Results of the analysis of the isotopic and elemental composition of nickel-hydrogen fuel reactors. K.A. Alabin1, S.N. Andreev1, A.G. Parhomov2
[ Translation by from Russian to English.
We thought this paper worthy of a wider audience because of its emphasis not only on the fugitive and controversial topic of measured excess heat, but of the more permanent and substantial evidence of LENR provided by ‘before and after’ analysis of the fuel elements from successful experiments. ]
Abstract – This paper presents the results of analysis of the isotopic and elemental fuel composition before and after operation in theRossi E-Cat, as well as in similar reactors. The Rossi reactor (after producing a claimed5800 MJ of excess heat) showed great changes in elemental and isotopic fuel composition.
Fuel in the AP2 reactor (150MJ of excess heat) showed a significant increase in the content of Cr, K, Si, Na, Mg, Ca, Ti, V, and a decrease in Ni, Mn, Cl, Zn, Cu, Al. A small increase in the ratio of 6Li / 7Li was observed. In the fuel analysis of the Chinese reactor (>13MJ of excess heat) a slight decrease in the 6Li content was revealed. In the GS3 reactor of MFMP, isotopic changes in lithium and nickel were notdetected. (see comment from MFMP’s Bob Greenyer)
Background - After the publication of the Lugano report on experiments with the high-temperature Andrea Rossi reactor [1], [2], Alexander Parkhomov took an opportunity tomanufacture similar devices. More than a dozen attempts were required. [3]. Some tests showed excesses of heat emission that indicated considerable exothermy, but the nature of this amazing effect is unclear. The level of excess heat is beyond the potential of a chemical reaction, in fact comparable to the energy released in nuclear reactions,although it is not accompanied by destructive radiation and longering radioactivity. A crucial part of understanding the nature of this effect is to study change in the atomic and isotopic composition of the fuel in the reactor before and after operation. Conducting such analyses is both complex and expensive and for that reason they were performed for only a few reactors.
Methods of Analysis Used.
In all reactors referred in this article, a mixture of Ni + LiAlH4 was used as a fuel. The following methods of analysis were used:-
- SEM-EDS method. A Scanning Electron Microscope in conjunction with an energy dispersive X-ray analyzer of elemental composition on predetermined surface points.
- LIBS method. Laser atomic emission. Laser evaporation with optical spectrum analysis.
- ToF-SIMS. Time-of-Flight mass spectrometry of the secondary ions. It allows the determination of the isotopic composition.
- ICP-MS method. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. It allows the determination of the isotopic composition.
- ICP-AES method of atomic emission spectroscopy with inductively coupled plasma. It allows the determination of the isotopic composition.
The first three methods provide information about the present elements in the surface layer to a depth of a few nanometers. ICP-MS, ICP-AES methods show average isotopic composition of the bulk sample.
1. Analysis Of Fuel In Rossi Lugano Reactor
The reactor tested in Lugano was operated from February 24 till March 29 in 2014, at a temperature of 1280 – 1400 ◦C evolved excess heat totaling 5800 MJ (1600 kWh) [1], [2].
A fuel analysis by SEM-EDS method was performed at the University Of Högskolan Dalarna Sweden. Study of the fuel before loading detected 3 types of granules. One with a high content of Al (probably crystals of lithium aluminum hydride LiAlH4), one with a high content of nickel (nickel powder) and one with a high content of iron.
Further study of the fuel by the same method after operation of the reactor revealed two types of granules: one with high nickel content, and the other with high oxygen content.
Table I
MASS FRACTION OF Ni, Li AND Al BEFORE AND AFTER THE OPERATION IN THE REACTOR (%).
Elements Ni Ni Li Al Al
Before loading 55.4 55.0 1.17 4.36 4.39
After operation 95.9 95.6 0.03 0.00 0.05
The elemental analysis of the fuel composition before and after the operation in the Rossi reactor was made by the ICP-AES method in Uppsala University, Sweden (Table I).
The main analyzed elements were Ni, Li and Al. The results of several tests are shown here. The content of Li and Al was determined by two independent emission lines to avoid possible systematic errors. Quantitative measurement of C, H, O, N, He, Ar, and F cannot be made using this method.
Apart from Ni, Li and Al, in the unused fuel a high concentration of C, Ca, Cl, Fe, Mg and Mn was detected. Notable amounts of these elements were not detectedin the ‘used’ fuel after operation.
Study of the isotopic composition of the fuel was done by two methods. Analysis using the TOF-SIMS method was done by the University Of Högskolan Dalarna (Sweden). Analysis using the ICP-MS method was performed at Uppsala University (Sweden) –see Table II.
Table II
THE ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF THE ORIGINAL FUEL AND THE FUEL AFTER OPERATION IN ROSSI
REACTOR (%), AS WELL AS THE NATURAL RATIO OF ISOTOPES OF THESE ELEMENTS.
Original Fuel After operation fuel Nature
ToF-SIMS ICP-MS ToF-SIMS ICP-MS
6Li 8,6 5,9 92,1 57,5 7,5
7Li 91,4 94,1 7,9 42,5 92,5
58Ni 67 65,9 0,8 0,3 68,1
60Ni 26,3 27,6 0,5 0,3 26,2
61Ni 1,9 1,3 0,0 0,0 1,8
62Ni 3,9 4,2 98,7 99,3 3,6
64Ni 1 0 0,9
These results enabled us to arrive at the following conclusions.
- The ratio of lithium and nickel isotopes in the original fuel is virtually identical to the ratio in nature.
- In the fuel after operation, the relative 6Li concentration substantially increased and the 7Li concentration decreased.
- In the fuel after operation, the content of nickel isotopes reduced very much, except 62Ni. The content of this isotope increased from 3.6% to 99%.
- ToF-SIMS analysis showed the presence of protium, but did not notice the presence of deuterium.
2. The Parkhomov Reactors
The AP1 reactor, similar to the Rossi device, was operated in December 20 2014 for 90 minutes. It produced about 3.2 MJ (0.9 kWh) of excess heat. This is 500 times less than the achievements of Lugano’s reactor, and for that reason no big changes in nuclear level could have happened. Nevertheless, the analysis by LIBS method detected a significant increase in the concentration of Na, Si, K, Cr in the fuel after operation. The content of Li and Al was reduced.
The next system, the AP2 reactor wasrunfor more than four days at 1200 ◦C and 150 MJ (40 kWh) of excess heat was produced. Analyses of fuel before and after operation in the reactor were made by several methods by different organizations.
An analysis of the elemental composition with the use of a scanning electron microscope made in IOF RAN and VNIIEF (Sarov).
Fig. 1 shows the AP2 fuel in a scanning electron microscope. Studies have shown a strong difference between the results for different sampling locations. However, in the fuel mixture before loading in the reactor, two different fractions were determined: gray crystals and white granules. The elements mainly found in the gray crystals are Al, O and C. Since the SEM-EDS method is not able to determine lithium, it is evident that gray crystals - are not quite pure lithium aluminum hydride. The white granules are composed of nickel with small amounts of iron, aluminum and oxygen.
In the fuel after operation in the reactor, melted white and slag gray structures were visible. The white structures contain mainly nickel with an admixture of Fe, Al, Cr, Mn, Si, O. The slag structures are mainly composed of Al and O. They are probably products of the decomposition of lithium aluminum hydride.
An analysis of the elemental composition of fuel before and after operation in the AP2 reactor using a laser-atomic emission spectrometer was taken in IGIC RAS (Table III).
It can be seen that the contents of K and Cr increased tenfold. The contents of Si, Na, Mg, Ca, Ti, V increased in multiple times. The contents of Al, Ni, Cl, Mn, Cu, Zn decreased. It should be noted that this method of analysis, as well as analysis with a scanning electron microscope, gives information about the atomic composition only on the surface of the test substance. These results are consistent with data obtained in the analysis of fuel in AP1 reactor.
An analysis of the isotopic composition of fuel before and after operation in the AP2 reactor by ICP-MS method was taken in the Vernadsky Institute. The results of this analysis are shown in Fig. 2 and in Table IV.
(a) (b)
Fig. 1. (above)Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images of fuel in the AP2 reactor
(a) before loading and (b) after operation in the reactor.
Fig. 2. (above) The content of lithium, aluminum and nickel isotopes in the fuel before
andafter operation in the AP2 reactor
Table III
THE RESULTS OF THE ANALYSIS OF THE ELEMENTAL COMPOSITION OF THE FUEL BEFORE AND AFTER OPERATION IN THE AP2 REACTOR, TAKEN BY A LASER SPECTROMETER. THE RELATION AND DIFFERENCES IN THE CONTENTS OF THE ELEMENTS BEFORE AND AFTER OPERATION ARE LISTED BELOW.
Li
B
C
O
F
Na
Mg
Al
Si
P
S
Cl
K
Ca
Ti
V
Cr
Mn
Fe
Co
Ni
Cu
Zn / 0.0343
3,8231
35.0812
0,005
0,031
0,0034
20,2859
0,2505
0,0026
0,0056
0,1752
0,0113
0,01
0,0009
0,0009
0,0358
3,6826
0,1375
0,0014
36,4072
0,0074
0,0073 / 9,5861
0,0327
7,4318
42,3785
0,01
0,1476
0,0192
17,0474
2,1615
0,0037
0,0076
0,047
0,3572
0,0328
0,0087
0,0084
1,4396
0,2936
0,1846
0,0011
18,795
0,0043
0,0016 / 0,953
1,944
1,208
2,000
4,761
5,647
0.840
8,639
1,423
1,357
0,268
31,611
3,280
9,667
9,333
40,212
0,080
1,343
0,786
0,516
0,581
0,219 / -0.002
3.609
7.297
0.005
0.117
0.016
-3.239
1.911
0.001
0.002
-0.128
0.346
0.023
0.008
0.008
1.404
-3.389
0,047
0.000
-17.612
-0.003
-0.006
Sum / 100,0 / 100.0
TABLE IV
RELATIVE CONTENT OF LITHIUM AND NICKEL ISOTOPES BEFORE AND AFTER OPERATION IN THE AP2 REACTOR.
Before / After / Nature6Li
7Li
58Ni
60Ni
61Ni
62Ni
64Ni / 7.4
92.6
64.0
26.4
1.2
4.0
4.4 / 7.9
92.1
65.0
27.1
1,2
4,1
2.6 / 7.5
92.5
68.3
26.1
1.13
3.59
0.91
Fig. 3 above. Fuel analysis results by ICP-MS method before and after operation in GS2 and GS3 reactors.
Table V
THE RATIO OF Li AND Li ISOTOPES MEASURED BY ICP-MS METHOD, FOR THE SONGSHENG JIANG REACTOR.
3. The MFMP GlowStickReactors
The GlowStick reactors were designed by Alan Goldwater under the MFMP project [3] and [6].
The GS2 reactor was operating in 2-3 of April 2015 at a temperature of approximately 1000◦C. On May 5-6, an attempt was made to re-start the operation. Signs of excessive heat were not detected.
The GS3 reactor was operating in 28-30 May 2015. The reactor was operating for about 30 hours at an average capacity of 160 W, and produced 4.8 kWh (17 MJ) of excess energy.**
**Editors note. MFMP later discovered that these figures for excess heat were probably exaggerated at least in part by a sticking heater coil in the active zone of the reactor. Re-calculation of the actual figure reduced the possible excess considerably, and in the interests of conservative science MFMP no longer claim any proven excess heat for this particular test.
Analyses of fuel before and after these operations was performed at the University Of Missouri (USA). The ratios of lithium and nickel isotopes were analyzed by ICPMS method. Forms of Ni and LiAlH4were detected, and fuel mixtures were prepared from them, and 1) A fuel mixture before loading in the reactor; 2) A fuel operated in GS2 reactor (with no production of excess energy), 3) A fuel operated in GS3 reactor (production of 17 MJ of excess energy). The results of the research are shown in Fig. 3.
No significant differences from the natural isotopic composition of lithium and nickel were detected in any of the samples analyzed.
4. ANALYSIS OF THE ISOTOPIC COMPOSITION OF FUEL IN THE CHINESE REACTOR (SONGSHENG JIANG, Ni-H REASEARCH GROUP, CHINA INSTITUTE OF ATOMIC ENERGY, BEIJING, CHINA)
This experiment took place on 4-8 May 2015 [3], [7]. An excess capacity of more than 600 W was maintained for 6 hours. The exact determination of the excess capacity is not possible, since the reactor temperature exceeded the limit of measurement (1370 ◦C). There was a self-sustaining mode that lasted approximately 10 minutes.
No changes in the ratio of nickel isotopes were detected. However, there was a very slight reduction in6Li content from 7.5% to 7.2% (see. Table V).
CONCLUSIONS
As a result of the 32-day operation of the Rossi reactor, big changes occurred in the isotopic composition of lithium and nickel. Except Ni, Li, and Al, in the original fuel were found C, Ca, Cl, Fe, Mg, Mn, though no appreciable amount of these elements was detected in the fuel after operation.
The production of excess energy in the AP2 reactor is 40 times less than in the Rossi reactor. Probably this is connected to the small change in the isotopic composition. There was only a small noticeable increase in the ratio of 6Li/7Li. There was a significant increase in the contents of Cr, K, Ca, Na, Mg, Ca, Ti, V. The contents of Ni, Mn, Cl, Zn, Cu and Al decreased.
The Chinese reactor revealed a slight decrease in the content of 6Li, in contrast to the increase that was detected in the Rossi and AP2 reactors.
The possible production of excess energy in the GS3reactor was hundreds of times smaller than in the Rossi reactor. It is logical thatthorough analysis did not find any isotopic changes in lithium and nickel.
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