Steps to Identify Main Parameters for AHE Generation in Sub-micrometric Materials: Measurements by Isoperibolic and Air-flow Calorimetry

In 2011, we introduced the use of constantan alloy in LENR, in the form of long and thin wires as a hydrogen dissociation promoter. We disclosed for the first time the reason for the choice of such material at IWAHLM-12 Workshop (2017), hypothesizing it was the initiator of the reaction in Andrea Rossi's experiment. We developed a specific treatment to increase the dimensionality of wire surface through the application of high peak power pulses. The wire is inserted in fiberglass sheaths, made up of micrometric fibers, impregnated with a solution of an electron-emitter element (Sr). Later, we added Fe and K to the wire surface and the sheaths and adopted the procedure of making equally spaced knots along the wire to produce thermal and magnetic gradients. We also pointed out that the addition of noble gases with low thermal conductivity, and in particular xenon, to the H-2/D-2 atmosphere, produces a considerable rise of temperature in the reactor, maybe because those gases acting as catalyzers in the generation of excess power. Measurements were always performed with isoperibolic calorimetry, which has the advantage of producing non-equilibrium conditions that favor the generation of anomalous heat excess (AHE). With this procedure, we reached a gain of almost a factor 2 at the highest temperature, although with limited stability over time. In this paper, we present SEM observations and EDX analyses of the wire before and after applying the treatment. We have also conducted a series of experiments using air-flow calorimetry. The calorimeter consists of an insulating Styrofoam box whose internal walls are covered with a thick foil of aluminum; the external wall of the reactor was covered with a double layer of black and thick aluminum foil to homogenize temperature. The calorimeter contains the reactor and a halogen tungsten lamp inside a dummy reactor used for calibrations. Even with the air-flow calorimetry approach, which does not produce the most appropriate conditions for AHE, we have obtained excess power, although in quite lower amounts. The best results are: (a) with 100-mu m diameter wire, D-2 at 1 bar, input power 90 W, the AHE was over 12 +/- 2 W, but after 1 day the wire broke and (b) with 200-mu m diameter wire, Xe-D-2 mixture each at 0.1 bar and input power of 120 W, AHE was 6-7 W stably for weeks. (C) 2019 ISCMNS. All rights reserved.