Monday, June 2, 2008 | Reason : Physics and Chemistry | print version

Physicist Claims First Real Demonstration of Cold Fusion

by Phys Org

Tanks to SPS for the link.

Physicist Claims First Real Demonstration of Cold Fusion
by Lisa Zyga

On May 22, researchers at Osaka University presented the first demonstration of cold fusion since an unsuccessful attempt in 1989 that has clouded the field to this day.

To many people, cold fusion sounds too good to be true. The idea is that, by creating nuclear fusion at room temperature, researchers can generate a nearly unlimited source of power that uses water as fuel and produces almost zero waste. Essentially, cold fusion would make oil obsolete.

However, many experts debate whether money should be spent on cold fusion research or applied to more realistic alternative energy solutions. For decades, researchers around the world have been simply trying to show that cold fusion is indeed possible, but they´ve yet to take that important first step.

Now, esteemed Physics Professor Yoshiaki Arata of Osaka University in Japan claims to have made the first successful demonstration of cold fusion. Last Thursday, May 22, Arata and his colleague Yue-Chang Zhang of Shianghai Jiotong University presented the cold fusion demonstration to 60 onlookers, including other physicists, as well as reporters from six major newspapers and two TV studios. If Arata and Zhang´s demonstration is real, it could lead to a future of new, clean, and cheap energy generation.

In their experiment, the physicists forced deuterium gas into a cell containing a mixture of palladium and zirconium oxide, which absorbed the deuterium to produce a dense "pynco" deuterium. In this dense state, the deuterium nuclei from different atoms were so close together that they fused to produce helium nuclei.

Evidence for the occurrence of this fusion came from measuring the temperature inside the cell. When Arata first injected the deuterium gas, the temperature rose to about 70° C (158° F), which Arata explained was due to nuclear and chemical reactions. When he turned the gas off, the temperature inside the cell remained warmer than the cell wall for 50 hours, which Arata said was an effect of nuclear fusion.

While Arata´s demonstration looked promising to his audience, the real test is still to come: duplication. Many scientists and others are now recalling the infamous 1989 demonstration by Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons, who claimed to produce controlled nuclear fusion in a glass jar at room temperature. However, no one - including Fleischmann and Pons - could duplicate the experiment, leading many people to consider cold fusion a pseudoscience to this day.

But one witness at the recent demonstration, physicist Akito Takahashi of Osaka University, thought that the experiment should be able to be repeated.

"Arata and Zhang demonstrated very successfully the generation of continuous excess energy [heat] from ZrO2-nano-Pd sample powders under D2 gas charging and generation of helium-4," Takahashi told New Energy Times. "The demonstrated live data looked just like data they reported in their published papers [J. High Temp. Soc. Jpn, Feb. and March issues, 2008]. This demonstration showed that the method is highly reproducible."

In addition, researchers will have to repeat the experiment with larger amounts of the palladium and zirconium oxide mixture in order to generate larger quantities of energy.

via: Physics World and New Energy Times

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1. Comment #187522 by liberalartist on June 2, 2008 at 9:25 am

Is this too good to be true? I remember the 1989 experiment, it was on the cover of Newsweek and everyone thought they had found the new energy source. It all seemed quite exciting, but turned out to be a real disappointment. I am skeptical, but I could really use a new energy source, gas prices are cutting into my budget big time!

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2. Comment #187527 by AmericanGodless on June 2, 2008 at 9:28 am

I recall that when Pons and Fleischmann were doing this, there were a number of physicists who said the real proof would be to demonstrate the high-energy particles that should be the product of fusion (high energy neutrons I think-- not sure without looking it up, this is not my field). But this could not be demonstrated. Some were even saying that the most definitive proof that it was not really fusion was the fact that the researchers (and witnesses) never suffered radiation sickness.

As my wife said back then, it is nice to fantasize about this, for a few moments; but it is highly unlikely to come to anything.

Other Comments by AmericanGodless

3. Comment #187528 by mordacious1 on June 2, 2008 at 9:28 am

I think this is going to need a lot of peer review before I buy into it. Cool (I mean cold) if it's credible though. After all, we are in the 21st Century, and this WILL be the century of cold fusion.

Other Comments by mordacious1

4. Comment #187529 by Prankster on June 2, 2008 at 9:29 am

Amazing if true and fabulous if provable but this reminds me of an earlier article when a guy claimed he had developed a perpetual motion machine.....I'll believe it when it happens.

Other Comments by Prankster

5. Comment #187543 by Mr. Flibble on June 2, 2008 at 9:46 am

To quote "Voodoo Science" as I remember it on Cold Fusion, I must ask: "Is the lab assistant dead?"

Other Comments by Mr. Flibble

6. Comment #187548 by Old Nick on June 2, 2008 at 9:51 am

So another highly esteemed professor has staked his reputation on a very dodgy claim. I think this speaks volumes about the human craving for the "free lunch" rather than the technical ability of this scientist.
I would be dumbfounded if cold fusion suceeded, but also very pleased to be proved wrong.

Other Comments by Old Nick

7. Comment #187552 by tieInterceptor on June 2, 2008 at 9:55 am

Please, let it be true!

cold fusion would have a dual beneficial result,

bring clean free energy to the world, plus starve the Saudi family of petrodollars to pay for Wahhabi madrasas all around the world,

win win!

Other Comments by tieInterceptor

8. Comment #187558 by k1mgy on June 2, 2008 at 10:07 am

I would find it far easier to trust a Japanese on this matter. The concept of personal reputation actually has meaning for the Japanese people. I don't see this demonstrated quite as deeply in other cultures and it is nearly absent in the US.

However useful Professor Arata's science is, the energy source we need is already available and we have plenty of technology to use it. Wind and Sun are here, right now, and cheap. What we need is a political system in the US much like that of Europe where the solar industry is going gangbusters. Good government helps. Government that hates its citizens such as here in the States is a no-win deal.

Other Comments by k1mgy

9. Comment #187606 by HourglassMemory on June 2, 2008 at 11:02 am

I really want it to be true but... *shrug* there's ALWAYS something these guys overlook, no matter how many Phd's they have.

But if it's proven to be working, man! all power to them!!! Replicate! Replicate!
I mean, we have created better technologies since 1989. Perhaps with these we can actually do something.

At the moment I'm skeptical, but that doesn't mean I don't get a bit excited when stuff like this comes about.

Other Comments by HourglassMemory

10. Comment #187609 by beders on June 2, 2008 at 11:09 am

Actually, since Pons and Fleischmann, a lot has happened in this field.

There is a small, but active, community of scientists working in the field now. They are avoiding the term "cold fusion" and use the term LENR - low energy nuclear reactions.
Research is being done in the US, Italy, France, Japan, Russia among other countries.
Budgets are small, but there is a rising interest.

Follow this link for more about LENR:
http://www.newenergytimes.com/Reports/Start.htm

Other Comments by beders

11. Comment #187611 by hoops mccann on June 2, 2008 at 11:12 am

Comment #187543 by Mr. Flibble: "To quote "Voodoo Science" as I remember it on Cold Fusion, I must ask: "Is the lab assistant dead?"

Exactly. Fusion always gives radiation in the form of neutrons. Everyone in the room would have been killed. Why were'nt radiation detectors set up to verify the presense of radiation? A rise in temperature signifies nothing. A chemical reaction and a well insulated container could do the same thing.

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12. Comment #187621 by CrucieFiction on June 2, 2008 at 11:46 am

If true, count on big oil to step in with their incredible cash hoard and attempt to quash it in a hurry.

Links,

http://www.physorg.com/news131101595.html
and
http://newenergytimes.com/news/2008/29img/Arata-Demo.htm

Other Comments by CrucieFiction

13. Comment #187624 by thewhitepearl on June 2, 2008 at 11:48 am

**sigh**

If only-I'm just going to cross my phalanges on this one.

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14. Comment #187632 by Border Collie on June 2, 2008 at 11:59 am

If it's real it will be reproducible and verifiable by many ...

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15. Comment #187639 by fynbo on June 2, 2008 at 12:08 pm

As a nuclear physicist I have to correct some of the above misunderstandings : Fusion is NOT always accompanied by neutrons - that depends entirely on which reaction is going on. In the reaction claimed to happen in this story two deuterons fuse to helium-4 and nothing else. Each deuteron has one proton and one neutron, while the helium-4 has two protons and two neutrons. In the fusion reaction planned for hot fusion in the future fusion reactors the reaction is between deuterons and tritons leading to a helium-4 and a neutron. Secondly, even if neutrons had been present that would not directly have the consequence that people in the room would die - for that the dose rate has to be very high.

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16. Comment #187647 by Dr Benway on June 2, 2008 at 12:20 pm

I'm dialing the emergency Steve Zara phone now...

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17. Comment #187651 by b0ltzm0n on June 2, 2008 at 12:23 pm

As a nuclear physicist...

Bah, thanks for killing the fun fynbo! =P

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18. Comment #187670 by aussieatheist_111 on June 2, 2008 at 12:46 pm

In addition, researchers will have to repeat the experiment with larger amounts of the palladium and zirconium oxide mixture in order to generate larger quantities of energy.

How ubiquitous is palladium and how much of it do we actually have? I understand fusion generates vast amounts of energy for very little material loss...but is there a chance we would run out in short order?

Other Comments by aussieatheist_111

19. Comment #187697 by Lycosid on June 2, 2008 at 1:11 pm

This is more of an educated guess than anything, but it looks like the palladium/zirconium oxide was a catalyst, so the palladium supply question isn't really an issue.

Other Comments by Lycosid

20. Comment #187708 by Diacanu on June 2, 2008 at 1:20 pm

A miniature version keeps my heart going.

I am Iron Man.

*Is rushed by reporters*

*Black Sabbath kicks in*

Other Comments by Diacanu

21. Comment #187711 by F_A_F on June 2, 2008 at 1:23 pm

gas prices are cutting into my budget big time!

With the stranglehold that oil companies have on the world economy, you really think they would let cheap, easy energy leak onto the market? I expect to see this new technology crushed and derided on every front, especially in the US where petro-dollars fund appear to fund just about every political maneuvre.

Incidentally, next time you worry about the price of gas, consider that the current UK prices are Â£1.20 per litre for unleaded and about Â£1.30 per litre or more for diesel. Filling an average small car costs around Â£50, saloon around Â£100, and haulage firms are spending about Â£1k per week per truck on fuel....

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22. Comment #187715 by phil rimmer on June 2, 2008 at 1:24 pm

but it looks like the palladium/zirconium oxide was a catalyst

Thats as maybe, but does it get "clogged up" with the stable He4? Remember this is generated within the matrix of the material. Can the He4 ALL successfully escape? If not the process is possibly useless.

(Iron Man suddenly clutches chest...)

Other Comments by phil rimmer

23. Comment #187719 by Diacanu on June 2, 2008 at 1:27 pm

F_A_F-

With the stranglehold that oil companies have on the world economy, you really think they would let cheap, easy energy leak onto the market?

So we find ways to fight 'em.
They're not gods.
Even God isn't God, or else we wouldn't be on this site.

Other Comments by Diacanu

24. Comment #187724 by phil rimmer on June 2, 2008 at 1:31 pm

Most of them (with the exception of EXXON *spits*) would rush to fund it.

EDIT: Most are genuinely, if slowly, repositioning themselves as energy companies. They will control its rate of release, subject to the driver of competition.

Other Comments by phil rimmer

25. Comment #187744 by MorituriMax on June 2, 2008 at 2:01 pm

Maybe they "literally" created cold fusion, fusion without bad excess radiation.

Hmm, anybody know how much a gallon of cold fusion will cost at the fuse-station? heh..

Other Comments by MorituriMax

26. Comment #187749 by SilentMike on June 2, 2008 at 2:13 pm

Well, I hope this turns out to work (like everyone else pretty much).

I'm not a physicist,but doesn't using heavy hydrogen (Deuterium) which is relatively rare make this process more expensive? I mean you can't just pick the heave hydrogen out of a glass of water like the regular stuff, you need to distill it out of 6500 glasses of water (no I'm not that smart. I wikied it). Couldn't that be tricky?

If it will prove not to be tricky (or a trick) than cold fusion will change the world immensely. Just to pick one aspect, it will make all forms of transport cheaper. This includes space travel. We've been stuck "on the edge" of space for decades now. The costs of sending a craft there that can support, protect and bring back home a human crew are enormous. Being able to carry large amounts of energy in a bucket may just prove to be the technology required to advance human expansion beyond this planet (and the way things are going on this planet, this be a pretty good idea).

It sounds too good to be true though, and I'm afraid it prbably is.

Other Comments by SilentMike

27. Comment #187757 by entheogensmurf on June 2, 2008 at 2:37 pm

I'd like to see a tally of how many times people have been told something is not possible or at least realistically coming about within an acceptable time frame (1000 years from now ain't gonna help) and then... succeeding.

Still, I won't hop into the believer cart until there's more data. The sheer delight in the removal of oil from the list of fuels for the majority of the planet is rather strong. Think of the devastation to the countries which depend on this resource as their primary means of wealth :) Talk about a nice way to remove their power.

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28. Comment #187761 by Diacanu on June 2, 2008 at 2:48 pm

entheogensmurf-

Think of the devastation to the countries...

Um, that's pretty shitty to root for though.
I want to see the fall of the power OPEC, but wishing for the countries to be devastated?

That's like that nasty cold war hatred of Russia.
Oh, yaaay! Their economy collapsed and now all kinds of innocent mothers have to whore themselves to feed their children! Yaayyy!!!
Yuck. Come on.
That's awful.
And that's exactly what you're wishing for.

Other Comments by Diacanu

29. Comment #187763 by Ubiquitous Che on June 2, 2008 at 2:51 pm

I've seen a lot of optimistic skepticism regarding whether or not the demonstration was legit. That's as may be - I'm a software developer, not a physicist.

However, I've also seen a lot of comments along the lines of "Big Oil will crush this tech boo-hoo" going on... And I personally doubt it.

My understanding of the oil thing is that our planet is operating under something very similar to Frank Herbert's 'Law of the Minimum', because the main thing that is currently holding back the growth of the economies in developed countries is the fuel source - oil - and this fuel source is *mostly* controlled by a very small number of people.

So would the owners of the oil companies try to crush this new technology? Most probably.

However, the owners of the oil companies are only wealthy and powerful because governments make them so - and it is very much in the best interests of those governments to get this new fuel technology for themselves.

American politicians can be pretty dumb - but I don't think that even American politicians are inept enough to risk staying on the petroleum standard when China could get hold of cold fusion, and vice versa.

I'm also very much in favor of undercutting the basis of the Saudi wealth that has been funding extremist Islam. If you want to kill wolves, trap rabbits.

Other Comments by Ubiquitous Che

30. Comment #187765 by phil rimmer on June 2, 2008 at 3:08 pm

If anybody wants to check out the background to this, here is what they were up to in 2005-

http://lenr-canr.org/acrobat/ArataYdevelopmenb.pdf

1) Energy gain inferred only.
2) No account of sustainability or consumption of Palladium.
3) Arata is something of a Japanese nationalist.

Having been warned elsewhere about ad homs, I nervously include 3 as a bit of peripheral evidence regarding a motivation for wish-thinking on Arata's part. (Glorious Japan will prevail against its enemies!)

Other Comments by phil rimmer

31. Comment #187772 by The Schuermannator on June 2, 2008 at 3:38 pm

thewhitepearl -

A proper lady should always keep her phalanges crossed regardless of scientific progress!

(yes, I know what phalanges actually are)

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32. Comment #187774 by mordacious1 on June 2, 2008 at 3:40 pm

fynbo

You didn't comment on your opinion whether this has potential, would be interested to know.

Diacanu

If cold fusion were possible, then the middle east could use the energy to desalinate ocean water, and could open up land for agriculture. So they wouldn't be that devastated.

Others

At least this guy is from Japan. The oil industries would have a harder time supressing the research. I'm sure oil companies are not popular with the Japanese government or people.

This all said, I'm very skeptical.

Other Comments by mordacious1

33. Comment #187779 by doreladam on June 2, 2008 at 4:04 pm

An energy source is as valuable as its EROEI (Energy Return On Energy Invested). There is no such thing as a free meal. You have to invest energy to produce energy.

To produce oil we invest on average right now 1 BOE (Barrel of Oil Equivalent) per 10 barrels of oil. 80 years ago the ratio was close to 1 to 100. The attractiveness of oil comes from the fact that it's a very concentrated source of energy under high pressure. You only need to puncture the oil chamber and it will gush out, almost for free.

Hydrogen is not an energy source. It will never be. It is an energy carrier. There is no free hydrogen on earth. Most of it is already burnt (spent) in the guise of water. The rest is combined with carbon to form hydrocarbon. The most common and efficient is natural gas which is on the same path as oil, meaning on its way out.

To obtain hydrogen, one must expend a lot of energy to dissociate H2O into H2 and O2.

Also, to produce fusion we need deuterium or heavy hydrogen which is present in the water in an average ratio of 1 atom of deuterium to 6500 atoms of hydrogen.

Even if the cold fusion announced by professor Arata turns out to be true, which I highly doubt, what will be the final EROEI of the entire process?

That is the important question of any alternative energy source. Without an energy source at least as efficient as oil we cannot sustain the present level of economic activity. Forget about economic growth.

Other Comments by doreladam

34. Comment #187780 by Diacanu on June 2, 2008 at 4:15 pm

doreladam-

one must expend a lot of energy to dissociate H2O into H2 and O2.

Geothermal.

Other Comments by Diacanu

35. Comment #187791 by AfraidToDie on June 2, 2008 at 4:53 pm

Oh my god, what will Teratornis do if he hears about this. Is there such a thing as Peak Fusion? Sorry Mr T, hope u have a good sense of humor to match your intellect? To "thewhitepearl", my wife just walked in and saw your avatar, and now don't believe me anymore when I say I'm surfing a "clear thinking oasis". I think she saw your phalanges :-)

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36. Comment #187793 by Dhamma on June 2, 2008 at 4:56 pm

If this would turn out to be true, we're in for an interesting future to say the least. I doubt it will be consumer-available before we've seen heavy effects of what the co2 has done to the ozone-layer. If it turns out to work, they should invest huge huge amounts in making it useful for us.

Other Comments by Dhamma

37. Comment #187794 by mordacious1 on June 2, 2008 at 4:57 pm

AfaidTo Die

Don't mention Teratornis, he might awaken.

Other Comments by mordacious1

38. Comment #187804 by William1w1 on June 2, 2008 at 5:49 pm

I'm sure they probably took whatever precautions necessary to avoid radiation poisoning. They must have had at least some belief that what they were doing would work.

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39. Comment #187813 by Ian Bamlett on June 2, 2008 at 6:17 pm

There's just one problem with cold fusion.

It's bollocks.

Other Comments by Ian Bamlett

40. Comment #187816 by steveroot on June 2, 2008 at 6:28 pm

35. Comment #187791 by AfraidToDie on June 2, 2008 at 4:53 pm
To "thewhitepearl", my wife just walked in and saw your avatar, and now don't believe me anymore when I say I'm surfing a "clear thinking oasis". I think she saw your phalanges :-)

Shhhh... don't mention the interphalangeal sulcus.
Ste5e

Other Comments by steveroot

41. Comment #187821 by LeeC on June 2, 2008 at 7:12 pm

The article hinted at the important words for me... repeatability

While Arata's demonstration looked promising to his audience, the real test is still to come: duplication.

If it can be repeated, then we can be interested... then the next question arises - is it any use for the production of heat for the generation of electricity?

So the story was a reasonable one... build up the hope of the readers and the lovers of Sci-Fi (like me) but gave just enough information to keep our feet firmly on the ground. Lets be sceptical boys and girls. More testing required.

If I was a betting man, I know where I would place my money... but when it comes to science, I much rather keep my money safe and wait until the results are in.

Oh, the next question should be - how much does it cost to make ZrO2-nano-Pd (whatever that is?)

Lee

Other Comments by LeeC

42. Comment #187825 by Rational_G on June 2, 2008 at 7:27 pm

I prefer my fusion cool to hot:

- Weather Report
- Mahavishnu Orchestra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqashW66D7o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3pwEMDCqvQ

Other Comments by Rational_G

43. Comment #187831 by skyhook on June 2, 2008 at 7:44 pm

8. Comment #187558 by k1mgy

"I would find it far easier to trust a Japanese on this matter. The concept of personal reputation actually has meaning for the Japanese people. I don't see this demonstrated quite as deeply in other cultures and it is nearly absent in the US."

I really don't like the tone of your comment.

NOVA
LIVEDOOR
Earthquake-proof buildings fraud

Just three major scandals of the last couple of years from Japan - and everyone involved had personal reputation at stake.

Are you trying to say that Western scientists are less trustworthy than their Asian colleagues?

Before a scientist publishes their work it comes under close peer-reviewed scrutiny. If false data is used it cannot be repeated and so pretty soon they get caught out. Remember the (oh-so honourable) Korean cloning scientist?

As a general point to this discussion I must ask this:
Why should anyone BELIEVE that these scientists claims are true? The experiments will quickly be attempted by others in the field and either validated or rejected. There is no believing about it. There is only one salient point - proof!!!

That's why this website is so important. Demand proof not faith.

Other Comments by skyhook

44. Comment #187860 by Zaphod on June 2, 2008 at 9:53 pm

I haven't even read this article yet and my bullshit detector is in over drive.

Other Comments by Zaphod

45. Comment #187862 by mordacious1 on June 2, 2008 at 10:07 pm

Ian

Cold fusion isn't bollocks, it happens all the time. Just not on Earth.

Other Comments by mordacious1

46. Comment #187863 by Quine on June 2, 2008 at 10:07 pm

Yes, cold fusion is heating up again. Check out this article from New Scientist last year.

I have been checking on this from time to time over the last 19 years, and repeatability has always been the problem, in fact, unrepeatability is what has been repeatable. Again and again reputable scientists have seen something happen when enough deuterium is loaded into palladium, but cannot say exactly what, or reliably make it happen again.

But at the same time, it does not go away. Because palladium acts like a super sponge for hydrogen, it continues to be investigated for hydrogen storage and electrodes in fuel cells. We know from these studies that microscopic flaws in the surfaces impact the amount of hydrogen (or deuterium) that gets loaded into the metal. It is possible that the lack of repeatability may be related to the lack of atomically identical electrodes. If this is the case, and the nano coated pellets used by Arata are close enough to identical, then perhaps he and his team will be able to show it on a repeatable basis.

One thing is for sure, they would not make this claim and demo if they were not sure, themselves, because the history of this is so completely littered with the broken careers of scientists who could not repeat it. Skyhook is correct; we have to wait for independent confirmation. However, this is the fist time I think I will wait before betting against them.

Other Comments by Quine

47. Comment #187865 by fynbo on June 2, 2008 at 10:29 pm

Sorry everyone : it seems I was somewhat too fast in my little physics lesson earlier :-{

Indeed there is a large probability that neutrons (and helium-3) are emitted in the fusion of two deuterons. The reaction I described is more rare.

I in any case doubt this is really fusion since I have not seen an explanation of what should bring the two deuterons close enough to each other for fusion to happen with large enough probability. In the sun the reaction is extremely rare, but enough energy is generated due to the large amount of material.

Wikipedia has a nice discussion on cold-fusion: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_fusion

Other Comments by fynbo

48. Comment #187895 by Steve19 on June 3, 2008 at 2:07 am

Ian

Cold fusion isn't bollocks, it happens all the time. Just not on Earth.

Are you sure you don't just mean fusion? I'm not aware of any known cases of cold fusion occuring elsewhere in the universe.

Other Comments by Steve19

49. Comment #187908 by MorituriMax on June 3, 2008 at 2:43 am

Cold Fusion MUST happen elsewhere.. how do you explain the sun being able to do fusion at night?

8)

Other Comments by MorituriMax

50. Comment #187935 by aussieatheist_111 on June 3, 2008 at 4:21 am

Cold Fusion MUST happen elsewhere.. how do you explain the sun being able to do fusion at night?

8)

Precisely! And those stupid Evolutionists - don't they realise that also, The Laws of Thermodynamics actually prevent evolution on earth, because the system can't go from being chaotic to ordered without power input. I don't see any massive external power sources, do you?

Sadly enough, I've actually seen a creationist say something very similar to this...

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