Independent test of Rossi's cold fusion device (1MW) underway now.

[kristopher]

The 24 hour test is reportedly being conducted by a US company Rossi has contracted with. If the test is successful it sounds like it will then move to some sort of production for deployment.

After a lengthy recap of the debate that has surrounded Rossi's work the Wired article has this to say about todays test:
"And that's the important thing about the 28 October test: for the first time it will be carried out by the customer's consultants, not by Rossi himself. The customer, apparently a large US company which has declined to be identified, will be measuring for itself whether the E-Cat does what it says before it will pay for it. Rossi has claimed that the device will output six times as much energy as it consumes. If it fails to perform, Rossi will not get paid and the customer will doubtless remain anonymous to avoid the inevitable bad publicity. If it succeeds, the customer might reveal itself to take credit for financing the biggest breakthrough in energy production of the modern era.

"There is a lot at stake for Rossi personally. He has reportedly sold his house in order to fund development work, and has been working 16- or 18-hour days for the last few months to get everything ready for the demonstration. The exact design has changed repeatedly; originally the one-megawatt generator was to be composed of three hundred small E-Cats, then it was 52 larger "fat cats", now the number seems to be 43.

"... a home E-Cat, a cube measuring 40 centimetres a side, which will produce all the heating and hot water you want. (Think "Mr Fusion" Home Energy Reactor in Back To The Future). His target cost is 500 euros per kilowatt, so replacing a typical boiler with an E-Cat would cost about £6,000 -- but you could then leave the heating on 24/7 and never see a fuel bill again. Rossi claims it could be on the market within months, though one suspects that there might be regulatory issues with people have nuclear reactors in the homes."

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2011-10/28/cold-fusion?page=all

[phantom power]

1. ...

:popcorn:

[TheWraith]

2. My thoughts exactly.

I look forward to the "results." :rofl:

[phantom power]

4. I think it would obviously be great if it works

I assume that they designed the duration of the experiment such that they can rule out that each of his units is not a box stuffed full of lithium ion batteries, or a small gasoline generator, etc?

[TheWraith]

5. Sure. Catch is, I'm fairly confident it won't.

Assuming of course that the test is as advertised, and being done by an actual credible lab. I'm not impressed by the fact that the company supposedly testing this is being kept anonymous. Seems like a way to dodge having independent confirmation.

[bananas]

14. Results are in - the test was a success

posted in LBN: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x5042208

[slutticus]

6. Your username is very fitting for this thread

:D

[HereSince1628]

3. The system looks like racks of sweater boxes in a shipping box

I suppose each is one of the fat-cat "energy catalyzers" shown in the second video going down this page:http://energycatalyzer3.com/





That webpage also shows the home version, which is housed in what looks a lot like my mother's post-WWII refrigerator.

[toddwv]

7. Who needs a popcorn emotie

when you have nom nom deer?

[Indydem]

8. Marking for later examination. n/t

[NickB79]

9. Publish the results in a peer-reviewed journal. nt

[kristopher]

12. That wouldn't be the next step.

This is proprietary commercially valuable information, so aside from patent data, if it works the next step would be for the "customer"to start using the product to make money.

That would validate Rossi and result in a rush of publications in peer reviewed journals to adjust the current status of understanding.

This is, in my mind, a do or die test for Rossi's claims. If clear results by an actual independent entity aren't provided, Rossi's claims should be considered false.

However, if a company like GE is behind the test and climbs on-board....

[PoliticAverse]

10. ...

[PearliePoo2]

11. He says the SALE has been made to "The Customer".

whoever that is.
Keeping my fingers crossed, but I remain skeptical of this invention that would turn the world and the laws of physics on its head. Bt still.....:-)

[TheWraith]

13. I'm extra-skeptical because "the customer" is anonymous.

I'd like to know if anyone has verified this "customer." Otherwise, it would be trivially easy to fake up a "deal," have someone posing as the "customer" announce that the device works as advertised, even if it's just a pile of crap.

Not to mention I still find it silly that this guy and his "black box" are taken seriously even though he himself can't claim to know how it actually WORKS.

[Codeine]

15. Utter and complete bullshit. nt

[kristopher]

16. I've defended the possibility that Rossi is onto something because of patent complications...

...that would be unavoidable if his claims were true. His secrecy and reliance on blackbox tests could be seen as being consistent with either a hoax or the legitimate concerns of an inventor unable to access normal protections for property rights.

This is different. His validity depended on, at the least, having a report released by an identified customer. I can see the "customer" desiring secrecy before confirming the device's capabilities, but to assert they are insisting on secrecy after knowing it works makes no sense at all.

No more benefit of the doubt should be granted IMO.

[PoliticAverse]

17. Forbes article on the test...

http://www.forbes.com/sites/markgibbs/2011/10/30/believing-in-cold-fusion-and-the-e-cat/

[PoliticAverse]

18. CNN 'ireport' article on the event...

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-696792