Cold Fusion Energy

Cold fusion energy, also known as low energy nuclear reaction (LENR), was once thought to be a hoax. It's nuclear fusion at or near room temperatures. Most thermonuclear fusion requires a temperature of millions of degrees above celsius, and is difficult to control, which is why nuclear power plants today create power using fission not fusion.

On March 23rd, 1989, scientists Matrin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons announced they achieved the first cold fusion reaction by passing current through an electrolytic cell consisting of a palladium cathode, platinum anode and LiOD electrolyte in heavy water. There was much cynicsm among the science community because they had gone to the media first and not the expected scientific journals. It soon turned to controversy when other scientists were not able to repeat the test results.

Since then many other scientists have achieved cold fusion reaction, based on Fleischmann-Pons research, but in different ways. The Japanese, avoiding the controversy, have renamed it new hydrogen energy and used paladium catalyst coated with absorbed water. Dr Arata and Dr. Zhang believe nikel can likely be substituted for palladium. At UCLA they used a small lithium tantalite crystal placed within a hydrogen-filled chamber, and when they heated the crystal from 30F to 45F, a one hundred thousand volt of electrical field formed across the crystal. They noted the creation of helium, the release of high energy radiation, and free neutrons (like our own sun) - all signs of fusion reaction.

Is this the future? It very well may be. As of now it's still in the research stage and no plans to build any kind of large scale reactor have been made. The potential is great, since it is much safer than nuclear fission - they do not generate either neutron or additional ionizing radiation.

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