The Rossi Energy catalyzer holds promise in a time when oil prices are at the most volatile since the 1970s. However, is this technology everything it claims? The Rossi catalzyer is a device that produces high levels of heat by infusing hydrogen atoms into a nickel metal lattice and transmuting the nickel metal into copper. If independently confirmed, it would be the first working Low Energy Nuclear Reactor or Cold Fusion machine.
Why Cold Fusion Would Be A Game changer
Rossi’s energy catalyzer could be the achievement of a long held dream of physicists since the first successfully split atom. Nuclear energy is one of the most effective energy sources besides fossil fuels. Once a nuclear reaction starts, it can continually produce power for long periods of time from a limited amount of fuel. This is important in the face of the looming scarcity of oil, a product that takes millions of years to form. The main obstacles to the widespread adoption of nuclear power are the severely radioactive waste produced through nuclear fission and the huge amounts of energy it takes to start and maintain a fusion reaction. A working low energy nuclear fusion device would solve all these problems by producing clean nuclear energy at a much more affordable cost.
Obstacles and Challenges
If the potential gains of low energy nuclear reactions are enormous, then the obstacles are just as great. The basis for all low energy nuclear reactions is the fusion of hydrogen atoms into a metal lattice to produce heat. Scientist performed several experiments on the phenomenon, but the results came out mixed. For every scientist that supports results, there are several in the scientific community that remain sceptical. The sceptics have reason to doubt because if such a reaction is proven true, it would seemingly overcome the laws of thermodynamics. A process now believed as impossible as a perpetual motion machine. Rossi’s catalyzer presents an opportunity to overcome these objections. Rossi claims that the thermal energy produced by his device is not done through normal nuclear reactions so it would not directly violate physical laws. Already, similar experiments at MIT and support from top scientists at NASA are helping the Rossi catalyzer gain support. Further indepen
dent testing and clearer explanations of the process will further strengthen its case.
What Happens Next if the Technology Gets Accepted?
So, say that further testing of the Rossi energy catalyzer proves successful. What will be the next step. As of now a big obstacle for the catalyzer is gaining an internationally recognized patent of the process. After that, the next step would be development of the technology for large-scale energy production. At the moment the catalyzer only transmutes nickel to copper and produces a significant amount of heat for the material used. It is a bit of a step to take a lab reaction and make it happen on a scale large enough to match the energy production of most power plants. It will be quite interesting to see how Dr. Rossi can develop this technology upon proving the claims of his catalyzer.
Tega Jessa is a freelance science writer. He wrote articles on various science topics for universetoday.com focusing on space, physics, and renewable energy. She writes for Degree Jungle, which provides information about online colleges to future students.
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