Cold Fusion: What Is and How It Works
The concept of Cold Fusion i.e. LENR (low-energy nuclear reactions) is a controversial one as it has been experimented by several nuclear scientists but some are supposed to succeed in it and some failed to achieve the desired result.
The concept of Cold fusion is in news since 1989 when some scientists Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons had claimed that they have achieved to produce excessive heat that can be explained in the terms of nuclear process and reported for the production of nuclear byproducts, tritium and neutrons, in small amount due to electrolysis of heavy water on palladium electrode. The reports widely attracted media’s attention and was later on replicated by several other nuclear scientists with varied intentions but almost all of them failed to reproduce the similar results any more.
Though the concept of cold fusion almost came to an end after failure to replicate the initial idea but the reviews of Department of Energy, US on the initial experiments had instigated the concept again in 2004. The department was of the view that the initial replications were not much persuasive enough due to the lack of funds but then the situation was much different. The scientists succeeded in replicating the original results and the concept of Cold Fusion or LENR again came into lime light.
Working of cold fusion
Fusion is not an easy process as it needs very high heat and pressure on the nuclei to get them fused it can be seen as a natural process of hot fusion of hydrogen by the heat of sun to form helium which in turn converts some masses to produce the energy of light and heat. The concept of cold fusion was earlier experimented on by several scientists but failed to succeed for long. As per recent developments in this direction it is thought that Cold Fusion may be a possibility if nickel hydrogen fusion is activated to excite the atoms to produce energy using various methods of electrolysis, magnets, lasers, pressure and heat.
Recent developments for cold fusion
Recently Andrea Rossi had succeeded in October 2011 to produce 470 kilowatts of energy for over 5 hours through an experiment with his cold fusion power plant, E-cat, which was witnessed by several scientists. So it can be said that the concept of Cold Fusion is still under experimental stage and had not been thrown to the cold bags. Soon it can prove to be the source of low cost nuclear reactions to produce energy for universal use.