separation without significant loss of energy or by supporting several wires or rods or other shapes in proximity to one another. If these are to be the electrodes in an electrolysis, one or more of the separate shapes may be connected to the negative electrode to produce deuterium atoms and molecules.
  • the separation in deuterium gas should be less than this, preferably less than 3 cm, and variation in distance could be used as a control technique.
  • Any known alpha particle source can be used as the external source for initiating the present cold fusion process.
  • the alpha source can be of any known and reliable form, such as an alpha source comprising about 1 microcurie or less of americium-241 , to initiate the fusion chain reaction.
  • One microcurie of any radioactive element undergoes 37,000 disintegrations per second. Although not all of these will be fruitful as initiation events, the effective ones will be multiplied by the propagation factor (PF) to propagate the reaction.
  • PF propagation factor
  • Controlling the amount of external alphas initiating the deuterium fusion at any time during propagation can, thus, control the continued propagation of fusion within the system.
  • the large amount of Pu-238 alpha emitter such as is used in radioisotope thermal generators (RTG's) is expensive and its temperature is only minimally controllable and, therefore, is not preferred.
  • An alternative alpha source where a neutron flux is available consists of a non-radioactive element such as lithium, beryllium or boron on or near the channel-containing surface. When impacted by neutrons, these elements will emit alpha particles that can initiate fusion.
  • the alternative alpha source should be placed within about 10 cm of a channeling material containing deuterium.
  • the alpha source may also be added to an electrolyte as a metal salt. Deuterium can be produced and supplied by electrolysis. By the addition of the metal source to the electrolyte, one can bring the alpha emitter to the channeling material surface to cause alphas to initiate fusion.
  • radon gas (a nonelectrolyte) is dissolved in the electrolyte, some will enter the deuterium gas phase, from which it will be even more effective in bombarding the channeling material. Radon can also be added directly to the deuterium gas phase.
  • the alpha source or alternative alpha source may also be alloyed with, or mixed with, or imbedded in, the channeling material to provide alphas where they will have a higher probability of initiating deuterium fusion.
  • the distance between the external source of alpha particles and the deuterium containing channel material, including surface layer material, should be from 0.01 to 10 cm., preferably less than about 7 cm., more preferably less than about 3 cm. and most preferably less than about 1 cm.
  • the present invention is directed to a method of generating energy by fusion of deuterium comprising the initiation of the fusion by subjecting deuterium to alpha radiation from an external source and subsequently controlling the propagation rate of the reaction by controlling the amount of alpha radiation that leads to further deuterium fusion.
  • the deuterium is preferably located within channels of a channel containing material or on the surface of a material, as described above.
  • the deuterium can be provided directly as a gas or produced in situ from electrolysis of D 2 O.
  • Another way to provide the D 2 for fusion is to add an active metal, such as lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, aluminum, calcium, strontium, barium or magnesium to a small quantity of D 2 O.
  • the addition can be controlled by mechanical injectors or by tipping the container to bring the metal and D 2 O together.
  • the deuterium can be impregnated into the channels by conventional techniques such as incipient impregnation and the like.
  • Deuterium may be the sole material infused into the channeling lattice or it may be mixed with an inert material, such as protium or other gaseous element. It is preferred that deuterium be the sole or at least the major material in the channel unless this mixing is utilized as a control method. Modifications, such as those utilized in known vacuum techniques, can be used here.
  • a channeling material and an alpha source may be located together under reduced pressure in one arm of a glass or metal tube, separated by a valve from another arm which contains deuterium under some higher pressure.
  • the valve When the valve is opened, deuterium enters the arm with the alpha source and channeling material to enable fusion to occur.
  • the channeling material and alpha source could be accompanied by some active metal in a glass or metal tube, under reduced pressure and separated by a valve from the second arm, which contains deuterium oxide. When this valve is opened, deuterium oxide, in a gaseous or liquid form will transfer to the first arm and react with the active metal, producing deuterium gas, which will enable fusion to occur.
  • Such apparatus can be sealed from the outside atmosphere and develop temperatures higher than those achievable when operating at atmospheric pressure in aqueous solution.
  • Control of the fusion reaction may be visualized as control of the PF over a preferred range of about 0.7 to 1.
  • the total number of fusions per externally supplied alpha rises dramatically as the PF approaches 1.
  • One mode of controlling the PF over this range is to provide optimum conditions for a high PF by using material with long channels through which alphas can traverse and deuterium can fill and then perform operations which reduce the PF to a desired value. If the channels are short, as in most cold worked or cold drawn materials, alpha particles will suffer a change in course on crossing grain boundaries, slip planes and other distortions in the lattice.
  • Such a change in course is normally not gradual and easy, but, instead, is more likely to skew the path of the alpha and make it collide with a heavy atom.
  • the alpha may lose so much energy before entering another channel that it is unable to overcome the Coulomb barrier of a deuterium nucleus.
  • the mechanical condition and heat treatment of the lattice of the channeling material will preferably lead to long channels by annealing to develop relatively large uniform grains and considerable channel length.
  • the temperature and time for heat treatment for each channeling material will vary as is known by those skilled in the art. Such parties are aware of how to remove cold work stress (the first stage of annealing, which is not sufficient to grow large grains), and further, to determine temperatures and times needed to grow larger grains (a second stage of heat treatment).
  • Non-metals e.g., deuterides
  • the crystal (grain) growth may be deliberately arrested to limit the maximum propagation factor available. Suitable purity is required to minimize dislocations and other imperfections in the channeling lattice, but some impurities are without effect.
  • a pressure relief valve is a useful safety device to limit the duration of high temperature excursions.
  • a third control technique comprises a system with a PF that has been increased by bringing two or more surfaces of a channeling material into close proximity. Reversing the process by which the PF was increased in the first place can reduce the PF of such a system. This control method reduces the PF by moving the surfaces apart, or turning them so that their projection upon each other is reduced.
  • a fourth control technique is to insert an alpha barrier between two surfaces, which are in close proximity and function to produce a high PF.
  • the barrier may be liquid, e.g., the electrolyte in a cell which puts deuterium gas in contact with a channeling material.
  • the PF When the cell is constructed so that two or more surfaces are in proximity while submerged in electrolyte, the PF will be small because the liquid is an effective barrier for alphas.
  • Deuterium gas may be evolved in such a way that the gas does not escape but, instead, forces the liquid down.
  • the channeling material will not be merely coated with bubbles, but some of the proximate surfaces will be exposed, allowing a mutual irradiation with alphas through a gaseous phase.
  • the PF increases toward 1.0, heat is developed, the temperature rises and the gas would expand, pushing the electrolyte down farther, exposing more surface to inter-surface alpha bombardment, with more fusions resulting. This could lead to a runaway reaction.
  • Control would be exerted by applying a higher external pressure to the liquid to force it back between the surfaces or by releasing or pumping off some of the deuterium to allow the liquid to surge back between the proximate surfaces.
  • This method of reducing the number of fusion reactions is much faster than merely reducing the external pressure of deuterium, because the deuterium absorbed in the channeling material requires time to diffuse out.
  • Another way to reduce the PF is to insert a solid alpha barrier, such as a metal film or plate or wires (e.g., a woven or non-woven mesh), between the proximate surfaces. As alphas strike the barrier and are removed from the chain reaction, the PF decreases and the reaction slows down.
  • Controlling the number of externally supplied alphas can be used to provide a more linear control of the fusion reaction.
  • the externally supplied alphas are multiplied by internal propagation to yield the totality of fusions. If the PF is maintained below 1 , as would be preferred for stable reactor operation, the number of fusions and, therefore, the total amount of heat produced is proportional to the number of externally supplied alphas.
  • a very small, and therefore cheaper and safer, amount of radioactive material may be used along with a channeling material such as palladium with deuterium, with added control features to produce heat which will be converted into electricity by thermoelectric junctions.
  • a typical RTG contains 11 kilograms of PuO 2 in 1 inch by 1 inch cylindrical ceramic pellets, surrounded by a thermoelectric pile which generates direct current as a result of the temperature gradient.
  • smaller diameter cylinders (1/8 inch, or less), containing 1/64 (or less) of the original amount of alpha emitter, are surrounded by palladium (or other channeling material) tubes and supplied with deuterium gas when needed to produce temperatures of 200 to 400 degrees C or higher.
  • the tube materials absorb deuterium and fusion is initiated by the plutonium alphas.
  • the second description relates to "Coulomb barrier".
  • the Coulomb barrier the repulsion energy of two positively charged nuclei, is so much greater than the energies and temperatures involved in ordinary chemical transformations that it is usually appropriate to regard the Coulomb barrier as simply insurmountable, even without quantitative calculations.
  • cold fusion as has been explained herein involves alpha particles with an equivalent temperature higher than a billion degrees C.
  • the Coulomb barrier can be estimated from the literature for repulsion between two hydrogen nuclei at 5 E- 13 cm (a distance suitable for fusion) to be -0.28 Mev. This implies that the alpha-D barrier (two positives times one positive) would be -0.56 Mev and the Li- D barrier (three positives times one positive) would be -0.84 Mev while other estimates of the alpha-D barrier are as low as 0.1 Mev and of the Li-D barrier as low as 0.15 Mev. It can be seen that the Coulomb barrier can be surmounted. In such cases one considers the mass balance of each of the nuclear reactions to be considered.
  • the mass of an alpha particle is 4.0026 atomic mass units (amu), and the mass of a deuterium is 2.0140 amu.
  • Lithium-6 has several levels of nuclear excitation above the ground state which could temporarily accommodate some of this energy.
  • One effect of a nucleus being in an excited state is to develop a larger radius, meaning that it would develop a greater cross- section and thus be more likely to undergo a collision with some other nucleus.
  • the total mass is at least 8.0306 amu, which is significantly more than the mass of beryllium-8 (8.0053 amu).
  • the second reaction is also exothermic.
  • Beryllium-8 rapidly decays to two alpha particles and all of the excess mass is converted into kinetic energy of these alphas, which are propelled apart with a total of 23.6 Mev. No other particles are produced. It should be noted that the high energy of the nascent alpha particles is enough to surmount the Coulomb barrier of light elements.
  • Alpha source is a radioactive element such as radium, americium, polonium, plutonium, or any of the elements heavier than bismuth, which are radioactive by alpha decay. These elements should be placed within about 10 centimeters of a channeling or surface adsorbing material having the deuterium therein and/or thereon. Alternately, the alpha source can be radon in solution of electrolyte or in D 2 gas. B . Alternatively, alpha sources that are useful where there is a significant neutron flux, (e.g., at or near uranium fission reactors) can be lithium, beryllium or boron or other elements which produce alphas upon irradiation with neutrons.
  • Channeling materials include such metals (and alloys of these metals) as palladium, platinum, titanium, magnesium, scandium, nickel, yttrium, vanadium, erbium, holmium, lutetium, thulium, tantalum, their alloys, deuterides (as defined herein), carbon nanotubes, and other alloys that absorb relatively large quantities of hydrogen including Ti 5 Fe 4 Ni, TiFe, Ti 5 Cr 9 , LaNi 5 , CaNi 5) Ba 7 Cu 3 , K 2 Zn, K 3 Zn, TiV, TiMnV mixtures, TiMn 2 mixtures, ZrCo mixtures, NiMn mixtures, and ZrTiVNi mixtures.
  • Surface layer materials such as platinum, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, rhenium or nickel or a layer-containing material like graphite (as contrasted with a one-dimensional channel-containing material) can adsorb or absorb or otherwise contain large quantities of deuterium.
  • Deuterides useful in containing and providing the deuterium required by the present invention can be formed from metals such as aluminum, barium, calcium, cerium, chromium, gadolinium, hafnium, lanthanum, lithium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, niobium (columbium), potassium, sodium, strontium, titanium, thorium, uranium, vanadium, zirconium and mixtures of these metals with others, but are not normally considered to be solutions of deuterium in a metal lattice F.
  • metals such as aluminum, barium, calcium, cerium, chromium, gadolinium, hafnium, lanthanum, lithium, magnesium, manganese, nickel, niobium (columbium), potassium, sodium, strontium, titanium, thorium, uranium, vanadium, zirconium and mixtures of these metals with others, but are not normally considered to be solutions of deuterium in a metal lattice F.
  • Deuterium whether provided in the gaseous state (from 0.1 bar to 100 bar, preferably from 1 to 10 bar) or a result of electrolyzing a solution of D 2 O or other deuterium-containing electrolyte, is a necessary component of the present fusion reaction. Without a channeling material present, the pressure required for deuterium fusion is on the order of from 100 to 2000 bar or more with from 100 to 1000 bar normally providing sufficient deuterium concentration. G.
  • a heat generating device consisting of an alpha source, an alpha-multiplying channeling material, deuterium gas and a control device consisting of a) an interposable alpha barrier or b) a control method in which the space between channeling elements is varied or c) a method for exposing more or less of the alpha source to the channeling material can be made in sizes from about two cubic inches to many cubic meters.
  • Method of generating heat is by multiplying alpha particles, using deuterium and a channeling material through: a) a process for generating two alphas from one alpha + two deuteriums; b) a process for creating excited lithium-6 (alpha + channeling material + deuterium); or c) a process for creating excited beryllium-8 (lithium-6 +channeling material+ deuterium).
  • Method of increasing propagation factor is by providing two or more surfaces within a distance capable of causing mutual alpha irradiation to increase the number of fusions: face-to-face plates or other surfaces, tube geometry (circular cylinder, or oval, rectangular or other cross section); and by varying spacing to control the PF of the system to within a range suitable to propagate and sustain the fusion reaction.
  • J. Method of increasing propagation factor is by providing longer channels for the reaction through proper heat treatment of the channel material.
  • K. Method of reducing propagation factor for control of reaction is by placing a material suitable as an alpha barrier between surfaces that are irradiating each other, such as metal in the form of plates, rods, tubes, films, wires, liquid and the like L.
  • thermoelectric generator can be made utilizing a minimal amount of radioactive alpha emitter (such as radium, polonium, plutonium-238 or americium-241 ), a channeling material such as palladium, and an atmosphere of deuterium with a control element.
  • radioactive alpha emitter such as radium, polonium, plutonium-238 or americium-241
  • a channeling material such as palladium
  • an atmosphere of deuterium with a control element a control element.
  • M A light-emitting device composed of a central wire or foil with a small amount of alpha emitter alloyed, imbedded or coated thereon, surrounded by wires or foils of channeling or layer materials, in an atmosphere of deuterium, all in a sealed transparent tube coated internally with a phosphor.
  • a method of controlling the total heat output of a cold fusion reactor which varies the number of external alpha particles supplied to the channeling material which contains deuterium by varying the exposure of the external alpha source.
  • the external alpha source may be inserted more fully into the reactor environment to provide more alphas or withdrawn to reduce the rate of heat production.
  • the external alpha source may be covered with or hidden by an alpha barrier, more or less, to hinder or allow more alpha particles to impact the channeling material in a controlled manner. O.
  • a heat generating device consisting of an alpha source and deuterium gas at a pressure from 100 to 2000 bar or more (preferably from 100 to 1000 bar), without a channeling material, with a pressure control to vary the PF of the system and a heat transfer or collection arrangement to use the heat beneficially.
  • a high propagation factor requires, among other things, a high loading of deuterium within a channeling material. Electrolytic loading to 0.7 atoms of deuterium per atom of palladium is relatively easy, but significant heat is not usually observed until the deuterium loading exceeds 0.85 D atoms per Pd atom. This is because the PF is not high enough to cause many deuterium fusions at the lower deuterium loading.
  • the example below utilizes a more sensitive way to detect the fusion of deuterium by the process of alpha multiplication by loading a piece of palladium with deuterium by electrolysis in D 2 O, withdrawing the palladium from solution, drying it and then exposing it to alpha particles.
  • a piece of palladium will not contain all the alpha particles resulting from fusion, and some will exit the palladium, in all directions, toward as well as away from the alpha source. These alpha particles can be observed and counted. If the PF is relatively small, the chain reaction will die off before a significant number of alpha particles traverse the entire thickness of the palladium. In such a case, alpha particles may still be observed exiting the palladium toward the alpha source. Detection of these alpha particles requires the alpha source to be aimed away from the detector, as described in the example below.
  • the temperature of the cell ranged from 27 C to 59 C and was dependent on the ambient temperature (19.5 C) and the power input from the electrolytic process.
  • the voltage applied to the cell ranged from 4.62 to 9.82 volts; it was supplied from a rechargeable lead-acid battery through a controllable constant voltage power supply. To obtain higher current, higher voltage was required; higher temperature of solution typically increased the current for the same voltage.
  • the weight measurement at the end of the electrolysis showed a weight gain corresponding to 0.79 atoms of D per palladium atom.
  • a measurement in triplicate of alpha particles from fusion in palladium was set up with an alpha source (about 0.1 microcurie of Americium-241 , supported on aluminum, giving 82,200 counts per minute (cpm) when directed toward a Geiger counter at a distance of 0.4 centimeters).
  • an alpha source about 0.1 microcurie of Americium-241 , supported on aluminum, giving 82,200 counts per minute (cpm) when directed toward a Geiger counter at a distance of 0.4 centimeters.
  • the alpha source was directed away from the Geiger counter and moved to 0.6 centimeters, the reading fell to 57.8 +/- 3.7 cpm.; this was only slightly above the background of 47.2 +/- 2.8 cpm.
  • the deuterated palladium described above was placed about 0.7 centimeters from the alpha source (therefore 1.3 centimeters from the Geiger counter), the detected radiation increased to 96.3 +/- 7.5 cpm.

Landscapes

  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne un appareil et un procédé permettant de lancer et d'assurer l'exécution d'un processus de fusion à froid afin de générer de l'énergie. Ledit procédé consiste à soumettre des atomes de deutérium contenus dans un système riche en deutérium capable de présenter un PF d'au moins 0,5 à un rayonnement alpha dérivé d'une source externe afin de lancer la fusion des atomes de deutérium, et de commander la sortie d'énergie totale dudit système et la fusion nucléaire du deutérium par variation du nombre de particules alpha fournies extérieurement audit système riche en deutérium tout en maintenant le système entre 0,5 et 1.
PCT/US2004/039772 2003-12-24 2004-12-21 Dispositif de multiplication par alpha commande WO2005065095A2 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US53199103P 2003-12-24 2003-12-24
US60/531,991 2003-12-24

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2005065095A2 true WO2005065095A2 (fr) 2005-07-21
WO2005065095A3 WO2005065095A3 (fr) 2012-01-05

Family

ID=34748783

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2004/039772 WO2005065095A2 (fr) 2003-12-24 2004-12-21 Dispositif de multiplication par alpha commande

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2005065095A2 (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2007117475A3 (fr) * 2006-04-05 2007-11-29 Seldon Technologies Llc Dispositif de production d'énergie thermique faisant appel à un confinement nanométrique
WO2007102860A3 (fr) * 2005-12-05 2008-02-21 Seldon Technologies Llc Procédé de production de particules énergétiques à l'aide de nanotubes et articles ainsi produits
WO2012088472A1 (fr) * 2010-12-24 2012-06-28 Cooper Christopher H Procédés de génération d'énergie et/ou 4he utilisant des matériaux à base de graphène
CN116002620A (zh) * 2023-01-13 2023-04-25 中国核动力研究设计院 一种含铒氢化钇材料及其制备方法

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2588789A (en) * 1945-05-22 1952-03-11 Atomic Energy Commission Neutron detector
DE1109653B (de) * 1959-05-22 1961-06-29 Ruhrchemie Ag Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur kontinuierlichen Gewinnung von deuteriumreichem Wasser durch stufenweise Deuteriumanreicherung und Elektrolyse von Wasser
US3533912A (en) * 1967-11-30 1970-10-13 Babcock & Wilcox Co Control rod actuating arrangement
US4276060A (en) * 1979-05-22 1981-06-30 The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy Chromatographic hydrogen isotope separation
WO1994016446A1 (fr) * 1993-01-07 1994-07-21 Jerome Drexler Fusion nucleaire auto-catalysee de lithium-6 et de deuterium a l'aide de particules alpha
DE19545455C1 (de) * 1995-12-06 1997-01-23 Degussa Verfahren zur Herstellung von Edelmetallpulvern

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2007102860A3 (fr) * 2005-12-05 2008-02-21 Seldon Technologies Llc Procédé de production de particules énergétiques à l'aide de nanotubes et articles ainsi produits
WO2007117475A3 (fr) * 2006-04-05 2007-11-29 Seldon Technologies Llc Dispositif de production d'énergie thermique faisant appel à un confinement nanométrique
WO2012088472A1 (fr) * 2010-12-24 2012-06-28 Cooper Christopher H Procédés de génération d'énergie et/ou 4he utilisant des matériaux à base de graphène
CN116002620A (zh) * 2023-01-13 2023-04-25 中国核动力研究设计院 一种含铒氢化钇材料及其制备方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2005065095A3 (fr) 2012-01-05

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US7893414B2 (en) Apparatus and method for absorption of incident gamma radiation and its conversion to outgoing radiation at less penetrating, lower energies and frequencies
EP0698893A2 (fr) Equipement et procédé de production d'énergie
US20080123793A1 (en) Thermal power production device utilizing nanoscale confinement
WO1990013125A1 (fr) Fusion piezonucleaire
JP2023536684A (ja) 発電のための方法、装置、デバイス及びシステム
WO2017155520A1 (fr) Procédés et appareil pour réactions nucléaires améliorées
US20150194229A1 (en) Compact neutron generator for medical and commercial isotope production, fission product purification and controlled gamma reactions for direct electric power generation
CA2153406A1 (fr) Fusion nucleaire auto-catalysee du lithium-6 et du deuterium, utilisant des particules alpha
Storms An explanation of low-energy nuclear reactions (cold fusion)
EP2680271A1 (fr) Procédé et appareil de génération d'énergie par fusion par confinement inertiel
EP0388420B1 (fr) Procede et appareil servant a former un faisceau coherent de bosons ayant une masse
US20030112916A1 (en) Cold nuclear fusion under non-equilibrium conditions
Maly et al. Electron transitions on deep Dirac levels II
US20080232532A1 (en) Apparatus and Method for Generation of Ultra Low Momentum Neutrons
WO2005065095A2 (fr) Dispositif de multiplication par alpha commande
WO2001029844A1 (fr) Procede et dispositif permettant de generer de l'energie thermique
US20160314856A1 (en) Spontaneous alpha particle emitting metal alloys and method for reaction of deuterides
JP2002512377A (ja) 金属的性質を有する水素化物からエネルギーを発生させる方法および装置
Bennington et al. A search for the emission of X-rays from electrolytically charged palladium-deuterium
Levi Doubts grow as many attempts at cold fusion fail
CN108399961A (zh) α源核电池半导体材料的辐射损伤防护方法
EP4544572A1 (fr) Procédé de fusion thermonucléaire contrôlée
EP0313073A2 (fr) Procédé et appareil pour excitation par tension électrostatique
Tsarev et al. New Results on Cold Nuclear Fusion: A Review of the Conference on Anomalous Nuclear Effects in Deuterium/Solid Systems, Provo, Utah, October 22–24, 1990
Swartz Metal–Oxygen Fusion: Experimental Confirmation of an Ohsawa-Kushi Transmutation and an Exploration of Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BW BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EC EE EG ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NA NI NO NZ OM PG PH PL PT RO RU SC SD SE SG SK SL SY TJ TM TN TR TT TZ UA UG US UZ VC VN YU ZA ZM ZW

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): BW GH GM KE LS MW MZ NA SD SL SZ TZ UG ZM ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HU IE IS IT LT LU MC NL PL PT RO SE SI SK TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GQ GW ML MR NE SN TD TG

121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application
DPEN Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed from 20040101)
NENP Non-entry into the national phase

Ref country code: DE

WWW Wipo information: withdrawn in national office

Country of ref document: DE

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase
DPE1 Request for preliminary examination filed after expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed from 20040101)
点击 这是indexloc提供的php浏览器服务，不要输入任何密码和下载