NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #1/NN_1993_1.iso/spool/sci/physics/fusion/3149

Text File | 1993-01-05 | 1.9 KB | 41 lines

Newsgroups: sci.physics.fusion
Path: sparky!uunet!usc!news.service.uci.edu!network.ucsd.edu!pacbell.com!tandem!zorch!fusion
From: Jed Rothwell <[e-mail]>
Subject: Ni CF Recombiner
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Sender: [e-mail] (Scott Hazen Mueller)
Reply-To: Jed Rothwell <[e-mail]>
Organization: Sci.physics.fusion/Mail Gateway
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 15:16:36 GMT
Lines: 29

To: >INTERNET:[e-mail]

There have been some questions about the use of recombiners in closed cell
nickel light water CF experiments. I have heard from 2 or 3 people who have
done successful experiments of this type, but Tom Droege and one other person
said that experiments with recombiners fail, and Mills says you should not
use a recombiner. Perhaps the problem is in the type of material used in the
recombiner. Bob Bush, of California State Polytechnic U. reported success, so
I asked him what kind of he used. He reported as follows: "the recombiner is
platinum black impregnated into a nickel screen mesh on one side, coated on
teflon on the other side."

My impression is that commercial, off-the-shelf recombiners are finicky and
unpredictable, and that many are not designed to work at room temperature. I
recommend open cells. Since there are apparently some cases of recombination
on the cathode, you should not declare a definite excess until you are well
above total input power I*V. If you insist on a closed cell, I urge you to
include a large, low pressure escape valve in the cell design. Select a valve
that cannot become plugged up by condensed salts or other crud that appears
in CF cells after weeks of operation. The accident at SRI that occurred
exactly one year ago was caused by a valve that was incorrectly aligned and
blocked off accidentally.

- Jed


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