Study on Calorimetry of Excess Heat in a d/Pd Gas-Loading System

A heat-flow calorimeter was introduced into the D/Pd gas-loading system to confirm the reliability and accuracy of the results obtained by isothermal calorimetry in the previous work. The effects of input power (electrical current) and pressure on excess heat were discussed under different experimental conditions. The results showed that the heat-flow calorimetry had higher accuracy than isothermal calorimetry. Under deuterium pressure of 30 kPa, the excess heat power decreased with the decrease of the input power, and the maximum excess heat power was (6.40 ± 0.19) W with an input power of 380 W. In the experiments of discussing the relationship between pressure and excess heat, the results showed there was a maximum excess power of (10.28 ± 3.40) W when the deuterium pressure was 220 Pa. The excess heat measured in the system was far more than that in chemical reaction. The results of SEM and EDS implied that excess heat came from nuclear transmutation processes.

Reversible hydrogenation of the Zintl phases BaGe and BaSn studied by in situ diffraction

Hydrogenation products of the Zintl phases AeTt (Ae = alkaline earth; Tt = tetrel) exhibit hydride anions on interstitial sites as well as hydrogen covalently bound to Tt which leads to a reversible hydrogenation at mild conditions. In situ thermal analysis, synchrotron and neutron powder diffraction under hydrogen (deuterium for neutrons) pressure was applied to BaTt (Tt=Ge, Sn). BaTtHy (1<y<1.67, γ-phases) were formed at 5 MPa hydrogen pressure and elevated temperatures (400–450 K). Further heating (500–550 K) leads to a hydrogen release forming the new phases β-BaGeH0.5 (Pnma, a=1319.5(2) pm, b=421.46(2) pm, c=991.54(7) pm) and α-BaSnH0.19 (Cmcm, a=522.72(6) pm, b=1293.6(2) pm, c=463.97(6) pm). Upon cooling the hydrogen rich phases are reformed. Thermal decomposition of γ-BaGeHy under vacuum leads to β-BaGeH0.5 and α-BaGeH0.13 [Cmcm, a=503.09(3) pm, b=1221.5(2) pm, c=427.38(4) pm]. At 500 K the reversible reaction α-BaGeH0.23 (vacuum)⇄β-BaGeH0.5 (0.2 MPa deuterium pressure) is fast and was observed with 10 s time resolution by in situ neutron diffraction. The phases α-BaTtHy show a pronounced phase width (at least 0.09<y<0.36). β-BaGeH0.5 and the γ-phases appear to be line phases. The hydrogen poor (α- and β-) phases show a partial occupation of Ba4 tetrahedra by hydride anions leading to a partial oxidation of polyanions and shortening of Tt–Tt bonds.

Recent ion measurements within the modified DPF-1000U facility

In this note we describe measurements of ion beams emitted along the z-axis of the DPF-1000U facility operated at 23 kV, 334 kJ, and with the initial deuterium pressure of 1.6–2 hPa. The DPF-1000U device was recently renewed and equipped with a dynamic gas-puff valve placed inside the inner electrode. The investigated ions were recorded by means of ion pinhole cameras equipped with solid state nuclear track detectors of the PM-355® (PADC) type. The energy spectra of ions were determined using a Thomson spectrometer placed on the symmetry axis at a distance of 160 cm from the electrodes outlets. The ion images recorded during discharges performed under different experimental conditions show that the ion beams have a complex structure, usually in the form of a central bunch and an annular stream composed of many micro-beams. Energies of the registered deuterons have been in the range of 30–700 keV, while the fast protons (which originated from the hydrogen remnants) had energies in the range of 300–850 keV.

Correlation between Excess Heat and Pressure in a D/Pd Gas-Loading System with Heat-Flow Calorimeter

Previously on the work [1-3] of excess heat triggering in a D/Pd gas-loading calorimeter system, we got that the system had the maximum excess power (6.398 ± 0.191 W) at the condition of an optimum current (8.47 A) and a deuterium pressure (3 × 104 Pa). In order to get higher excess heat power and to confirm the reliability and accuracy of the excess heat triggered by current in the previous work, we did a serials of experiments under different conditions. The results came from the heat-flow calorimeter system showed that the system produced the maximum excess heat power (10.284 ± 3.402 W) when the D2 pressure was 220 Pa. The key conditions of generating excess heat need to be further studied.