I would like to know what our electrochemists think about this
breakthrough. A friend made me aware of this item, on a list for
physics teachers this morning.
3) Here is an interesting reply (quoting with permission):
"It is not possible to reduce the basic energy required to decompose
water. This is fixed by the thermodynamic properties and use of
electrolysis does not change this fact. Only the efficiency of the
process can be improved, i.e. the amount of energy that is wasted in
making heat. Some of this heat energy is created at the electrodes by
the over potential. Apparently, the MIT claim attempts to reduce the
over potential, hence improve the efficiency. The issue is whether this
reduction is sufficient to make the method practical in view of other
losses and costs. As usual, information given to the public is
exaggerated and distorted to gain advantage for the people making
the claim.
The big question is what is the most efficient way to store energy. A
number of methods are competing for this application. At this time,
it is not clear that electrolysis with hydrogen generation has an
advantage even in view of the MIT work."
4) In 2007, the author of that reply, E. Storms, wrote an interesting
book
"Science of Low Energy Nuclear Reaction: A Comprehensive Compilation
of Evidence and Explanations about Cold Fusion." I think that this
serious book is worth reading. Please recommend it to a person in
charge of your school library. There is a special offer for it on
Amazon:
5) Contrary to what many think, most CMNS researchers are highly
knowledgeable and their methodology of validation is not different
from that used in recognized fields of science. The 14th International
Conference on Cold Fusion (ICCF14) starts next week in Washington D.C.
I do not know why the "conference agenda" link, on the left margin, is
still empty. Perhaps it has something to do visa difficulties
encountered by some foreign contributors. But I do know that the
conference is worth attending, especially by people who do not have to
travel very far. The topic of my presentation will be "Nuclear or not
nuclear: how to decide?"
Ludwik Kowalski, a retired physics teacher
5 Horizon Road, Apt. 2702, Fort Lee, NJ, 07024, USA
Also an amateur journalist at http://csam.montclair.edu/~kowalski/cf/